Follow the Journey

Blog from Jo and Audrey

As kids, the majority of us were enthralled with Disney movies. We loved them (well, most of us did.) They made up such a large portion of our lives and many of us even went so far as to center huge parts of our lives around them. One favorite Disney movie among some members of the group is a little old film called Lilo and Stitch, and never has that movie been more applicable to our lives than it is right now.

“Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten.” This is an incredibly important ideal that we were taught from a young age through that movie, that unknowingly just became spectacularly relevant these past few days.

We arrived at Ohana Amani this past Wednesday. The literal translation of “Ohana Amani” is “family peace”, but the two sisters, Chev and Curry, who started this welcoming holistic retreat have taken it to mean “peace between those who breathe together.” Since arriving here, it has been incredibly apparent that many of us feel right at home in this family. It truly is a place of Ohana, where no one is left behind, or forgotten.

Each day at Ohana Amani has had a relatively similar schedule. We wake up around 7:00 in our tents at our secluded campsite; usually to a fire in the fire pit. At 8:00, we meet in the main lodge for Movement with Curry. Curry has taught us that the way you start your day will directly affect your mood and outlook for the rest of the day. Because of this, we spend about an hour doing yoga and meditation to become one with our bodies. Before indulging ourselves in the farm fresh breakfast we know is in store, we set intentions for the day, to have a specific goal to focus on. After eating the decadent food prepared for us by some students and Chev, we meet at 10:00 for work. Some of our work projects have included gathering and stacking firewood (Kuni in Swahili,) clearing away bush to create a fire break and adding gutters to two of the houses on the property. The general census among the group is one of enjoyment towards the three hours (give or take) of manual labor each day. Tired and sweaty, we meet back at the Lodge around 1:00 for our second farm fresh meal of the day, which is always just as delicious as the first. Afternoons are usually spent in self-reflection, focusing on creating in each one of us our highest self. We do this either alone, or in a group setting through guided activity. We usually have a bit of free time after our activity before meeting for dinner around 6:00. Which, as you can guess, is the third superb, farm fresh meal of the day. We start dinner off each night by holding hands around the candlelit table and expressing gratitude for anything we feel deserves recognition that day. This activity usually takes a decent amount of time, which is a great indicator of how much everyone is enjoying their time here. After dinner, nighttime activities have ranged from movie night to stargazing to listening to Reed play guitar or ukulele around the campfire. Then we all head back to our tents, or a hammock, for a good night’s sleep, with the reminder that we get to wake up the next morning and happily do it all over again.

One main idea that Chev and Curry have emphasized, is the importance of everyone contributing their fair share and each of us always doing our best. One way we do this, is through our daily “chores.” The ten of us are broken into three groups, who each have a different task for the day. One group works with Chev in the kitchen to help prepare both breakfast and dinner. A second group is in charge of the fire at the campsite, as well as keeping things nice and tidy. The final group has the ever-exciting task of doing the dishes after each and every meal. The groups rotate every few days, so everyone gets a chance to do everything.

To further the Disney theme, and to go back in time a bit, we finished our Safari on Monday and had the fortune of seeing a warthog, more commonly recognized by all of us as Pumba! According to Paiton, Disney got the animation of the way a warthog runs down perfectly, even if they messed up the color a little. In addition to the warthog, we also saw some lions on a honeymoon, and a honeymoon it was. After we finished our Safari, we spent our last night with Wildlife Connection, before heading to Njombe to spend an afternoon and evening, prior to heading up to Ohana Amani. The group scattered in Njombe, and we had some free time to do as we pleased.

The morning before leaving Njombe, Mary took us on a walk to a local waterfall where we peacefully explored for a while before being picked up by Chev and Curry to start our wonderful adventure with our newfound family. Overall, things have been spectacular, and spirits are high. Time has gone by so quickly, that we can hardly believe we are already past the halfway point!

We have learned so many things during our time abroad, and now we can add to that extensive list of new knowledge the idea that Disney’s messages have a much deeper meaning that we never fully understood as kids, and Ohana really does mean family.

Jo and Audrey J