Dancing Rabbit is a very busy place. There is work and there is play, a plenitude of regular weekly events on the calendar, as well as numerous spontaneous or seasonal occasions. Then there are the people you would love to stop and chat with on the path or in the hall, the glimmers of natural beauty to stop and take in around every corner, that distant laughter you hear and are curious to investigate, as well as maintaining quality connection with partners, kids, cooking co-op mates, distant family, and WOW! This introvert is spent!

As a new resident and a first-time writer of this column, I have been watching and reflecting on all the moments of my week even more closely this time while I consider what to share. Burl here with insights on how to survive(!) in community as an introvert (a work in progress).

Now I don’t want to scare anyone away! The most common fear I’ve heard preventing people from considering communal life is the idea of losing their solitude, extroverts and introverts alike.

And it was challenging for me that way, at first. I had a lot of ingrained cultural pressure to do. all. the. things! But that challenge helped me discover how to move though my days more based on what feels good, instead of what I should be doing. I now can better savor my solitude, independent work, and time for self-care, because connection is so easy and close at hand.

As I consider how to choose from all the options of how to be involved here I’ve learned a lot about myself, this community, and humanity. Over the years Dancing Rabbit has learned to honor the introvert. In order to optimize the group experience all types must be given space to contribute how they are best able. Time is made for reflection here, with two weeks usually passing before big decisions are made final. Facilitators give pause for a breath when things get heated in meetings. Personality types are explored and worked with, as in our recent Myers Briggs workshop… Ah but I digress, I am supposed to be talking about this week!

For me this week was a mix, of doing and not doing. Community-wide, it was a big week, as usual! Most notably, in my book: the first wild spring greens have started to peek out and make themselves available! I made salad with peppergrass and chickweed. It is amazing how many people here I can share that excitement with.

And in spite of a long stretch of many grey days we got a sunny-ish one for our semi-annual Land Clean day on Saturday! Big yay! Paths were mulched, garden beds were cleared, common spaces were organized. All Rabbits were on deck and it was a lot of fun to be busy together.

It is wonderful to learn to savor my solitude, and I can now, especially because in this community it is also so easy to access the gifts of connection. When I did venture out this week I got offers of help in my garden, comedic uplift, invites to fun social occasions, and my favorite - a jar of kimchi! With that, much love from NEMO and I hope you too have a spring bounty of connection, within as well as without!

Also coming up this spring is a new crop of visitors! The first batch arrives April 8th, and we can’t wait to meet them. If you haven’t yet made your plans to visit Dancing Rabbit this year, what are you waiting for? Apply now!