Last week at Claymont

This is our third and final week at Claymont. I have really enjoyed my time here and coming back after the festival felt like coming home again. Some of the community members have become my friends and it's so great to know there are wonderful, like-minded people everywhere! I began my birthday feeling a bit bummed not to be celebrating with friends at home, but people here really helped to make my birthday special. We had a fancy dress party outside the garden and drank mojitos in the afternoon.

Garden party crew (l-r): Karl, Annie, Rachael, me, Jenna, Dan, Caitlin

I am already learning a lot about myself on this trip. For example, after going to Camp Bisco, I learned that I have entered a new phase in my life where going to a large, commercialized festival just isn't fun for me anymore. I could not handle how wasted people got, the negative energy coming from some of our neighbors and how quickly the festival grounds were trashed. I still love music and dancing, but in the future I plan to stick to events that operate within a leave no trace ethic and are likely to have many conscientious people in attendance. I am still really looking forward to Burning Man, though!

I am also learning a lot about the importance of letting go of expectations and being open to possibilities as they present themselves. Sometimes the best plan is having no plan at all. I have gained a sense of inner peace that I have not felt before, which I attribute to a lot of time spent outside with my hands in the soil and having so few distractions here. There iare many opportunities every day to just think, be still and meditate.

We will leave here Friday morning, then head to Nashville for a couple of days. On Thursday night, there is a community sauna, and I am really looking forward to that! There is a natural spring under the sauna that we take dip in when we want to cool off. I am convinced that a long sauna followed by a dip in a nice cold spring is a key ingredient to good health.

Outside the sauna building

The sauna benches

Oil can sauna stove