This past weekend we took an incredible trip. One of my husband’s best friends started an intentional community called “Refugio Del Guerrero”, (Warrior’s Refuge). They have a very large plot of land in the Andes outside of Santiago. You have to ride the Metro to the last stop, take a bus for an hour, then it’s about an hour on foot through rough terrain in the mountains (where we encountered a herd of wild goats). Then you arrive to a slice of paradise. It was surreal to be walking so long through the wilderness and walk into a community. They have a wonderful garden that they eat from. The outdoor kitchen has a clay oven, an area to cook over a fire as well as various tables for preparation and spices, herbs and condiments hanging from racks in a tree. Steps from the kitchen is a small beach with crystal clear water. On the other side of the beach, there is a sweatlodge and an area with large carpets where the morning and evening guided meditations are held. There are four people who live there (one of which is a 3 month old baby ) and they have numerous tents set up for visitors. They are in the process of building a house for the family. We helped with that project while we were there, mixing together the adobe mixture….really an excuse to play in the mud! The whole area is in a small forest. Secluded from the central part of the community is the zendo, where anyone can go to be alone to meditate or chant sutras. About a ten minute walk along the spring you come to a small waterfall, it’s like an image from a dream. While we were at the waterfall I was sitting admiring the view, my head in the clouds. I noticed there was all this commotion. I look down and everyone is trying to tell me there is a snake coming. I turned around and he was almost at my side. It was odd. He came down from a hill directly at me! I stood up and he went past me under a rock. It was a beautiful, nice sized snake. It was such a wonderful experience to be a part of the community. Everyone helps in their own way: water the garden, prepare meals, play with the kids, lead a meditation, or help with the construction of the house. Our friends who live there live solely from what the earth and visitors bring them. They never have a shortage of food and almost live without using money. The money they do have is from the entrance fee, which is $2. The greatest observation I made from this experience was about the amount of freedom they have. It felt encouraging to see how well a community can function when everyone is doing what they want. No one is obligated to do anything, so everyone works in what they like to do and somehow it all gets done. We could really learn from that model.