Year I Fell Into France: My Recession-Proof Volunteer Journey

Mel Reyna's non-fiction naiveté travelogue blends rich cultural insights with everyday life, captivating the heart of French living most tourists never see.

When life falls apart-divorce appears, careers vanish, and dreams crumble-you can either break down... or stand tall and book a one-way ticket to your dreamland. Armed with stubborn hope, a 59-pound suitcase, and a tattered paperback French dictionary, Mel Reyna sets out on a four-month journey as a first-time French WWOOFer volunteer (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) to the City of Love. She uncovers behind the scene experiences of WWOOFing life by volunteering on farms, vineyards, and crumbling châteaus, trading labor for a chance to rebuild her spirit.

Lost, broke, and hilariously unprepared, she stumbles through muddy fields, missed trains, tricky kitchens, and countless wrong turns. From a "sh** day" wheelbarrowing manure to pruning grapevines, all the while navigating the language barrier with comedy charades and fielding invitations from a restaurant owner to work as a waitress and be his live-in lover. Along the way, she discovers that sometimes your life has to fall apart before it can fall together.

A light and inspiring travel story weaving together a 2010 recession-era exploration and sustainable volunteerism stories, topped with light-hearted personal transformations. Through true adventures all across France, this down-to-earth story is for anyone dreaming of your next escape or navigating your own new path after loss. A witty yet heartfelt travel journey for fans of travel books, food, self-help through experience, and real-world resilience.