Baigz

My most transformational travel experience was in 2014-2015 when I took a tour of intentional communities in Missouri  to experience alternative community in the midwest. Since my journey began, I’ve been transformed to become a more accountable human being. My first stop was Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, where I learned earthen plastering, cobbing, and earthworks and cared for about 70 chickens and ducks, a tribe of goats, and miniature donkey. My experience of off-grid living changed my life. Rolling prairies and their earthen village stand as a beacon of hope amongst a sea of toxic agriculture. Next, I interned at Sandhill Farm (3 miles down the road) during the sorghum harvest where I wielded machetes to chop down sorghum cane for processing and boiled it down into syrup. This was my first experience living in an income-sharing community, and I realized here that egalitarianism is a national movement live an well in the United States. This is the type communism I believe in. Last, I visited East Wind Community, a 75+ resident egalitarian community and nut butter business near the Ozarks in southern Missouri.  I found a beautiful connection to land and people there. A river valley broke through the foothills of the Ozarks, with stewards of the land who continuously celebrate their position in managing this watershed. I realized I wanted to experience a social justice focused community so, a member of Sandhill, lulu segundo, brought me with her to visit Catholic Worker Houses, collective houses, and squats in St. Louis. This experience opened me up to groups working to dismantle systems of oppression while simultaneously creating alternative community. I learned about what it means to be an anarchist there and to take a deep look at how I relate to the world to make choices that nurture symbiotic relationships.