some things that happened

it is nighttime, just after sunset on my first full day in the virgin islands. it is so fascinating to be in this new climate, this whole new bioregion, where all of the plants and many of the other living things are totally new to me. right now, the forest is a symphony of insects, tree frogs, maybe birds. my tent is down in the forest in a dry creekbed. the trees and the vines cover the spot and make a lovely little home, very sheltered and safe. the forest is crowded with vines and branches, and its hard to walk anywhere without getting caught up. last night, we were blessed with a six course farm cooked meal served by the farm staff. they were having an event called a slow down dinner, a fund raiser they do for the farm, and they had extra space so they invited me and two other permaculture students who had arrived early to join in at the table. that was really lucky, because the food was amazing. all very creative, lots of greens and fruits that i had never heard of cooked in high gourmet style. today, we went to the beach, which was wonderful, sun and sand and coral and perfect blue water. i collected a couple of sponges, and listened to great reggae music. island culture is fascinating everybody knows everybody, and on sunday, they all go out to the beach and hang out. its a great scene, lots of families playing together in the water. i really hope i get to learn more about this island, its people and its history while im here. im very excited about starting the course tomorrow. both of my teachers told me that they became instructors very quickly after taking their first course, within a couple of years. it is going to be a totally life changing experience. as we were driving to the beach in the back of the pickup truck, ethan, one of the instructors, was staring out at the forest with such a wonderful expression of curiosity and wonder. we kept stopping to look at trees, and ben, the owner of the farm, would explain about that tree, what it was called in the local language, what it was used for, and so on. that attitude of curiosity about the natural world was so great to see. i feel inspired and hopeful.