“All good things are wild and free.” -Henry David Thoreau.
I want to go to this retreat because it is a way for me to escape from my day to day reality. My schedule is crazy with dance, school, and different after school clubs. Going to the Rue Farm calms me down and keeps me centered. I feel at peace with myself and one with nature. Every morning when we meditate, I remember how simple life should be and how simple it is at that very moment. I love the smell of damp, cool air in the mornings as the smell of burning sage lingers throughout the farmhouse. Going for walks down to the pool with new friends after breakfast, and sliding down the side of the hammock everyday without anything that I have to do or anywhere I have to be. I can just be like a forest spirit roaming as the forest comes to life in the morning and gets ready for bed at night.
I feel that this retreat would benefit me because I would have many good memories to look back upon when I’m having a rough time. I also learn many new activities like woodworking for example. Over the many times that I’ve been to the farm, I’ve learned how to cook, start campfires, throw boomerangs, build things out of wood, and just be at one with myself and nature. I know that every time I go to retreats, I learn something new and exciting. I get to try new things. As I spend more time meditating and doing yoga, I find it easier to keep myself under control and feel at peace.
I feel like this specific retreat will benefit me the most, though, because school has been rough lately, dance is getting crazier with competition coming up around the corner, and I’ve been getting stressed out about things that I shouldn’t be stressed out about. I believe that this very retreat will make me realize that everything will be okay and that the entire world is not depending on me for being the best at everything. Though some people may believe I should be amazing at everything, it’s physically impossible to do everything perfectly. I will be able to become myself again and not be confused as to who I am and why I am the person that I am. I can be wild and free.
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Antinanco Earth Arts School is a coalition of teachers and community leaders committed to preserving traditional and indigenous knowledge, and providing public access to education beyond the classroom walls through nature experiences, hands-on projects, multi-generational mentorships, cultural exchange programs and environmental conservation projects.
To read more about Antinanco Earth Arts School programs, visit www.antinanco.org