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| Nature true beauty is definitely felt at Camphill! |
DAY 1: As Friday morning arrived, I was filled with excitement as
well as slightly anxious for our adventure that had yet to begin to Camphill
Village. I hopped onto the LX to College
Ave, and met up with my group members. Running on a lack of sleep and walking
into my site leaders greeting me with a smile assured me that our 2-hour drive
to PA wasn’t going to feel like 2 hours at all.
Our Livingston dining hall dinner had proved to be a success as everyone
bonded and connected, and I knew that I was on a trip with people who I would
stay in touch with after our trip was over.
Once our staff leader arrived, it was around 3pm and we loaded the car.
All situated and comfortable, we got our very own personal DJ to create a
playlist that we could jam out to, and the car ride was set to go. Time flew by as we played the traditional car
games: The Alphabet Game and (insert). It was definitely a great of adding
laughter into the air. An adventure is never complete without detours and
surprise U-turns, but eventually we made it to our first stop, Dallas
Diner.
After filling our food desires, we hit the road again and reached
Camphill Village. We were greeted by one of the volunteer residents who would
be our leader for the weekend. Feeling a
bit anxious and nervous not knowing what to expect took a
quick tour. Our initial interaction with those with developmental disabilities
occurred that evening. Although it was
quick occurrence, it definitely raised some questions and intrigued our minds
about our upcoming experience. We headed down to Larskburg, which would be our
home for the weekend. As we entered Larskburg, the smell of Chamomile,
lavender, lemon took over our senses and made us eager to be staying there. The
little house provided a homely feel and our encounter with the volunteers there
so far was very welcoming.
During our first reflection, we discussed our feelings
regarding Camphill so far, expectations we have from each other, objectives we
would like to learn, and how we can make our trip a success. Being part of a team meant we would be
open-minded, respectful, have the ability to listen, and work together in
giving back to Camphill. To add to our night, we played a few rounds of
charades, and I’d have to say I got the hard one: Roar by Katy Perry. We ended
our nights with our thoughts and headed off to bed to be awake and ready to
work at 7am!
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| One of our members working hard! |
DAY 2: Our day started bright and early, as we bundled up in layers
of clothing and headed out to Serena house to have breakfast. The food was
delicious as it was all organic and grown on the farm. Once our stomachs were
content, we headed over to the vineyard with shovels and gloves to give the
vineyard a makeover. Our morning went by
pulling out weeds and prepping the vineyard. The weather turned out to be
beautiful and our group bonded over sharing random experiences and splitting
the tasks. A little before noon, we
took a quick tea break. While we sipped on our freshly brewed lemon herb tea,
we listened to our leader give us a background on Camphill. One of the
intriguing aspects about Camphill was that each resident with a disability was
treated as any normal person; there was no reason for labeling individuals with
disabilities and treating them with extra care for say. Most of the volunteers
are unaware of the disabilities that their resident has.
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| Couldn't seem to get enough of these baby calfs! |
I found this to be very interesting as it provides a sense
of community with each person living there and remove any stereotypes that may
exist. Camphill shares so much unity and utter respect for all its residents
and volunteers that ever as guests we felt we were part of their family. We also were very surprised at the fact that
there is no lock policy, event at night at Camphill. Residents and volunteers
are free to roam around at whatever timing they please. It was very shocking to
hear that because in our society, we can’t trust our surroundings and its
people so easily so we keep ourselves protected by locking our doors. Our tea
break provided us a better understanding of Camphill as a whole and we headed
back to finish our work at the vineyards. Along the way we were greeted by our
very own cows, some of which loved our attention! After our las The
lunch was truly scrumptious with endless servings of veggies and salads. One of
the surprising things that we noticed was that the residents living here didn’t
seem to acknowledge or react to the fact that we were inside their homes.
Rather, they just went about their daily routine.
After lunch, we were given a tour of the village. On our
adventure, we visited the farm, weaverly place, and the craft shop. I’d have to
say that the handmade clothing was astonishing. The talent was really inspiring
to see. We then headed towards the
forest where our next project was to be started. We worked on putting up a deer fence so the
forest and its natural plants could be preserved. This was the first time I got
to use a saw for real so it was definitely an experience! Time flew by and it
was time for dinner. We had an scrumptious dinner with a hearty soup which we
were very thankful for! At the end of dinner, one of the residents dedicated a
poem towards our members. We felt really honored and delighted to be serving such
people who are so humble and really make us feel at home. Our night ended with
us reflecting on what we had observed, experienced, and learned throughout our
stay at Camphill. I truly felt that it
was an unforgettable experience because it made you realize how much our
society puts a label on people with mental disabilities. It opened our eyes to
look at the things with not just one direction, but multiple perspectives so
that you can gain a strong understanding. Camphill gave us so many ideologies to think
about and a way of living life through its every moment, that we are tempted to
go back and give back in many more ways! Simplicity, serenity, and spirited
encompassed the atmosphere created at Camphill Village, and through our journey
we experienced and felt each of these emotions.
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| We Thank You Camphill for a wonderful experience! |
