What is your favorite travel memory?
My answer to this question depends on my mood, on the day--some highlights include waking up to the junglebird dawn at a cenote in the jungle outside of Tulum in Mexico; exploring temples and ruins in Tikal in Guatemala; foraging for trumpet mushrooms in the forests of Tampere, Finland; missing a ferry in Stockholm and getting a tattoo instead that day in the city from someone I didn't share a language with; getting profoundly lost, alone, in Luxembourg city at night and passing the same two young men at least four times who were also lost; eating spaghetti ice cream after visiting an ancient German castle with a dear companion and getting swarmed by wasps; taking a bus in Scotland to visit the first Tibetan Buddhist temple built in the west and bumping into one of the men who built it on said bus; learning to trust in myself and my ability to navigate this beautiful, wild, weird, fecund world we inhabit.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I have grown immensely since I began working for Seguinland Institute. I've rooted deeply in community for the first time as an adult (having spent early adulthood mostly "on voyage" with seasonal work and travel), which has been a profoundly healing experience. I've had the time, spaciousness, and encouraging environment to cultivate personal practices that nourish my entire being in a sustainable, long-term manner. I've found another home here in Maine. There have been plenty of opportunities for me to pursue anything I'm interested in outside of work, and a beautifully robust and diverse work experience within the Institute itself. I am more grounded, more skilled, and more at ease in the world since I began work here at Seguinland Institute.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
I love hearing any story from return students--I'm humbled to see how they've taken what they learned at Seguinland and used it to embark upon their paths anew. Many of our alums continue on to adventure together after Seguinland, either through another program or informally. It's wonderful to see the strength of the community that they build together continue to flourish over time.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
When I first arrived, I wanted to partake in every single course we offered. Lucky me, being a Community Life Assistant, I get to participate in plenty of the programming! With where I'm at now in life, I would choose to partake in the 3-week wintering writing program, as there's a big writing project for which I'd like some extra space and time to cultivate.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
We have the strongest, most cohesive team I've ever been a part of. Everyone is deeply, deeply dedicated to the program: mind, body, heart, and soul. I'm newly especially proud of our team each time we all gather together at the beginning or end of a program. We are unique in that we are a company, sure, but I never think of us as a company. I think of us as a community; a community of people dedicated to the same mission: helping the young folks who come to study with us thrive.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
For us, our success comes from the cohesiveness of our team. We know we always have each other's backs, inside and outside of work. If someone gets sick or injured, our community folds in around them to support them in their time of need. We are patient, kind, and generous with one another. We are truly a community, not just a company. When you love the people you work with, it's impossible not to succeed.