hippie brithdir
well i'm finally back from brithdir mawr... volunteering on the sustainable farm and living in such a friendly, chilled out community was great, just what my soul needed. far removed from the internet, i checked once in 3 weeks... but back with a vengance now, i've spent 5ish hrs checking email & replying to just about everyone i know. and now i've just started updating this...
so the average day @ BM was wake up at 8am, have breakfast, talk w/ neighbors/dogs/ducks, go pick strawberries with the lil kids. have coffee, ie morning meeting with the main folks in the community in the shared kitchen, then "work" from 10-1ish. that was all the working we ever did, and only 5 days a week! usually it was splitting wood in the forest (i can wield a sledgehammer incredibly well now, don't FUCK with me), weeding in the garden, harvesting veg, or helping move whatever needed moving from the fields to other fields.
there were other volunteers when i was there: jolanda from holland, she was nice but really argumentative and a bit full of herself. and ken the most quiet and boring englishman i've ever met. by far my favourite was david, the italian hippie with gorgeous dreads down to his ass, who was always ready to share a spliff (smoking constantly). there are 14 people in the community and 5 young kids + 5 horses, 14 goats, ducks, chickens, dogs, cats... a real zoo. everyone was so chilled out, one woman erica was telling me what a calm and good time and cycle BM is going through right now.
it was 1.5 mi from newport pembs, i'd walk there every few days to get food from the wholefoods shop. went walking up carn igli, celebrated my 21st on 28 may, went to a folk festival in fishguard the next day after a *lovely* cup of mushroom tea. on the full moon last wednesday there was a sweat, held it in a bender down by the river, that was a trip for sure. big fire + naked [old] hippies + dancing and chanting + hot hot hot sweat lodge + dip in the cold river = fun fun fun! it was a blast & the first time i properly talked with tone (who built the infamous roundhouse) we were chilling out naked round the campfire. what a riot, he is one of the most hilarious people i've ever met.
hung out with emma and john who live in the strawbale and mud roundhouse ecohomes, (unsuccessfully) helped tone and jane cut a big tent out of a huge marquee canvas. numerous trips down to the lake and the river with the kids. flat beer at a pub called bessie's (she's 80+ & the 3rd generation to run the place) in the middle of the gwuan valley. walked a bit along the pembrokeshire coastal path, took in the sights.
now i'm back in bangor, erin left for nepal this morning. mum arrives on friday, i've still got some shit to sort out before we start travelling. can't wait for paris... and now glastonbury! the line-up is pretty fucking amazing: i want to see pj harvey, basement jaxx, orbital, bright eyes, and a million others. and i'm going to make it my goal to make out with ben harper... we'll see how that goes.
then back to the states and ben's planning a huge party on 6 july... it will be a combination of "welcome home L" and "thank god L is finally 21 shit it's about fucking time"... a couple bands to play, good mates all around and plenty of beer, goddammit! can't wait.
so the average day @ BM was wake up at 8am, have breakfast, talk w/ neighbors/dogs/ducks, go pick strawberries with the lil kids. have coffee, ie morning meeting with the main folks in the community in the shared kitchen, then "work" from 10-1ish. that was all the working we ever did, and only 5 days a week! usually it was splitting wood in the forest (i can wield a sledgehammer incredibly well now, don't FUCK with me), weeding in the garden, harvesting veg, or helping move whatever needed moving from the fields to other fields.
there were other volunteers when i was there: jolanda from holland, she was nice but really argumentative and a bit full of herself. and ken the most quiet and boring englishman i've ever met. by far my favourite was david, the italian hippie with gorgeous dreads down to his ass, who was always ready to share a spliff (smoking constantly). there are 14 people in the community and 5 young kids + 5 horses, 14 goats, ducks, chickens, dogs, cats... a real zoo. everyone was so chilled out, one woman erica was telling me what a calm and good time and cycle BM is going through right now.
it was 1.5 mi from newport pembs, i'd walk there every few days to get food from the wholefoods shop. went walking up carn igli, celebrated my 21st on 28 may, went to a folk festival in fishguard the next day after a *lovely* cup of mushroom tea. on the full moon last wednesday there was a sweat, held it in a bender down by the river, that was a trip for sure. big fire + naked [old] hippies + dancing and chanting + hot hot hot sweat lodge + dip in the cold river = fun fun fun! it was a blast & the first time i properly talked with tone (who built the infamous roundhouse) we were chilling out naked round the campfire. what a riot, he is one of the most hilarious people i've ever met.
hung out with emma and john who live in the strawbale and mud roundhouse ecohomes, (unsuccessfully) helped tone and jane cut a big tent out of a huge marquee canvas. numerous trips down to the lake and the river with the kids. flat beer at a pub called bessie's (she's 80+ & the 3rd generation to run the place) in the middle of the gwuan valley. walked a bit along the pembrokeshire coastal path, took in the sights.
now i'm back in bangor, erin left for nepal this morning. mum arrives on friday, i've still got some shit to sort out before we start travelling. can't wait for paris... and now glastonbury! the line-up is pretty fucking amazing: i want to see pj harvey, basement jaxx, orbital, bright eyes, and a million others. and i'm going to make it my goal to make out with ben harper... we'll see how that goes.
then back to the states and ben's planning a huge party on 6 july... it will be a combination of "welcome home L" and "thank god L is finally 21 shit it's about fucking time"... a couple bands to play, good mates all around and plenty of beer, goddammit! can't wait.