The Hippie House

I knew I was coming in to a culinary arts program, but what I didn’t know is that I would be walking in to a whole new world, community, family that would touch my heart and change my every thought completely.  The people I have met, from the moment I checked into the Inn have blown me away with the brilliant positive light they all glow with. People from all over the world, Australia, London, Rotterdam, Russia, Canada, and Korea.  Everyone with a different but intense and motivating story of why they are here, either their health depended on the life style change  or they are interested  in following their passion for good food with goodness in it. The place we are staying at is an old two story house till retaining its grandma charm from the gray colored carpets to the flower patterned wallpaper and has been transformed into an Inn

with ten rooms and one kitchen. There are 12 of us living at the Inn and there is never a dull moment. We start our day at 7am with multiple blenders and dehydrators going at once, everyone in the kitchen making green smoothies or creating snacks.  Along with the deafening sound of the machinery are the debates over the nutritional benefit of soaking or not soaking almonds; or if garlic is toxin or a tonic. The kitchen is small but with patience and a little understanding of the raw food inner workings we all manage to get something to eat, along with helping each other out by swapping produce or bartering for dates. When we gather in the kitchen all the different pieces of a full community shine through. We feed and support each other with zero judgment. Everyone is left to eat and “cook” how he/she would like but we are all there for each other to answer questions and find a solution even If we use a little help from Google to do it. Usually when you go to a group of people, school, party, sleep away camp, whatever gathering you may be at you will have an internal pull towards a particular group of people, or a person which is how we get our typical stereotypes of the popular group, nerds, jocks ect. I came into the house expecting cliques to form, and worried about which group would accept me, but that is not what happened at all. I did have that internal pull but not to a group or even to a person, but to everyone in the house. I could not tell you who my favorite person is, I could not tell you who I get along with most, and I won’t even call this a family because even in families there is a black sheep. That just is not the case in this fantastic group of brilliant individuals who, every day remind me that being her is right.