Living simply in the valley has been steadily improving. Twenty-eight days have flown by and I feel very comfortable out in basecamp. It is socially rewarding to feel and know we are all dedicated to working together and creating a sustainable lifestyle. Living in a community is wonderful for just that- connecting with others, sharing skills and labor, and inspiring one another with our creations. The most important lesson I’ve leaned about living ecologically is that it is a collaborative process, and community is key to creating a sustainable lifestyle. But keeping it simple hasn’t always been simple. Around here errors do happen, and are somewhat encouraged. Without the mistakes we have made we would not be so proud with all that we have accomplished. Though there is no village yet, it does feel intimate—in the ways that we all work together and rely on each other to finish projects, and share very little sheltered space while trying to build some of the first structures. We are pioneering. This past stint we made a lot of progress. In terms of agricultural projects we were able to build & plant a raised bed with some peppers, cucumbers, carrots, potato, garlic ect. We also were finally able to build an agro-forest fence to protect our produce, citrus trees & coffee plants from the grazing cows and horses. Hopefully soon construction on the greenhouse will begin.
