Finding community like Plantation

Posted By: Kelly Marston

This past weekend I attended a retreat in Big Sur.  It was some much-needed R&R and gathering energy to start a great camp season.  While at Esalen I met really interesting people and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  What really struck me during the experience was how like Plantation Esalen is.  Some of the similarities are:

• There was a beautiful garden in which they grew a lot of the produce that we ate (sound familiar).
• Treating everyone with respect was an integral part of the experience.  Each person was valuable and their special contributions acknowledged.
• While there were indoor spaces (yes I slept in a cabin not a tent), the outdoor space were the focus and central to the experience.
• We ate outdoors being able to savor the wonderful food (though our food at camp was much better), the nature that surrounded us, and the great company. 

Perhaps the biggest thing that struck me was that other guests were envious that I got to be a part of such a strong community all the time.  Between communicating with alumni and current families and being at camp all summer, I am reminded what a powerful place Plantation is. 

Summers at Plantation are truly a special time.  Campers and staff come together to have fun, but also to be a part of something that is all too rare in our world.  We all live on a sustainable farm raising much of the food that we eat, treating all living creatures with respect and dignity, without the personal electronics that are so much a part of our day-to-day lives, and, above all, make a community where people can trust each other. This is magic.  And, it is magic that we can carry forward and into our daily lives.