The Year I Fell Into France

My Recession-Proof Volunteer Journey

Mel Reyna Scott

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English

Melonie Scott Inc.
11 July 2025

Biography: general; Geographical discovery & exploration; Assertiveness, motivation & self-esteem; Eco-tourist guides

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.

By: Mel Reyna Scott
Imprint: Melonie Scott Inc.
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 127mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 386g
ISBN: 9798998963315
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 11 July 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Mel Reyna Scott was a first time WWOOFer at age 40, when she became a volunteer for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms and took off to the City of Love. Her service comprised of various assignments, including a vegetable farm and vineyards in the South of France.Her previous journeys have taken her from the coffee plantations of Costa Rica to the temples and markets of India, and now to the land of Champagne and Dijon mustard. When she's not exploring the world, Mel Reyna is a freelance contractor and producer living in Los Angeles with her two fur children and always has her passport a ready.

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

Mel is very persuasive, showing how it is up to each of us to take the plunge and explore the world that is waiting 'out there', and how to set about it. And WWOOFing is one of the best ways of living in a country or region 'For Real' rather than floating over the surface as a tourist-not to mention all the fascinating and useful things you can learn. Susan Coppard, Founder Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) When we are little, we are full of wonderment and discovery; everyday looking for something new to unfold. Mel's new book is a wonderful journey that stirs up our curiosity for magical living. This book will take you on a well needed adventure.Tim Storey Author, Speaker and the Original Comeback Coach