Benefits of living outside for a few days

Book to read Blue Mind is a book I’d like to read. It talks about the benefits of being in, on and under the water- how it has a calming effect on the body- how it can diminish anxiety, aid in creativity and personal success. This is exactly why so many people flock to the ocean, beaches, lakes and ponds to rejuvenate on their vacations.

Self awareness

I watched as the students on the Schooner became more relaxed each day and noticied they learned something about themselves in the process of the trip. They learned that they could do things that they thought were beyond their capabilities- beyond what they had imagined they might do. Sleep in a tiny cabin – sit on deck in the open air day after day- climb aboard a small boat to go ashore to witness some of Maine’s beauty in small coastal towns – climb up and down short ladders to get to their cabins. Perhaps take a shower in a teeny tiny space… Come together,

ostly as strangers

but form a bond with one another due to a common interest.

The cabins are small on the J&E Riggin– yes, you do use a “head” for a toilet- but hey, it worked. We each washed our dishes in a small bit of water after every meal- conserving water at all costs- we didn’t get sick- we thrived! You could tell that people wondered- will these get washed properly later on? We composted and recycled- things that we all should be doing- not things that all were probably in tune with before the trip. A different way of looking at things once again. A good way to look at life in general. Slow down, take a breath, unplug – do the basics.

Sketching and hooking This was, after all, a rug

hooking trip so they were coming onboard to learn some new techniques in this craft. The benefits of being outside provided endless opportunities for us to “see” things in a different way than we do in our normal day to day life. Our teacher, Susan Feller, taught each of us how to truly look at our surroundings. We put images into our sketch books and later transferred them onto our linen for a plein air kind of experience. Images may have become abstract- or maybe just a portion of what we observed made it onto the linen. That was OK- in fact that was the point of the e

erc

se. See things in a new light- experience things in a new light- use materials in a new way. Ta-da…and it worked. It worked for people “who can’t draw”. It worked for people who never imagined they could be comfortable at sea- it worked, and it worked well.

Proud co-host I’m so proud of everyone! Some had never sailed before. Some had never been to Maine before. Some had never tried foods that were served. All went away with a smile and a memory so dear that it’ll last a lifetime.

Watch our social media As we plan our next trip we can only hope for a mix of people from different walks of life again- different areas of the country- different ways of l

oking at life all with a common love of fiber arts. We have our teacher lined up as well as the dates ! Hooray!

        Beth and I are planning the next trip of your  lifetime

         Please watch for updates and more information on our  

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