Adapting to a new place can be uncomfortable, and that’s precisely the beauty of it. At my home in Austin, Texas, I had gotten lost in routine and needed a change. That’s why I applied to Maine Coast Semester. I wanted to grow, and growth only happens through discomfort.

At Chewonki things are probably a lot different than at your home. You might not eat dinner with your family every night, wake up early in the morning to do chores, or use a wood stove to heat your house. At Chewonki you will do all of these, and you will get so much out of it. If you lean into the discomfort, you will grow from that.

While my cabin mates and I struggle getting up at 6am for farm chores, we do it because we know that it is important. Chewonki is like a machine; it needs to be well-oiled and powered to function. When we arrive at the farm every morning, we are powering the machine. We collect eggs that are eaten within a couple of weeks, and we collect milk which we drink either tomorrow or the day after. When we go to bed each night, we know that we contributed to the fundamental processes of Chewonki.

Theodore Tolan, Headwaters School, Austin, TX