Traveling Circus Troupe

Tuesday: February 2^nd

Tuesday morning after breakfast and our morning meeting, Christian and I called Scott. He told us that the manager was coming in a week and he strongly believed that things would get much better once she arrived. One week sounds like nothing in terms of a work week. We had only been at the hostel for two weeks and it felt like three months. Having trouble in the work place is always a bummer but being able to go home afterwards to decompress is how we get over the little things. In the hostel we all work and live together so if something happens in the work day, it comes home with you and vice versa. After a while we came to the very difficult decision that we needed to leave the hostel because we weren’t achieving what we thought we would.  We asked if we could come back in the summer when it may be easier to spend more alone time in the woods, or even camp if we wanted a night alone. The growing tension in the house was not worth the amount of time and energy we were giving it.  Our time is very valuable right now since we want to travel in the fall.

Scott was very understanding and welcomed us back whenever we felt ready. Multiple volunteers had informed him that things weren’t going very well but he did not want to change anything until the manager had a chance to take leadership first. There is a probable chance that things at the hostel will get better but we couldn’t wait that long.

We talked with Yen and Allie who also understood but were sad to see us go. Though we were all going to miss each other we planned to meet up in Austin, Texas for the Levitation music festival! So it was sad but we knew we would see one another again.

Since Sunday and Monday were off days it was time to get to work. Christian and I began scraping the old paint off of the chicken coop to make the new coat of paint go on without chipping off. Yen and Allie began working on the walls inside and outside of the bathroom. Brian was planning on making pizza for dinner and taught Christian and I to make the dough correctly. The process involves mixing the yeast, water, and sugar separately from the flour and salt. Salt apparently will completely kill yeast. After a few hours Allie, Christian, and I decided to go into Paoli and French Lick to hunt for a sewing machine for the hostel to make curtains with in the future.

Some of the flea markets and thrift stores were more like junkyards indoors, but it was interesting. We did kind of find a sewing machine at the craziest store. There were some amazing antiques but there were also half full bottles of alcohol scattered around the store. The owner, an elderly man, was a bit thrown off by us city kids. I asked him if he had any sewing machines for sale and he looked at me like I had three heads. He asked if I was a local and I began explaining how we were volunteering for a hostel in West Baden Springs. He was unenthused but did tell me about a sewing machine he had buried somewhere in the back. He told us we would have to call back so he could dig it out when we needed it. As we looked around the store for a little longer the owner did not take his eyes off of us. We got the message and saw ourselves out.

When we got outside we all cracked up realizing how we are quite the trio in a small town like this. To the locals we appeared to be a traveling circus troupe. I have the side of my head shaved, Christian was wearing cut off sweat pants paired with red and white-stripped knee socks, and god forbid, Allie is foreign. It was an interesting lesson to experience. We were all reminded of different cultures across America. Living in a big city, especially on the west coast, is kind of like living in a massive bubble. There is so much diversity you don’t even think about the way others look or dress.

We were all pretty hungry so we decided to stop into a bar for some snacks and drinks. It was so nice getting to spend time with Allie outside of the hostel. She is so down to earth and such a calm and fun human to be around. We talked about the music festival, the hostel and how much we were all going to miss each other.

When we got home and it was dinnertime. We circled up and shared what we were grateful for. I was grateful for everyone at the hostel. I was thankful for everything I had learned and experienced. We all took a moment of silence and a loud “YUMMM” before eating. Brian made pizza with homemade sauce and dough and it was wonderful! After dinner Christian and I went outside to tell Tim and Brian the news. They were both very understanding and wished us luck with our future endeavors.

The rest of the night was awesome. I played Ratatatcat with Li, had talks in the kitchen with everyone and most importantly created a gift for Yen with Allie. We had this idea of wanting to create a bracelet or key chain for Yen. We wanted it to have a yoga theme so we chose the seven chakras. With Sculpie we created individual pieces representing each chakra. It took us hours. Christian studied Ruby on Rails and Li played Minecraft while Allie and I had such a great time creating together. All four of us were crammed into our tiny room and it was so great. After finishing our gift for Yen we were proud and completely surprised. I cannot remember the last time I sat down with a plan, began creating it and did not stop until the final product was completely finished.  

Yen was so excited and grateful. She gave us one of her palms in prayer at heart center bows of gratitude.

Once we were finished we all moved downstairs since we no longer had to hide our gift. Allie spent some time painting the mural in the bathroom and headed to bed. Yen became consumed with Sculpie and I hung out with Li in the kitchen. I was talking with Li about something pretty deep. I cannot remember exactly what we were talking about but I do remember turning around, looking at him and saying “Li, when we have these kinds of talks I forget completely that you are only eight years old.” He smiled and ate his English muffin that I made him.

It was a perfect last day in the hostel. Most of the day was spent with the housemates in a relaxed environment. We explored, created and as always had beautiful meaningful conversation.

Love Grows Like Bamboo

Monday: February 1st 

Monday was such a fun and relaxing day. Allie, Yen, Li and I went to the Living Roots Ecovillage for an Acroyoga class. Michael, the owner and teacher, is very into yoga and invited a previous volunteer, also named Allie, to come teach a class. She and Michael demonstrated multiple poses while we all watched in awe. I have minimal experience in Acroyoga. I practiced a bit in Portland and sometimes Christian and I would play around with some poses but otherwise I am a beginner. Yen had some experience as well but for everyone else this was their first experience. The most important lesson Allie taught us was that Acroyoga is more about bone stacking than strength and flexibility. If your legs and arms stay completely vertical when holding someone, the bones can line up and support your partner. If your limbs are at an angle then your muscles have to do all of the work.

Li perched calmly in throne pose 

As we watched Michael and Allie we were all becoming more nervous, excited, and slightly intimidated.  The first pose we tried was bird. The flyer, the yogi on top, begins standing while the base, the yogi on the bottom, is lying down. The base lifts their legs up and the base places their feet on the flyers hips. The base bends and stretches their legs getting a feel of the flyers weight and center. Once the two feel comfortable the base bends their knees into their chest enough that the flyer can make contact with their hands, and the flyer’s feet raises off the ground. So the flyer is laying flat above the bases whose legs are in a strait vertical line.

It is like playing airplane with a child. When comfortable enough the flyer and base can disconnect hands only connecting feet to hips. From bird we moved into different poses like folded leaf, mermaid, bow pose, and inversions! The class went really well and we all went into poses that we once thought were impossible. Even Li joined in on the action! It was extraordinary to work with other like-minded humans in this very trusting form of yoga. We all put our fear aside, trusted one another, and achieved so much together.

Me and Edward in shoulder stand 

Yen in mermaid with Edward

We left class filled with a blissful feeling of community. When we arrived back to the hostel Brian and Tim told us we should all take another day off due to Scott’s request. None of us opposed this wonderful idea. Christian and I decided to leave and find somewhere to sit and work outside and to have some alone time. We ended up at the French Lick Winery. Most of the grapes came from Oregon, Washington, and New York so we felt right at home. We shared a glass on the patio and began talking about the drama that had been happening in the house. Our time at the Lost River Hostel had so far been a mixed experience.

We had learned so much in such a short period of time, and met some amazing people, but the tension in the house seemed unavoidable. It was starting to feel that even though some moments were the absolute best, the bad times were beginning to overshadow the positives. We left the house to have some alone time but we ended up talking about what was bothering us and what wasn’t working. Even when we left the house we were spending our energy negatively from being upset with our living situation. Having difficult times at work is completely understandable, but when your coworkers are also your housemates, tension is going to rise. We decided we needed to talk to Scott and reevaluate if it was worth the negative emotions. After contacting Scott we planned to call him in the morning to discuss our options.

Those who have read all of this blog are probably thinking, “What? Where is all of this coming from?” A lot has happened here in the hostel that I have not written about. I began this blog to look back at to remember what happened day to day. I wanted to exert my energy remembering the positive aspects which have been the absolute best. In five years I may remember one or two awkward moments that happened here, but I want to be able to remember the positives clearly and fully.

Later that night Allie, Christian, Li, Yen and I wanted to watch Ace Ventura. Since it was past quiet time we decided to set up a cozy space in the somewhat furnished shed outside. There was no electricity or furniture so we brought candles, mats and blankets. We came prepared with popcorn, wine and a laptop to watch the movie. We all cuddled together to watch Jim Carrey as the hilarious pet detective. It was nice to be outside of the house because we could be as loud as we wanted.  I could not be more grateful for these four people. It is obvious how much I adore Christian but I have completely fallen in love with Yen, Allie and Li. They are my family away from home. I have learned so much from them during the hard times and the most precious moments. I cannot believe that two weeks ago these people were strangers. Love grows like bamboo, strong, quickly, and beautifully. 

Allie's Birthday

Sunday: January 31st

These last few days have had such amazing weather! Sunday was Allie’s birthday and it was about sixty-five degrees on January 31^st! Christian and I went out to pick up our weekly vegetables from the Living Roots Ecovillage. There were different squashes, sweet potatoes and lots of fresh greens. Allie, Yen, Christian, Li and I all got ready to head into Bloomington for a night in the city! While we were getting ready drama reeked havoc throughout the house. To escape, Allie, Christian and I went to the roof to soak in the sun and decompress. Finally, we were heading to Bloomington.

We shared stories and music on our car ride. When we got to Bloomington we were all starving and went to a Thai restaurant. Christian did some research and realized it was highly ranked by an authentic Thai food association. The food was some of the best Thai food I have ever had. We ordered spring rolls, pad Thai, tofu fried rice with lime and cucumber and green curry. We shared everything and did not have a single complaint. We left the restaurant and began wondering around the city. We went into different stores, which ended up being way more fun than it should have.

We saw some socks that had a lumberjack cutting down a tree that read “F*ck This Sh*t.” I don’t think any of us would have thought these socks were that funny until we had been chopping down trees and logging them for days. Li was fascinated with these finger hand toys. Actually he was fascinated with everything and wanted Yen to buy him something in every store we went. I bought Allie a cute button to match the other ones on her backpack as a small birthday present. She said she had a different but awesome birthday.

By the time we got home we were all pretty pooped. It was a nice day off and I am grateful for the time we shared away from the hostel. Normally I would say I need to get out of the city but we all needed to get into a city and be around more people than our housemates. Its interesting how quickly our wants and needs change. Getting into the city definitely made me miss Portland and everyone inside of that beautiful city.

Teaching Yoga Class

Friday: January 29th

I am feeling pretty proud this evening. Today Yen, Alley and I woke up at seven for our morning yoga class. We were all pretty exhausted from last night. I offered to teach yoga. I had offered to lead a class a while ago but the thought somewhat terrified me. Then I realized that this fear made no sense. In only ten days of living here I have a mutual love with these women.  So this morning I led my first yoga class and I felt right at home.

Being a dancer for so long has made me comfortable with movement but uncomfortable with speaking. I have been practicing yoga on my own for some time now. I knew how to set a class but did not know how to explain a beginning meditation or the flow between each posture. Alley and Yen were the perfect students to practice on. Alley has taken about three yoga classes, most of them being here, and Yen has been practicing for years spending some of her life living in an ashram. Once I began I was no longer nervous. I was strong, confident, and at peace with my current life. After class Alley and Yen were very kind. They enjoyed the beginning flow and the deep stretches at the end. I don't think that I could have hand picked a better people to teach my first class to. Thank you so much, you beautiful women.

We spent the rest of the day working our butts off at the guest house site. We began clearing a trail for Brian to dig a trench for the house's power lines. When we got the the end of the trail it was time to cut the massive tree we had taken down the day before. Never have I seen a tree more beautiful than this one. It is Scott's favorite tree on the property. Since we had to take it down for the guest house we are going to repurpose it in many ways so it lives on. Christian had been chainsawing for a while so I offered to relieve him. I cut for about an hour and it was everything. It was intense, exciting, loud, heavy, hard and liberating. When I shut off the chainsaw I let out a kind of battle cry from how much adrenaline I felt. My blood was pumping, my ears were ringing, and all of me was sweating.

Tim and Brian headed in and we worked for a bit longer. The second we got back I began to crash. My body had been worked to its limits. Now I feel sore all over. Typically I love being sore because it means I worked out really hard at the gym or had a hard yoga or dance class. Now I am proud to be sore because I exerted my energy for manual labor. My soreness is not for my personal gain, it is helping build Scott's dreams for the wonderful Lost River Hostel.

Tim and I shared a nice talk on the living room couch. We talked about different aspects of life. The good, the bad, and all of the moments in between. Tim has experienced so much in his life. Some experiences of his life have been so hard I hope to never encounter anything like it. Others are so inspiring that I hope to achieve even a few of the things he has done. He told me how much he enjoyed visiting orphanages in Thailand and China. He adores children and is so wonderful with Li here at the hostel. It is interesting that as I get to know everyone here I realize how different and similar we all are. We have all experienced completely different lives but we can work well together as a family and a team.

So all in all everyday is getting consistently better. I TAUGHT YOGA!!! I accomplished one of my dreams and was reassured that it truly is something I want to pursue.

Sun Salutations in the Sun Room

Thursday: January 28th

As I write this blog post I am torn. I just left a deep conversation in the kitchen with Li and Alley about life's hardships. I love that I am writing this blog but it is interesting to take a step back and realize that in order to remember all of these memories I have to take time away from the current moments I am experiencing to remember the ones I have experienced.

Anyways... today was a learning day. I woke up upset with some of my housemates. Actually extremely upset and disappointed. This feeling took me to a dark place that wanted nothing to do with. I kept to myself until Alley and Yen were up. I went into the kitchen to talk to them about how I was feeling. Yen shared her wisdom of how to deal with other humans. First off, letting other humans control your attitude means they have control. You should be the only one who has control over your attitude and well being. It is yourself who allows these negative feelings and energy into your body. Alley explained her technique of taking a step back to decide whether the situation was really worth her time or energy. Ninety percent of the time it is not.

We had our morning pow wow on the rood. I began to learn a lot about myself during this time. Alley and Yen shared life stories about stress and I quietly took mental notes. I realized I need to focus more on the positives of people versus the negatives. To feel physically and mentally healthy I need to express my feeling through movement whether it be dance, yoga, or even journaling.

 After enjoying the morning air and view we went into the sun room to practice yoga. Yoga was truly special today. Our practice was led by Yen. We were in the sun room, facing the sun, practicing slow sun salutations. My life is beautiful. While we practiced a quick standing shavasana, I closed my eyes and looked toward the sun. There was a design beneath my eyelids. It appeared to be raindrops layered on top of one another. I told Yen about it later and she explained that it was the sun's gift to me in gratitude for our practice and sun salutations. I really enjoyed thinking of it this way.

We then went to the woods to log and fill the truck with useable wood. I have become more comfortable with the chainsaw. After about ten minutes of continuous cutting your body becomes exhausted. I am positive that I will be sore in the morning.

After lunch Li and I finished tarring the roof. It was actually kind of stressful to be on the roof with an eight-year-old. Anytime he walked within five feet of the edge my heart clenched in my chest. Thankfully we figured out a routine so I was near the edge while he worked on the center. I now know how to tar, lay down tar paper, and then tar that tar paper down successfully.

Tim and Brian were going out to dinner so the rest of us decided to do the same. We went out for a cheap pizza and returned home to play games. Games are always fun and a great bonding time. After games Li wanted to play more. We told him we would play in a little bit while Alley and I shared stories about current and past relationships. Li joined in and we spend the rest of the night talking instead of playing more games. Well, this now takes us full circle. I am grateful to have this experience and to be consciously learning from it everyday.

Wizard Sheep

Wednesday: January 27th

Yesterday Christian and I spent the day working on the mural in the closet. Here are some of the paintings we did!

 

I painted the massive sun overlooking "Billy's Castle" in the living room closet. Christian painted a snake dragon attacking a group of sheep. Thankfully the mama sheep is a wizard and her force field was able to save all of their lives.

We decided to go out and explore the West Baden Springs Hotel. My pictures did not do it justice. I have chosen some pictures I found online to give you an idea of how insane and random this hotel is.

This is what the inside of the dome looks like. We sat in the dome lobby for over an hour laughing and pretending that we could ever afford a room even for one night. 

Let me reiterate that this hotel is across the street from a McDonald's, in the middle of nowhere, in Indiana. 

Cold Potato

Monday: January 25th

Here are the highlights:

Christian, Li and I cleaned the sun room. The sun was shining, so the room was warm. Li and I joked that the newspaper on the windows sounded like R2D2.

The kids, Alley, Christian, Li and I went into the woods where the guest house is going to be built.  I, Emily Marie Henderson, used a chainsaw to defeat some small but strong trees. We logged the trees and loaded them into the pickup truck. Working outside is extremely empowering. Alley decided to try driving the truck for the first time on the muddy woods terrain. It was pretty terrifying for all parties but we made it out just fine, minus the huge tire marks we left on the lawn.

Scott arrived with a ridiculous amount of food. Christian was exhausted from manning the chainsaw for most of the afternoon. As Christian took a nap I captured the alone time for yoga. I had not practiced by myself since I arrived at the hostel and it was just what I needed. I lit my candle and practiced gratitude as the sun went down. After an hour or so I heard my phone start buzzing. This is what I received:

These insane txts made my day.

After dinner the adults hung out for a bit. Yen shared her intentions of volunteering at the Lost River Hostel. She hopes to one day open a healing center/hostel/retreat. Being so passionate about all kinds of healing techniques she wants to have a center where people can come to heal and meditate. She believes food, herbs, and yoga can save the soul. I am fascinated with Yen because she has found such a beautiful balance in life. She is not calm until everything, I mean everything, is clean, yet she meditates whenever she gets the chance. We could all be sitting around talking sharing stories and she will listen while she practices her yogi breath. She realizes what she needs in life to feel bliss everyday. Everyday yes, but not all day every day. I appreciate her attitude so much because she is conscious of the good and the bad. Dealing with the bad and being grateful for the good. At least once a day she expresses her gratitude for a specific moment or meal.

The night ended with everyone goofing around the kitchen. We learned how to play hot potato from Li. We searched and searched for the perfect item to play with. Finally we came to our senses and used a potato. Hot potato was getting too loud so we tried cold potato. Li was making it up as we went. It turned into the silent game where the loser is the first one to laugh. Alley lost immediately, and then so did the rest of us.

Tiny Human

Sunday: January 24th

Sunday was very different yet exciting. Christian, Alley and I were assigned the task of picking up our weekly vegetables from Living Roots Ecovillage. To get to the farm we had to drive into French Lick in a crazy red farm truck. To turn on the truck you need to use a screw driver. Need to roll down the windows? Simply reach into the door panel to find the correct wires. It was awesome. When we arrived we thought it was just like any other farm. We were completely wrong.

We met Michael, the owner of the farm, on arrival. He offered to give us a tour as he gathered our vegetables. Inside of a large normal looking farm building was a community center for the ecovillage. There was a kitchen, tons of books, tapestries hanging from the wall, couches and tables, and a yoga/healing room. We exited through the others side of the building to find a village of multiple two story tiny houses. They were larger than your average tiny house, more like a studio apartment with a second floor.

Michael gave us a tour of the green houses while he picked us fresh kale, bok choy, and cabbage. He then showed us the Eathen Dome that is under construction. The dome is made almost entirely from the earth. The walls are made of straw and clay with a finishing mixture of sand, clay and flower. The walls look like drywall painted with a clay paint. Inside the Ether Dome he began talking about the programs they offered and what the ecovillage is all about. Living roots has lots of different learning programs including healing arts, organic gardening and farming and natural building and energy systems.

Michael was so welcoming and even invited us to join his weekly yoga class, the monthly community potluck and the annual seed exchange. It blows my mind that these communities and people even exhist. We left the farm with fresh organic local produce and a refreshed souls. The Living Roots Ecovillage may be another adventure we have to add to our list of life goals.

Dinner was something we were all looking forward to now that we had so much fresh produce! Alley, Yen and I worked together to make a vegetarian masterpiece for dinner. I was in charge of the salad while Yen and Alley created veggie burgers with a mustard yogurt sauce and a butternut squash soup. Working in the kitchen with these two fascinating women has been such a special experience. Before dinner we all stand in a circle holding hands. We take turns sharing where we are from today and what we are grateful for. Today I was from the kitchen and thankful for this fresh produce and meal. After everyone shares we take a moment of silence and then sing "yum" they way om is chanted in yoga. Our nightly gratitude circle is one of my favorite things about dinner. When we all sat down for our amazing meal I felt proud, inspired and thankful.

I spent the remainder of my evening hanging out with Li. We tried to play his game lazer maze but the lazer piece was broken which made the game impossible. We began talking about his life in his home country and his time in America. He told me about his best friend Edwardo who still lives in Venezuela. Li told me that he had not met another friend worthy of being called his best friend. He had met people who came close but it was not the same connection. He said kids at his school would say someone was their "best friend" but didn't really mean it. He told me about bullies he had encountered at school and how ugly their personalities were. He expressed that some people can handle bullies but since he is sensitive being picked on really gets to him. I asked him why people picked on him. He told me it was because he is different. The whole car toy and action figure craze really never made sense to him. He would rather create art or read a book. When other kids went home to watch television he was watching documentaries. He told me all of the documentaries he watched in first grade really paid off. We talked for hours. I told him I didn't want him to leave in a week. I said I am probably going to cry when he leaves and he responded "Oh, I am definitely going to cry!" I have known this tiny human for five days and I have so much love for him already. Secretly I am glad the lazer did not work and that we spent the night talking instead.

Chainsaw

(referring to) Saturday: January 23rd  

Yesterday as a whole was absolutely amazing! Christian and I got to sleep in a bit and immediately got to work outside. The goal  was to get the excavator up the hill and down the path towards where the guest house is going to be built. This task involved Brian driving the excavator, Christian cutting down trees, vines and stumps in the way, while Tim and I moved the cut trees off the path. This goal was accomplished before breakfast because we all worked together! I actually felt on top of the world. I don't know if it was the sunshine mixed with freezing temperatures or the adrenaline of hard work but I felt great!

Christian was a machine with the chainsaw. He was cutting everything from vines to big trees. Tim and Brian were extremely impressed. Though I already know Tim kept reiterating how wonderful of a man Christian is and just how lucky I am to be with him. While Christian and Brian were figuring out which trees needed to be cut ,Tim and I shared some interesting conversation. He told me about his travels and was so excited to hear that we would be WOOFing in Europe. He told me about his time in China. He explained that as a tourist in china if you stay longer than thirty days you are assigned a watcher. A watcher is literally someone, working for the Chinese government, who follows a specific tourist around 24/7 and watches what they are doing in their country. Tim also attended church in China so he was assigned two watchers. I also just tried to look up Chinese watchers and not a whole lot came up about the topic...weird.

The rest of the day was pretty calm. I hula hooped in the sun room for a bit and helped Alley puttied the bathroom walls. We talked about our families, relationships and why we came to the hostel. The more I get to know Alley, the more I enjoy her company. She has a very laid back approach to life and deals with stressful or awkward situations light heartedly. We are going to paint a tree on the bathroom wall together and I am looking forward to learning more about painting from her.

My goal for tomorrow is to wake up early to spend some time with myself. I am going to take myself on a date to the woods. I enjoy waking up with myself while everyone else is still sleeping. It has been hard finding a balance with alone time and group time here. Right now I am alone but it almost feels lonely because everyone else is together. I want to see how spending my morning alone and tomorrow night with everybody makes me feel.

I continue to learn more everyday and look forward to applying all of this new information throughout my time here and in future projects in my life.

Miss you so much my Hendersons!

Refueling the Mood

Friday: January 22nd

I am currently sitting in our room listening to Yen, Chrisian and Li jamming downstairs. Christian playing guitar, Yen on the drums and Li playing the medlodica. Listening to a child improv on an instrument is unlike anything else. This is the perfect writing space. Thanks to Alley our room has rainbow christmas lights which makes this space such a cozy corner of the house.

Today was all over the place but lovely. I woke up this morning in a bit of a funk. Though I am so glad we came to volunteer here this is a huge adjustment. Only a few weeks ago Christian and I were living in a spacious one bedroom apartment in downtown Portland, Oregon. We now live in a seventy square foot room in an old farm house with seven other people in rural Indiana. We do not have a closet, shelves or drawers in our room and everyone shares the same bathroom. I knew stretching would be my answer today. Before I interacted with anyone I retreated to the hobbit hole to stretch out my mental and physical tension. When I did make my way to the kitchen to make tea Yen expressed that she was also in a weird mood after being up all night. Christian and I went upstairs to clean up the room a bit. I began crying and wasn't sure why. I had a strong it was due to the massive am mount of change happening in our lives. The change is not bad or good it is all different from what I expected. Before we knew it Li was knocking on our door telling us it was time for breakfast.

Tim and Brian went outside to start working with the excavator while the rest of us cleaned up breakfast. It was snowing again which made things difficult for the massive machine. They decided that it would be impossible to work outside so they were going to take the day off and rest. We decided to have a chill day for art and resting! Typically we get two days off a week which we can choose however we please but we decided it would be fun if everyone took one off together.
The day consisted of painting, making beads with Sculpie, movies, pasta and refueling my mood. It was nice to have a relaxing day to hang out with everyone.

Crying this morning may have been exactly what I needed, even more than stretching or journaling. I have noticed time and time again that crying is sometimes the best release. It is a physical reaction to stress, sadness, or negative tension in the body. Being able to recognize our emotions and realize what we need to cope is extremely important especially in times of change. I now feel happy, excited and actually had a ton of energy throughout the entire day. Thank you tears, you have saved the day again.

To Brownyn: I miss you and think about you almost everyday. I loved sharing my Sculpie with everyone the way you always shared with me! I hope school is going well and I cannot wait to talk or skype with you soon! LOVE YOU!!!

Frozen Pipes

Thursday: January 21st

I woke up today slowly but surley to an all-white West Baden Springs, Indiana. It looked magical. Yoga taught by Yen started a little after nine which was great for the most part. Halfway through class Brian woke up and realized the pipes to the kitchen sink had frozen. It was made clear that it was time for everyone to go outside immediately to fix this problem. We began digging out the snow outside of the kitchen sink while Christian crawled underneath the house to place a space heater under the bathroom plumbing. After the pipes to the kitchen were exposed, Brian figured out that only the on/off valve had burst. We all took turns wrapping a water pipe heat cable around the main water pipe. While we took turns, Brian and Tim shared stories about life in Alaska. After the pipes were wrapped, we had to wait to see if we had fixed the problem. Christian and I began painting the living room closet while breakfast was being made. For the rest of the day we finished the closet, worked out in our room and began sanding and staining the blonde wood in the staircase.

Before we knew it it was already seven. Other than eating we had been going since nine in the morning. I was physically and mentally exhausted. We all gathered in the living room to jam for a bit. Yen let me borrow her guitar and I began playing "The Girl" by City and Colour. Alley immediately recognized the song so we played and sang together. Half of my mind was dying of nervousness while my sanity reminded me that this is a safe place. The second Alley started singing I joined in and it felt so right. The most beautiful moment was watching Yen play guitar while Li jammed out on Christian's melodica. Her smile grew as she watched her son close his eyes and become one with the music. By the end of the night I was so tired but felt extremely accomplished. In one day I shared a yoga class with new friends, was taught how to save frozen pipes, painted a closet, stained most of a staircase, pushed my fear of singing in front of others aside and had a hula hooping contest with an eight year old. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity.

Fact: In Alaska all of the plumbing and pipes are on the roof of the house under boxes. It snows so much that it would be impossible to dig out underneath the house. Also a lot if times the roofs are red so they can be identified when the snow reaches the top of the house.

Recipe: For mopping the floors fill a bucket 1/3 with water, a splash of white vinegar and ten drops of essential oil.

Beautiful Housemates

Day One: Tuesday January 19th

A mile away from Indiana's opulent West Baden Springs Hotel, sits what will one day be The Lost River Hostel. Right now it is a modest farmhouse inhabited by seven volunteers from around the globe. Over the next few months, they will build another house for guests, a parking lot, a bathhouse and more. Two of those volunteers are me and my boyfriend Christian. Yesterday marks the beginning of our a six-week journey, in which we will share a home with strangers who will become friends, and work with untouched nature that will become a new home for guests.

We arrived to the Lost River Hostel around eleven a.m. yesterday. We both were nervous but excited. When we rang the door we were greeted with hugs from our new friend and housemate Brian. When we arrived everyone was slowly waking up after a long night of jamming. Scott, the owner, gathered everyone in the living room for a meet and greet as well as the morning meeting. Every morning there is a meeting to discuss what everyone is going to be working on and who needs help with what. We were assigned the closet in the living room which needed to be painted and then turned into the art storage space. Others were in charge of working on the bathroom walls, adding electricity to certain rooms, emptying the sun room, and staining the blond wood. We ate pancakes with a homemade strawberry syrup and was given a tour of the house. The hobbit hole is a wonderful little space to escape to, the kitchen is huge with all open shelving, and every room upstairs has a chalkboard wall. Our room is probably fifty square feet, if that and its absolutely perfect. Scott left, we cleaned up after breakfast and began moving into our room.

Slowly we began to meet all of our wonderful housemates. 

Alley: turning twenty four in two weeks, originally from California. She went to UC Irvine to study art and graduated the same year as me and Christian. She was working at a Jewish Deli and decided she needed a change. Took an Amtrak from LA to Indiana with her boyfriend Billy. Together they traveled across america enjoying the views while struggling to sleep.

Billy: I met him for twenty minutes but sounds like a hell of a dude.

Brian: A thirty seven year old man who has experienced more than most do in multiple lifetimes. He has been to every state in the US, has traveled to hundreds of other countries, living in about fifteen or so of them. In his time here on Earth his careers have been but are not limited to: the military, badass chef, engineer, professional tree climber (arbor master), programmer. He is knowledgable in how to do everything in and around this old farm house.

Yen: Is how I believe you spell her name. A beautiful Venezuelan woman who came with her son Li by her side. She is a strong follower of Buddhism and a yoga teacher and I look forward to all that I will learn from her.

Li: Yen's eight year old son may be my best friend here at this point. A lover of adventure, crafts, and staining wood around the house. His world currently revolves around Billy complete with handmade Billy pants and shirt.

Tim: A kind wise man who has also traveled the globe. He has received multiple PhDs and has taught in China and India, offering us jobs in either country if we pleased. He has been to every country in Africa, most of Europe and Asia. All of the housemates tried to convince him to grow a beard but he thought it made him look old so he shaved it off.

Li took us to check out the cave located at the front of the property. We were assured we would be completely covered in mud and that it was well worth it. I followed him down into the tight tunnel towards the slightly larger space at the bottom. When my body was about half way down the rabbit hole I decided I had gone far enough. I wasn't really in the mood to squeeze myself into a space that I was not positive I could escape from. Christian went further than I did and as promised we were both covered in earth.

We enjoyed getting to know everyone as we started settling into our new home. We ate leftovers for dinner and planned a yoga class for the morning. We all watched the movie Green Inferno which is absolutely ridiculous and I would not recommend it to anyone, but it was fun suffering through it together. I stayed up talking to Alley and Yen about life stories, relationships and art. I slept soundly excited for what awaited.

Fact:
Tim shared with us that when you hike Machu Picchu in Peru the locals give you coca leaves to help your body adjust with the elevation. The leaves also give you a hell of a boost for your hike!