Blog #9 Solitude & Thanksgiving

We began the week with a 40-hour solo at a sit spot. It was hard and wonderful and weird to spend almost two days outside, without food or company, after being together every day for nine weeks. It was a beautiful time to look inward, to reflect, and to listen to the silence. For those two days we felt the sun’s first rays announcing the longed for morning and traced its path through the stormy sky. We learned about ourselves, and many of us found new strength for the future. When we came back together we came into the noise and activity of life slowly. Now we carry the quiet solitude of our solo experiences with us into the next stage of our journey.

From there we moved onto crafts and academics. We had a multitude of semester book pages to complete, new prompts to write on in our journals, old crafts to finish and new crafts to begin. Roberto joined us from San Clemente to lead us in making leather bags big enough to hold our semester books. On Wednesday we began work on Mathias’ beautiful home, and hopefully will finish the upstairs walls before we leave for expedition so that Mathias, Nicole and Ayra can move in.

Thursday began normally with work on our leather bags and construction on the house. Then at lunch we learned that Nadino, our beloved leader, would be returning to the jungle. On Friday morning we said goodbye to him and even Michael’s class exploring tunnels and caves failed to cheer us up. Now we are all processing it better, and will carry Nadino along with us in our hearts.

Saturday we spent the morning in the town of Palugo helping Wicho’s family pour the floor for Wicho’s future home. Wicho had already built the bare bones structure and roof himself, and it will be a beautiful home when it is finished. It was a wonderful experience to work alongside brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews to build something beautiful together. By mid-afternoon the house had a strong cement floor and we had learned how to mix cement by hand, how to make the world’s best empanadas, and how to work together in a new community. We left with two turkeys which Wicho’s mother was thrilled to part with and which we slaughtered right then. It was a powerful experience to watch those magnificent birds go from walking around to plucked and ready to be baked.

Yesterday we roasted the turkeys for an early Thanksgiving celebration since we will just be getting back from expedition on the real Thanksgiving. Preparations for the meal began at 4:30 am, baking in the wood-burning bread oven and cooking over an open fire and by 5pm we had a beautiful Thanksgiving feast. We managed to fit in a fascinating permaculture class about microorganisms with Thomas to boot. That night along with family and friends here at Palugo we stuffed ourselves on turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, stuffing, beets, green beans and carrots with almonds, green salad, and countless pies, cheesecakes and other deserts baked in the bread oven. It was fantastic, and we will be eating leftovers for days in the true spirit of the holiday.

Hasta Luego,

Mary Kate

Reflections:

Silence

Silence is a rare commodity in our overwhelming world. It is not often we find ourselves in solitude, with nothing to entertain or distract. A silence so powerful you can hear the beat of your heart, your steady breathing, the rhythm of your life. It is in these moments we can take time to truly and fully look inside ourselves. Not only to understand our weaknesses but also our strengths, so we can know ourselves completely, and learn to love and accept who we are. It’s important to recognize the necessity of these moments; otherwise a lifetime can go by without ever taking the time to solidify your sense of self. Always putting your energy outward and never growing within. Silence can create an atmosphere for happiness or sadness, weakness or strength, but above all silence fosters knowledge.

~ Harrison

La Celva

Hot, slow and sticky,

Drip,

Sweat into sleep,

Blink,

Lifetimes pass,

Flash,

Night is illuminated,

Thunder,

Storms begin,

Deluge,

All is water,

All is alive.

~ Isaiah

What it Means to Make a Living

Making a living means to make a life for yourself, to do what you feel is right with everything that you do. Doing what makes you happy, but what is also beneficial to the Earth and other living beings. For example, you might love fracking, but is it beneficial to other living beings? Temporarily maybe to some humans but in the long run? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Is Mother Earth okay with it? You didn’t even ask her. Therefore fracking is not making a living, it is making a death. If you live in connection with everything and live consciously and happily, you are making a living. If you are open-minded and kind, you are making a living.

~Bethany

Amy at work

Emma working with leather.