I have been at ARI for almost four months now. Parts of this time seem to have flown by, while other parts stand out in eerie detail. I remember the first time I felt the warmth of a chicken's blood pour over my numb hands during slaughtering, but the last time I wrote here seems like just a few weeks ago. I can relive the hours and hours spent on my knees transplanting onions with great care, as if each one was a child to be protected and nurtured, but when I saw some of my fellow YASCer's this weekend, it felt as if only a little time had passed since our orientation in Toronto. A good friend once told me that all memories aren't created equal. She said that our brain has a way of prioritizing new experiences while glossing over familiar ones. This rings true, and I have even come to appreciate this inevitable quality of life. It allows us to adapt to radically new places and experiences, that would otherwise be overwhelming. It allows me to feel at home at ARI.
I just got back from a wonderful new years in Tokyo with Christen, Andy, and Spencer, three other YASCer's from Nagoya, the Philippines, and Hong Kong respectively. My good friend Sophia also flew in to spend a couple of weeks with me in Tokyo and at ARI. I was incredible to hear about the experiences of my peers. I was surprised by how different each of our experiences have been, and continue to be. My mission is at a rural training center, but this weekend I heard from a YASCer about the challenges of living in a truly rural area. We commented that people come to ARI in order to improve their leadership and community's livelihood in places like his placement. I was truly impressed by the strength that I saw in each of my fellow YASCer's. I was proud to be counted among such a distinguished group and reenergized about the unexplored possibilities of my own placement.
Speaking of which, I love ARI. I feel comfortable in my role here as a farm volunteer and an active member of this intentional community. I currently spend my time sorting soybeans, taking care of onion and garlic seedlings, and feeding and seeing to a veritable arc of animals. Needless to say I am very happy and very busy! My new year's resolution, to be witnessed by my fellow YASCer's and the followers of this blog is simply this: to write more. I vow to respond to any letter that I recieve, journal often, and post on this blog regularly. I wish you all a wonderful new year, full of joy and laughter!
Peace,
Steven Hart
