“So what other places do I have to clean out?” I asked myself.  I have been on a mission to pare down my belongings and I try to do something towards that goal each day.  I opened a cabinet.  Besides being the storage space for my pajamas (which I wasn’t interested in paring down at the moment) I knew the other things in there needed to be sorted through. And that’s when I spotted it.  The burgundy photo box I thought was stored somewhere in my parents barn.  Turns out, it was in my house all along.

Why is this photo box so important?  Yes, it holds all sorts of moments captured on film.  But memories are not what I’ve been seeking.  I was on the hunt for a passport-sized photo.  You know how you only need one for your passport, but when you go to have the picture taken they give you at least four?  I hung onto those extras figuring I’d need them at some point.  And I was right.  To apply for the list of Italian farms that are looking for volunteers, I need to send a passport-sized photo.  On my long list of steps to get to Italy was to apply for that list.   But to get any task accomplished, one must break it down into its individual steps.  So my first step was to find that burgundy photo box.

Upon finding it, it took me no time at all to apply for the list.  I filled out the on-line application, paid the membership fee, and then scanned and sent my photo.  Isn’t wonderful we can do all of this electronically?

So there it is.  Another in a long list of steps checked off.  Within four days I will have access to a list of over 200 Italian farms looking for volunteers.  The next task?  To figure out on what kind of farm I’d like to work.  Do I want there to be animals?  Or just vegetables?  Or olives?  Or grapes? What other tasks do I want to be a part of?  And the bigger question – the one I still have no answer to:  In which part of Italy would I like to spend March and April, 2012?  (Suggestions welcome.)