*poem about community?
I wanted to find an intentional community to be a part of, but then I decided to be intentional within my own community.
Alexia Allen, Hawthorn Farm
Within the whiplash of changing my entire year’s plans, I had to find a place to live. It was a daunting task, I had just gone through months of apartment hunting in Olympia but now had to start all over in Duvall. Prices were higher, time was ticking, I was very aware that most of the odds were not in my favor.
Luckily for me, however, the Wilderness Awareness School community had my back. Through a Google group with all of the incoming Immersion students and staff, I was put in contact with two of my classmates who were renting a house right by campus. They had an open room available, so I claimed it and moved in with a full day before orientation to spare. I still can’t really believe that I actually pulled it off.
Something about this place felt like home the minute I moved onto the land. Maybe it was a bit of that magic I was talking about, I could feel it dance across my skin as I unpacked and settled into the space. More realistically, I think I had finally found a place where I could fully be myself without worry, judgement, or consequences, and my body was subconsciously picking that up and sighing into it.
What made this place, this community, so positive and welcoming to me before school had even started? It begins with my house, named Fawn Hollow for the family of deer that commonly traverse the backyard. I’ve never been in the best living situations outside of living at home; I was the odd one out in my first college apartment and barely interacted with anyone in my last one. Coming here, not fully knowing who I was moving in with, it was scary. But right off the bat, my housemates and I were able to create a space of warmth, welcome, intention, and connection. We had, and continue to have, house meetings, being open with our communication and needs within this shared living space. I’ve bonded strongly with both of my housemates but have also set boundaries; I feel comfortable telling them “You’re being too loud! I need to sleep!” It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced; it’s a total breath of fresh air. I am so thankful that everything fell into place for me to live here.
Expanding outward, Fawn Hollow’s location right by campus has helped to create a strong community and sense of welcome. Literally a five-minute walk from campus, not only am I saving money on gas (UNBELIEVABLY grateful for this), but I am also able to stay closely connected with all of the students living on and around campus. Out of the 38 students in the program, 18 of us live within walking distance of school. That’s basically half of my class available to hang out at any time of day. We’ve had communal dinners, movie nights, poetry readings, and group adventures, without even having to leave the property. Any and everyone is welcome; no one is greeted without a smile. I’ve never been surrounded by so many people happy and excited to see and hang out with me.
Expanding even further, let’s talk about the Immersion and Wilderness Awareness School itself as a community. I’ve never been in such a welcoming and accepting learning environment. All needs are heard and met; projects can be worked on within class to help with focus, people can stand, move, and take space if needed with no questions asked. Mental health and external circumstances are brought forward every day of class; a space is held every morning for people to speak their needs and anything external that may be affecting their ability to show up that day. Spaces are also held for quieter and slower voices in the group, allowing anyone who isn’t normally heard to speak up while also asking louder voices to take a step back. I feel fully comfortable to voice my needs or concerns with the entire group. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that comfortability in any other aspect of my life.
WAS has been such an interesting community to enter into because there has been so much visible support at my back since day 1. It didn’t matter who I was, I was stepping into this challenge with my entire being and for that, I had layers upon layers of support around me. My mentors and the apprentices, the school Equity Council and Elder Council, all WAS staff members, all past Immersion students, even community members with little to no connection to the school at all. I was stepping into something BIG when I joined the Immersion, WAY bigger than me. And I still don’t know if I’ve fully understood the weight and importance of that.
Let’s take a step back for a moment. What was missing from past communities that I’ve been a part of, making them feel unwelcoming to me? As I think about this question right now, I realize a lot of it probably had to do with me being a child and therefore lacking any merit and independence. Children aren’t treated with respect at all in our society; they are looked down upon and seen as knowing nothing while I actually believe they hold more wisdom than the rest of us do. This belittling is something I have struggled with for my entire life, even today as I have entered my 20s. Coworkers don’t take me seriously, parents treat me like a child, I’m at a disadvantage just by appearing young within society. I never thought of age as a privilege, but now I recognize it as one that has greatly affected me up to this point in my life.
Speaking of privilege, here is another aspect of past communities that has negatively changed my experience within them. I want to preface by saying that privilege isn’t necessarily a bad thing; most of the time, it’s something we’re born into and don’t have the ability to change. It’s no one’s fault that they’re privileged, but they do have a responsibility to use that privilege for good where others are unable to. I’ve grown up with a lot of privilege. I was born into a loving family that was well off financially, my skin is white and I don’t suffer from any disabilities, I got to attend private school and summer camp and I have help in paying for college. I’ve had a good life, which is a tough thing to admit in a world that doesn’t acknowledge privilege or that labels it as “bad.” There shouldn’t be guilt around being privileged. This is something I am currently learning and settling into.
The issue comes when people are oblivious to their privilege and oblivious to the impact they have on others and on the world. So many communities I have been a part of have carried this shared ignorance, which is great for everyone involved, I bet it’s wonderful to not have the weight of the world on your shoulders every second of every day. But it’s selfish and unfair when so many others aren’t able to share in that ignorance. ***more?
- lack of communication/space?
how to take what I have learned to other/future communities I am a part of?
opening day story to close
