My Extraordinary, Courageous Adventure

Book excerpt: At the end of 2011, after a horrendous year that she would rather forget and struggling with a midlife crisis, author Bella Pearce knew something had to change. Summoning her strength, she decided to spend twelve months on an overseas adventure, volunteering around Canada and the United States through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) program. Bella relied on her courage to leave behind a thirty-two-year-old marriage, close down her business, and walk away. She initially intended to use the trip to rediscover the person she knew had been buried by grief, stress, and loneliness. But over time, it became an extraordinary and courageous journey. She could never have dreamed up the experiences she had, the challenges she faced, or the places she encountered. The universe directed Bella to where she needed to be, and at each location she learned lessons on the path to her recovery. Although she expected to find passion, compassion, and a renewed perspective on life, what she gained during her time away was much more than she ever imagined possible. In this memoir, one woman recounts the story of her life-changing year volunteering and traveling around North America and the Caribbean, while in search of herself.