Seguinland Institute: The Good Life Gap Year

If you'd like to get out of your shell, meet genuine people, and experience the beauty of nature, then Seguinland is your place! I did the May 2023 term and came back in January 2024 for the Wintering program. Don't let the idea of winter deter you from this term, It was truly one of the best three weeks of my life. The outdoor activities were just as fun as the indoor ones. Our cohort bonded through some amazing trips. We got to dog sled, go ice fishing, and skiing. We built a fire in the snow, ate incredible meals prepared by staff and students, and even had a dance party on the last day. Before I came here I had never shared my writing with anyone, but the guidance and support I received was truly a gift. It gave me the confidence to call myself a writer, and the mindset to love and enjoy my cohort's writing as well. Everyone's experience at Seguinland is different, but I can confidently say that everyone leaves this place with a new outlook on life.

To say the Seguinland institute is a special place is an understatement. This place is truly one an unparalleled experience that cannot be replicated. At Seguinland, the forces of creativity, friendship, exploration, and nature meet to create an unforgettable experience. All thanks to the incredible staff who are truly dedicated to making the best possible experience for every student. The staff are uniquely passionate about what they do and facilitate a genuine and strong community. The experimental academics were thought provoking, engaging, had lots of amazing guest speakers, and real world learning experiences. I am so thankful that I chose to come to seguinland as it was an incredible experience I won’t be forgetting.

Over a year after my program at Seguinland ended, it’s still rare for a day to pass that I don’t think about it. It was, undoubtedly, the best choice I could’ve made for where to spend my gap year.

Starting with the housing, I fell in love with my cottage. Despite being one of the smaller ones it felt like there was always enough space to have guests or to find a place to be alone for a bit.

The activities were always engaging, even as somebody with pretty bad ADHD. We covered plenty of ground in my program, both figuratively and literally. There’s a great blend of physical activity, meditation, and literary studies, as well as plenty of opportunities for creative expression.

The most important and profound aspect of it all, however, was the community, and I cannot praise the staff enough for their part in shaping that community. If I had met my entire cohort through a high school class I don’t know for sure if I would be friends with any of them, but thanks to the ways a community is built and encouraged at Seguinland, I consider myself friends with everyone in our group of 20. To this day, we still have monthly zoom calls and many of us talk to each other even more often, with even a couple relationships that started during our program still going strong.

If you are considering going to Seguinland even slightly, I cannot recommend it enough.

Seguinland was an incredible and immersive program that challenged me to be my best self. We began our mornings with meditation and yoga, followed by thoughtful discussions about our readings from the previous night. We would spend our time up in the treehouse while getting lost in conversation for hours. Everyone was able to bring their unique perspective and analysis to the circle. I elected to do The Food Life track which took advantage of our beautiful location by doing activities such as lobstering, oystering, foraging, farming, and more. We interacted with the local community and learned about what it means to live a Good Life--- or if it even exists at all. I think about my time up there every day and yearn to have an experience like that again where I can disconnect from the outside world and give 100% of myself to what is important.

Everyone’s mere participation in the program at Seguinland demonstrated their buy-in. With this foundation set, I felt free to dive as deep into the programming as I wished. The three courses felt accessible but fulfilling, and the more I put in, the more I got out.

As much as I enjoyed the programming itself, I especially appreciated the ample free time we were given to enjoy a slower pace of life in a beautiful place with people whose perspectives ranged widely but whose values were shared. Every argument was for the sake of heaven; many moments feel still too precious to share.

The greatest gift Seguinland gave me — to paraphrase a passage from Philip’s course — was allowing me the time and space to dwell in my own mystery and in the mystery of others.

Regarding the quotidian:
- The food was delicious (when we followed Katie’s instructions)
- I don’t think I got any “better” at yoga, but it was a treat to start each day with an hour of mindfulness under Ida’s expert instruction
- The cottages are cozy. It took some time, but eventually we figured out how to care for our cottage together, and we achieved a peaceful coexistence
- The frequent day trips helped break up the weeks, and the weekly sauna plunges satisfyingly marked their closes

In the end, I felt like I’d lived through one vision of the Good Life. Though it is up to the participant what they choose to take from the program, if you feel called to it, you probably instinctively understand its potential impact – and you also know that there is no substitute for experience!