Building the Arc.

How’s life on the farm?

It’s like waking up in Heaven every morning. It’s great. It’s better then a hundred million bowls of Bligh’s orange butter cream frosting.

What could be better then spending time everyday with people you love? People you trust and are completely comfortable around? Laughing so hard you have to keel over at the waist? Getting to the point where you can have whole conversations with out saying a thing?

As I sit here in the Gables living room, getting my back massaged by a mechanical fold-up chair, looking around at the pink carpet installed in the 70’s and the drab green walls, I ask myself: What’s next?

The rain is pouring down outside on a beautiful Friday afternoon, the windows are open and I can smell the drops as the hit the ground. Moving to Sunrise and taking the farm internship is the best decision I have ever made.

At our bi-monthly classroom session Thursday, it shouldn’t have been unexpected given our history of being an openly emotional bunch, that about 5 minutes in the team was blowing on multiple handkerchiefs and building an arc to save us from drowning in our tears.

Although I have asked to stay on the farm till the end of December, an additional 2 months to my original contract, I don’t plan on staying here forever.

I currently feel that I am lacking direction in my life. I said in the field a few weeks back, I don’t know what life is going to be like after I leave the farm. Dave replied with, “Life after the farm? I didn’t know there was such a thing.”

His comment seemed lighthearted enough, but really, is there life after the farm? I’m not saying that I’m going to finally drink the kool-aide or anything like that, call it quits and join the rest of the Emissaries that have passed on, but I’m saying that even after only being here 2 months, I don’t know if there is any other way to live.

I keep saying I don’t have any direction, but here we go, let’s move on from building an arc intended to save us from drowning, to building an ARC, a bridge that will help connect me from here to there, a transition period, a structure with direction.

So may it be written, that is, a little direction:

1. THERE HAS TO BE FOOD: Not genetically modified, corn fed, high fructose filled food, but rich, tasty, organic, soul enriching food.

Ex.1: Bush Beans


Ex.2: Broccoli


Ex.3: My Sanctuary/Love Shack/Garlic House. My love, Kate.


Ex.4: The day spent in the kitchen.


2. THERE HAS TO BE FAMILY: Not just mom, pop, brother and sister. But that TOO! Family as in the ones we love. They have to be there. Or be found there.

Ex.1: My Valace Ladies.


Ex.2: The Farm Family


3. THERE HAS TO BE LAUGHS: Laughs like the ones we have here. Ones that end with wet crotches. Really, the day I stop smiling and laughing is the day my soul dies.

Ex.1: Avana dodging the flies that are taking over the compost.


Ex.2: The wet crotch


Ex.3: That's what she said


Ex.4: This was hysterical. The wheel FINALLY fell off. I love Kate's face of confusion and defeat.


4. THERE HAS TO BE CLIMBING: There may be a day in my life when I no longer hold climbing so dearly to my heart, but that day isn’t now. So yeah, there must be climbing too.

Ex.1: Up in Wyoming. THE hardest route I have ever gotten on, on lead.


Ex.2: ISRG'en at Shelf Road.


5. DOGS MUST BE WELCOME: Shout out to Pappa for taking care of Ally. She would love it here on the farm but I couldn’t make it happen.

Ex.1: The one and only, me and Alamander.


Typing a blog is kinda like talking out loud. Thanks for keeping up with my journey. Any feed back is always much-ly appreciated.