Left by Workawayer () for host
(Join us on our permaculture ...)
~ Dear Family,
My apologies that this is coming so late. Thinking about you all daily, and the time between now and since I left you all has opened up so much space to reflect on how special my time in Seliana was – a space that is constantly and effortlessly inviting to pour in my gratitude and love for all of you! ~
I reached out to them with
… read more the idea of staying a month or two, and I ended up staying with these folks for about half a year. The welcome I felt immediately at my arrival compounded over this time into sincere feelings of home and kinship that I feel might only come with the levels of intentionality and connectivity nurtured by the individuals. The beauty and its people is evident from the moment you pass through its threshold and into its incredibly vibrant regenerative spaces – spaces where it might seem like nature unfurls with ease. From my time here, however, I have gotten to know that entangled within and among the beauty of the place are the heights of human strength and labour. My stay unfolded during a special time for the community, one of immense transformation, challenge, and mutual aid. From this time I feel uniquely positioned to tell whoever is reading this that you will not only find the peace of the Peloponnesian foothills and the wisdom of permaculture practices tucked into every corner; you will also find incredibly caring and attentive people who are well-tested in the most sincere meanings of compassion and care.
In my experience, it is easy enough to find social experiments in the realm of "alternative," "intentional," or [insert adjective] communities. Sometimes, or perhaps even often, these projects can give the impression that to live with intentional systems and practices requires being at a certain remove from the wider world. Escapist, in a word. nothing but the opposite – it is a world-making and world-expanding project. started out as a thoughtful project in regenerative agriculture. In the process, it has been a significant force in regenerating the rural mountain village of Seliana and beyond. As a volunteer you will find friends and role models who live on the property as well as in the wider community. In my time there, I also got a picture of the family that has expanded across the world. Regular visitors and friends from diverse places and backgrounds testify to the impact of the vision and intention that the founders – Christos and Flery – have had on so many people. If you wish to learn about the practices of land regeneration, you will surely have a fulfilling experience . What you might not expect is that you will also have an experience of living and working with a project that is actively regenerating what it means to live in community on local and global scales.
Practically speaking, the days are full and rich. The place is sustained by dynamic leadership between Débo, Kayil, Gabi, Mill, Bijan, Flery, Edith and others who are so attentive to the particularities each day may bring. Permaculture principles are not only enacted in those moments when hands meet the soil; permaculture at its very core embodies responsiveness and adaptation, and that is how it is run in all of its social interactions as well. That said, you are welcomed as a volunteer to find your niche, to find those ways in which you can contribute to the creativity running under all things. Every morning you will have a morning meeting to discuss and set the activities for the day. The unpredictability and change of each day is permaculture at its best – listening to what needs attention in the moment. This might mean listening to nature's call for rest on a cold winter's day, or seizing the sunshine to blast through a time-sensitive project. Again, it is not a utopian project; it is a successful example of a living, realistic, regenerative network that invites you to listen to uncertainties and adapt. And that means a lot of hard work. However, here you'll find that the very idea of 'work' is also under regeneration. As WorkAwayers we have the amazing opportunity to step outside of models of work that are confined to wage labor or other narrow definitions. Similarly, the rhythms of nature cannot be sliced into a measure of 5hours/day. When you join the family you are invited to partake in the forms of holistic labour and care that sincerely sustain livelihoods, and there is not necessarily an on/off switch to this. This should be seen as nothing but a value of this project. At the same time, the community leaders are more than attuned their volunteers' time and needs and do not take advantage of our presence. Everyone is more than approachable should you need adjustments to the daily flows or time to yourself. The folks here have struck a great balance with respecting the autonomy of everyone who comes to join them, while at the same time providing an invaluable opportunity to engage with the realities of producing a collaborative, sustainable home environment.
With that said, each season is different. I had the pleasure of passing autumn, winter, and the beginnings of spring here, which meant anything from regular harvests to food preservation to regular care for the animals and maintenance/construction of the property's beautiful buildings. Naturally, food is central to everything here. You will have the opportunity to cook for large groups of people and to engage with all the considerations that planning for the seasons bring. In fact, that awareness is central to every facet of daily living here – from heating homes and tending to the firewood stocks to thinking about the use of water (which comes from the most magical mountain source). Certainly, its people will teach you any number of practical skills you are interested in learning. More than that, though, by joining you have the special invitation to learn some of the arts of noticing which are so necessarily to live well in our world.
It's pretty impossible to express the gratitude I have and its folk in this little text box. I traveled there with few expectations save excitement for a beautiful rural place, and I left having gleaned dear friends and countless, treasured moments that I return to each and every day. I cannot recommend these people and their land enough, and I so look forward to seeing them all again.
Big hugs to all of you!
p.s. – to anyone at or on their way to Seliana: there is a sweet white and orange kitten called Petitety who may seem stand-offish, uninterested in humans, and only after kibble. She is actually incredibly loving and mostly just bored, but she loves to go on adventures and will follow you on hikes or walks to the waterfall if you invite her. Please give my sweet friend her adventures and plenty of cuddles ;) .
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