One of my mentors always said to me, “the world would be a better place, if we all woke up each morning excited to find the beauty in the day.”
When I was hired to work at F&W in April, I tried to prepare for what I knew would be a challenging and rewarding summer. Browsing the website, I checked the blog, perused photo albums from past years and researched Plymouth, Vermont on Google.
I met for brunch with a camp alum – an international diplomat who had found solace every summer at Indian Brook.
But nothing could have completely prepared me for this experience. Never in my life have I been surrounded by so much breathtaking beauty – both in the natural landscape, and the human heart.
For most of the day, I’m free from the burden of most technology; no cell phone service and limited internet access have led to the conversation and connection I’ve sought for so long and was worried that I’d never find it again.
In an increasingly globalized world, we are so easily and quickly connected, but, paradoxically, many of us feel increasingly isolated.
We participated in fantastic Skills Trainings, which was similar to the “Barns & Gardens” training, where I learned how to milk a cow, witnessed the birth of two beautiful calves, made mozzarella cheese (which we later fed to a 700-pound pig named Hallifax!), and participated in a fiber arts workshop to gain skills in carding, spinning and dying wool, and techniques for knitting and weaving.
Thankfully, here at IB, we are re-connecting and re-claiming that which makes us most human. We’ve laughed, cried, shared stories, poems, and incredible moments of silence.
Our music is chirping birds in the morning, soothing drops of rain on our cabin rooftops, women singing grace before a home-cooked meal and guitars strumming as we sit on the front-porch swing.
We are making tons of new friends (and re-connecting with old ones) – chatting by the fireplace while our hiking boots and socks dried on a rainy day, sipping steaming hot mugs of cocoa on the porch after dinner chores, discussing our passions, perspectives, and daily practices as active global citizens.
What an exceptional opportunity we have here, to live the life we’ve imagined: to live simply, walk softly, and move forth confidently in the direction of our dreams.
This summer at Indian Brook promises to be full of beauty, for the human spirit, when fostered with positive energy and held in the Light, is like a thousand galaxies burning. Together, we have the potential to shed light upon the shadows of injustice all over the world.
Our amazing Indian Brook community, formed a few days ago, is shining like a brilliant star. So, hurry campers – we are ready for your light!
by a new IB staff member.