Playing Catch-Up

So, I said I'd start a blog as soon as I got to the farm... but I got lazy and have been using facebook to update everyone on my experience. Now, however, I find there is just too much to say, so here I am.

First, I want to explain the title of this blog: "The Human Experiment." As many of you know, I packed up and left my privileged, convenient, lazy-American lifestyle in order to take on a more natural approach to the world. Over the last couple of years, and I guess over the entirety of my recovery over the last 9 years, I've seen and experienced many-a-things that most people who grew up in the socialite, Fort Worth bubble never get to see, and in some cases, even deny exist.

The last three years have been the most effective though. As I found stability in my life and mind and had the wonderful opportunity to travel the world, my eyes were opened. We, Americans, and many others in the world, are not living as we were meant to. We were not put on this Earth by whatever greater power, be it God, Buddha, Allah, nature, universal energies, whatever, to drive everywhere in a car, be inside all day, and live these lives of complete convenience. Today in America, it seems that everyone is on prescription drugs, mostly for depression and anxiety and other psychological illnesses. Another fact, the majority of Americans are obese. Have you been to Disney World lately? It's pretty disgusting how many Rascal Scooters are rented out because people are too fat to walk the parks.

I mean, think about it. No wonder Americans are fat and depressed. We stay inside ALL day, sit in front of a computer or at a desk (because making that $$ is the most important thing, right???) and drive everywhere. We don't walk. We don't really work our bodies. We eat like shit -- on the run, fast food, all kinds of processed crap. And because of all these things, we are sad and unsatisfied with ourselves. This is not what we were put on Earth for! Our bodies, the human body, is meant to be worked. We need vitamins. We need the sun. We need to do labor. Going to the gym three days a week just doesn't cut it. Now, I'm not talking about being skinny and looking as hot as any model or anything... because that's just ridiculous and an expectation derived from the media and society. I'm talking about health. Natural, pure, health. In any case, I am... or rather, was, another stupid, lazy, fat American, living my daily life through privilege and convenience.

So, having word-vomited all of these thoughts and beliefs, I'll let you in on "The Human Experiment." I, Samantha Siegel, have left my wonderful, settled life behind to take on an entire new world -- to be a REAL human being, as we were meant to be. I am currently living and working on Earth Family Farm in Gardner, CO. Not only have I made a 180 degree shift in lifestyle, but I am also working to become 100% natural. No more chemicals in my body. That means "good-bye" lexapro and clonazapan (after almost 10 years of being medicated) and "adios" cigarettes. I'm eating only organic food, often times vegetarian meals (REALLY hard considering I'm from Texas) and working outside in a garden for 4-6 hours per day. Before this, I had never done a day of labor in my life. I'm just trying to emphasize what a drastic change this all is...

Now you're caught up and I can tell you all about the farm and Gardner. Earth Family Farm is 35 acres about 5 minutes outside Gardner. Gardner itself takes about 2 minutes to drive through and that's because the speed limit is 30. It's one of those towns you see on a road trip and think "thank God I don't live there." You know what I'm talking about, the ones in which all the houses look like junk yards and there's no gas station. The COOL thing is, in the early 70s and late 60s, Gardner was like a beacon for hippies. There is a fantastic community of old hippies living here. And they help eachother out with everything. You need a truck for manure? Sure, use mine. Need some seeds? Here, I have extra. This is another thing mainstream America is missing: COMMUNITY. Everyone grows their own garden and food, makes their way with some sort of craft or another, and lives. Doesn't SURVIVE in society. LIVES in and of the world. It's all very invigorating.

Bella Cloude is the owner and operator of the farm. She makes her dollars via massaging and holistic healing. She does wild-crafting and makes tinctures. She's the real deal when I talk about hippies. She dropped out of high school to go the the Hait in the grand summer of '68 and was a groupie with Hendrix, Garcia, Dylan, and Janis Joplin. As cool as this all is, she did entirely too many drugs and today is uber scatter-brained. It is near impossible to keep her focused on one single project. When we (we being me and another WWOOFer, Guy) arrived on the farm the garden was just trashed. It was as if she hadn't worked on it since last summer. I know nothing about farming or gardening, but I knew this was wrong and that we had our work cut out for us. Anyways, she's a really nice lady (most of the time... when she doesn't get herself all frazzled up on a million different things she thinks she needs to get done immediately) and does magic with her hands. As a healer, she is really gifted.

The house we live in is called the "Round House." It's an adobe cabin, and guess what, its circular. She and her partner (ex-husband, daughter's father, whatever they call it) built it by hand together during the 70's. It's pretty freakin' cool. Dirty, but cool. I have a nice little hutch room that's about 6'x10'. The house is completely off grid -- we are run on solar and wind energy. That means no sun, no wind = no power. There's no TV (we have a TV but only for DVDs). No washer/dryer. No dishwasher. Lemme tell ya, cleaning is a bitch. Sometimes I think sweeping that place is harder than clearing out the garden. I have blisters to prove it...

I've been on the farm for 13 days so far. When I got to Gardner, I was smoking at least half a pack of cigarettes a day and taking 10 mg of Lexapro and .5 mg of Clonazapan daily. I don't weigh myself, because I don't believe in it, but I will tell you that I am starting out at a size 10-12. Now, I'm 9 days into 5 mg of Lexapro a day (still taking the .5 Clonazapan just in case) and down to 2-3 cigarettes per day. I can already tighten my belt by one hole thingy. I LOVE working out in the garden and being outside. When I get tired and have to rest, I just look up and see the mountains in the distance and I am automatically recharged to keep working. Though weaning off the Lexapro has been hard and my mind has been regressing to its old, obsessive ways, I find it much easier to deal with myself with a little hard work, fresh air, sun, and the beauty of nature.

Already, I feel "The Human Experiment" will be a great success (though there are the hard times and you are liable to read a few entries full of bitching), but I hope that anyone who reads this learns something and thinks about their life and the way they live. Life is our own creation, we have the power to make ourselves happy. We don't need any other outside force except for the Earth. All you need is the will to make the change. Once its happening though, its AMAZING.

Anyways, thanks for reading this and check back for more updates and funny stories from the farm!