A celebration of the last 8 months!

It's fall outside so it's time to resurrect the blog and process some of the lovely experiences and ideas I've come across in the past while.

So I've just spent 8 amazing months at Linnaea Farm, Cortes Island doing the ecological garden programme. This experience has been more than I ever expected in a fundamental kind of way.

Now that I'm out of the beautiful bubble I'm having to try to place words to feelings, memories, ideas, a way of being, sounds, friendships, smells- all experiences that are graspable but seem to slip through my vocal chords like ghosts.

In the past two weeks I've had interactions like the following:

you- So how was it?
me- It was amazing!
you- like what? what did you learn, what did you do?
me- well, ummm, lots of things, let's see... well we worked in the garden weeding, planting seeds, fencing...
you- so you worked on a farm
me- yes, but also we had classes about different schools of gardening, land ethics, compost, carrots, guilds, grafting...
you- so you know when to plant a carrot?
me- yeah I guess, but more than that... we also did some blacksmithing, woodworking, animal chores, herbology...
you- uhun- what about the people?
me- the people were amazing, I lived and worked with 9 other people and we got along really well even though it was intense... actually this person.... so funny... when... but then...also this person....haha
you- blank stare. right- I guess you had to be there.
me- hmmm I guess so.

So I think that will be some of my work in the next while- to be able describe this experience and be able to effectively communicate the awesomeness of Linnaea! I especially want to apply all those experiences and knowledge to places outside the bubble to spread the awesome!

Here's something I wrote in October to celebrate our experience and to thank all those who had helped us on our way at Linnaea.

These are the words that came straight from my heart about this programme, people and land.

We were like baby lambs upon arrival. Small, timid, anxious and hopeful. We were born into this program with wide questioning eyes. We were full of energy like the newly awakened sap coursing through green vascular tissues of the forest. We knew nothing and everything.

Our teachers gently breathed the awakening wind of renewal into our chests. The pulse of the land started vibrating through our bones..... infiltrating.... harmonizing with our internal rhythms. We began to open to the multitude of possibilities from a place of inspiration and awe. We built relationships of laughter. We observed and interacted.

The summer sun brought growth and chaos. We tested new ideas and relationships. We swam when we could no longer run. We looked to our teachers for stability and guidance. They pushed us to explore further- to test our limits- to grow through experiences of pain and joy. We sang 'We're half way there' without knowing what was between here and there.

The bounty of late summer and fall came. We ate our faces off and laughed. We realized that every dinner conversation had to include poo. We celebrated our hard work and the beautiful harvest. We realized we had permanently become food snobs. We realized we had changed.

Such changes cannot be surmised in one pithy sentence or glance. Such changes are deep energetic changes that perhaps go back to the pulse of the land vibrating our bones. No one lesson, workbee, food or relationship were the cause..... The holistic teachers and teachings had shaken us to the core.

We observe and interact. But WE are different. We are different. We are more open, compassionate, and connected than before. We have tools and ideas to share with the world. We have broken down invisible constructions of our minds and bodies.

We came into this program lambs and leave with new understanding, intuition and friends. We leave sadly and joyfully- knowing that we will always carry this experience in our hearts. We leave with the spirit of Linnaea flowing through us- to share with the beings we meet on the journey. Thank you to all our teachers.