INTRODUCING OUR ALUMNI BLOG

An Open Letter

Dear all – Seguinland comes in and out of my mind every day. I am in my last semester of college at Temple University, and as I begin this transition into semi-adulthood, I think often of my life in Maine. I think of the unimaginably early mornings that I fell in love with, drinking tea with my roommates or jumping off the dock, and I think of late nights playing Bananagrams. How can I keep all of those memories alive through reflection and practice when I’m in such a difference space, in such a different life?

The answer I’m finding is that these lives, though they appear so separate, are sisters. During 2024 I studied abroad in a small city in the mountains of northern Spain; I lived completely, and in a new culture. I made unlikely friends and explored my own ancestral ties to a starkly unfamiliar land, I missed my family and the vegetables I loved. In the mornings with sun, which were few and far between, I went to the park near my apartment and did nothing but sit in the sunshine, reaching for the warmth I could find. I sat the same way on a log at the edge of the trees below the Cookhouse a year before.

 After Spain, I decided to go home to Austin, Texas, and live there until January with my family. I had missed my home deeply, and I returned to the farm I had worked on the summer before, just after May Term, for another apprenticeship (through Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund!). The farm employs mostly older women who are refugees from around the world, and these women have become some of my most truest friends. I also found friends in my coworkers at Boggy Creek Farm, where I then worked full-time for the fall. We chased chickens, grew the most beautiful broccoli, and I re-grounded. I decided I’d move back after I graduate in two months, even as many of the friends I’ve made are scattering. I’m afraid. I was afraid too as I pulled on to Back River Bend.

What I suppose I’m getting at is that it’s all different and it’s also all the same. The wonders and fears and hurdles I am facing are parallel, and the ways I’ll live them are parallel too. Physical memories remind me what I miss, but all I’ve learned from Maine propels me forward.

Thank you for reading, and keep trying to live the Good Life. I know I am.

Abby

Almost eight years later, I still hold my Good Life journals close, with reflections in mind and gifts in heart.

My Good Life journey began on the coast of Maine in 2017, where I received some of life's most beautiful gifts: learning to connect deeply and wholeheartedly with nature, community, and myself. After two terms at Seguinland, I discovered a strength for exploration and a drive for adventure. I traveled and lived across the country, embracing my one “wild and precious life.” About a year ago, I returned to New York City, home where I first immigrated. Here, I work at a social service nonprofit, closely with immigrant and under-resourced communities.

In this fast-paced city and a life full of uncertainties, I continue to ground myself in reflections from my Good Life days. The days of brushing through grass, gazing up at stars, flowing with currents (sometimes against them), and holding tight moments of solitude and community.

These memories and learnings remind me to feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for each passing moment and every individual I encounter. Even during challenging times, which life for sure never lacks, I practice hard to lean into the beauty around me: a smile, the sky, and steps taken alongside some of the best people I met through Good Life. There is beauty all around me, and that is what makes this a good life.

This past June, I returned to Seguinland for a reunion. Seeing the institute’s growth and its continued impact on young people filled me with strength and pride. How fortunate we are to have the support of such an inspiring community, one that fosters connection and invites us to experience life’s awe and wonder together. The Good Life gifted me the value of mindful connection, and I strive to continue sharing beauty and joy by connecting deeply and wholeheartedly with the hearts around me.

Following three terms at Seguinland, this fall I find myself in Chile, my home country. I’m attending Lehigh University and through an incredible coincidence (that I still can’t believe) they chose Chile for their first-year study abroad semester program. My time at Seguinland was incredibly transformative. It gave me the awareness and skills to find my own community back home, which led to me volunteering as a sexual health educator, focusing on underserved communities. The community-building aspect has also helped me build strong relationships with my cohort as we venture into uncertainty abroad. I’ve become a more mindful person as well, taking time every day to bring myself back to my

body, spend some quality time in nature, and do any needed reflection. After my time at Seguinland, I feel that I know both the person I want to be, and the kind of people I want to surround myself with so much better. I’ve made friends I talk to nearly daily, and others that surprise me at 3am with a wonderfully delightful photo of a goat. With the support of Seguinland faculty, staff, and the incredible people in my cohorts, I’ve been able to shape my life into something I truly love and, for the first time in a while, I’m genuinely excited to see what the future holds.