Getting There

I recently took a position as assistant gardener for a Buddhist retreat center in Vermont. After a week, I wrote home to friends to give them an update. Here is that note.

The Drive

The drive up was MOSTLY successful. The drive is of interest because there was the question of whether or not to take my 2013 Nissan Leaf EV to Barnet, VT. It gets around 75 miles to the charge. The trip from Ithaca is about 360 miles. I thought it would be impossible or at least very painful to pull it off. Some encouraged me to give it a try.

I am happy to report, it IS possible. Using A Better Route Planner, an app on my phone, I was able to plan the trip with about 10-12 stops for charging. I was delighted to discover that there are many fast charging stations along the way, and stopping frequently does make for a relaxing trip if you are not in a hurry. Since I had time, I decided to make the trip in two days, with an overnight stop in Saratoga Springs.

I did run out of charge on the second leg (day) of my trip. I was 5 miles from my destination. It turned out that after all those other successful charging spots, my last one of the trip was out of order. Judging the miles on my car and the miles left to get there, I decided to go for it. The terrain was not in my favor....a lot of climbing! I had figured, the worst that would happen is I would run out of charge close to my destination, and need a tow. That I did. Fortunately, I have roadside assistance so this did not cost me. Only a little time. It helped that it was early in the day, I was in a good mood, and I had a sense of humor about it.

My take-aways:

1. Plan - Use a good app and check the charging stations out ahead of time. There is a way to check the charging station's operational status, number of available chargers, etc.

2. Don't worry - A long trip is merely a series of short trips. It is not intimidating if you think of it this way.

3. Relax and enjoy the journey. I like to think of my car as a horse that needs frequent stops for rest, water, and food.

The Place

Karmê Chöling is a Buddhist meditation retreat center in Barnet, VT. It has been here since the 70s and I believe, was the first Shambhala retreat center in the U.S. It sits on 500 acres of rolling hills on the edge of the Green Mountains. I could say more, but if you are curious, just check out the website: https://www.karmecholing.org/.

There are a lot of very interesting programs coming up starting in late May. I am hoping to join in on "Five Wisdom Energies: Transforming Negative Emotions into Awakened Insight".

My Days

I am working in the 1-acre garden that serves the community staff, residents, and guests, with some left over to sell to the local community. Jan, the head gardener, created the garden over 30 years ago. I am enjoying learning from him, and the work is not TOO hard. I get lots of breaks and it is such a beautiful garden. The soil is very rich. Working in it is a dream.

Here is my weekday routine. Weekends are mostly free:

6am- wake, writing, free time

8am - breakfast

9-10:15am - meditation, including chanting

10:30 - gardening

12:30 - lunch

1:30 - gardening

3 - tea break

3:30-5 - gardening

5:30-6:30 - meditation, including chanting

6:30 - evening free or maybe dish crew 

I do not always meditate when offered, but mostly I do. Weekends, I think I will take a day to recreate and get to know the surrounding countryside. One day to rest, do laundry, and keep the meditation going. I like the routine and discipline- not my strength. So patience is an intention I am setting right now. It feels freeing and calming to be here.

I feel lucky that I am in a position to make a choice to do this right now.