Meet a couple who traveled to Europe to learn ecoskills and are now putting down roots in Italy

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Who among us who lives in the hustle and bustle of the city doesn’t wonder if we’re really marching to the beat of our own drum?

In 2020, Francesca Tortorelli and Eliza Cox fell in love with Naples’ nightlife. But the couple, a video editor from a town near Salerno and an English teacher from Nottingham, found themselves disillusioned with the big city, in contrast to the fulfillment they found in their stay. camp trip.

Determined, the two decided to take action to resolve their grievances. In September 2022, they embarked on his year-long travel and volunteer work in Europe, while honing his dream of opening the world. ecolodge in southern Italy.

“It broke down life into simple things,” Eliza, 23, says of her experience at the eco-retreat. “Just the simple rhythm of life in a community of other volunteers with all the other chaos and drama removed. It was a really special experience and taught us a lot.”

I currently live in Perdifumo, a small town in the southwest. Italythey work towards their goals by connecting with local communities to make future destinations as inclusive and sustainable as possible.

We met Francesca and Eliza, aka “Growing Greener”, to hear about their journey and what it takes to create a truly collaborative tourism experience.

How can I travel while volunteering in Europe?

Although they were in tune with their feelings, they did not break up impulsively. Francesca, 30, explains that finding the best way to travel on a budget took six months of preparation and research.

They used a website called World Packers, where hosts offer travelers lodging and dining in exchange for five hours of work a day.

For Growing Greener, this was more than just an opportunity to meet like-minded travelers on a long-term adventure. They also gathered valuable skills for future projects.

in Portugalthe couple stayed in off grid At an eco-retreat farm in Aljezur, he sleeps in a tent while busy with various tasks. Eliza bought fruit in the forest and cooked for the other volunteers, while Francesca cleaned and prepared breakfast for the guests.

Their next visit was France There, they learned about vegetable growing and agriculture and helped plant a “food forest” of more than 150 trees.

They were also tasked with caring for the chickens and a herd of goats that had recently joined the family. “For a video editor and an English teacher living in the city, it was something completely new and foreign, going into the middle of nature and everything,” Eliza remembers.

Life on the streets wasn’t always easy. “It can be very intense and difficult and there’s no personal space,” the bilingual couple says, weaving into each other’s sentences. “But it was a real experience where we grew a lot.”

“It was one of the best years of my life,” Francesca says. “It taught me how to listen to myself and do what I really want to do.”

How can I build my own ecolodge in Europe?

Groner Greener now wants to create a place where other travelers can come and learn, but first they need to put down roots. Francesca’s grandparents were from Cilento, near where the couple lives, and she is keen to create something authentic within the area.

The ecolodge they envision is a place for travelers who care about their health. impact In a world as wide as the place they live.

“At the heart of this project we want to keep the local community in mind,” Eliza explains. I live here all year round. ”

So what does positive engagement look like? Growing Gleaner’s Instagram account, which has more than 21,000 followers, includes posts like taking the time to interact with neighbors in Perdifumo and organizing last month’s beach clean. It is full of heart-warming examples of planning events such as uploads.

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As part of the project, various courses and workshops from permaculture will be held. yoga For pasta making and other local traditions. The idea is that when visitors pay to learn something new, another course becomes free for local residents with limited resources.

Growing Greener will hold its first event in Cilento from May 2024. Website Later this month.

As for the physical ecolodge, they are still searching for a suitable location and seeking state funding to begin operations. It may take several years, but by then it is clear that the foundations of the community will be well established.

To learn more about Growing Greener’s travels and projects in Cilento, watch the video above.

video editor • Joanna Adhem