To Survive, or To Thrive. That is the Question.

There is a fine line between surviving and thriving.

Sometimes the line is clear - and sometimes I push against the line so long I don’t even know I’ve passed up old boundaries long ago. What began as “I’ll just ____ until ____ happens” ends up being completely different standards than originally intended. But noticing my personal threshold for survival has been pivotal in my personal and professional journeys.

Personally, it wasn’t until I recognized old survival patterns and behaviors in relationships that I acknowledged the survivalist within me. When I decided to train “my inner fighter” I began to direct my energy toward what really mattered to me: personal development, meaningful work, and justice in social and political efforts. My passion for integrated community and a local food system led me to Wilderness Awareness School in 2021 to complete the 9-month naturalist studies program. Emboldened with anew courage in my talents, trust in the natural world, and faith in healthy community projects, I decided to get my real estate license in Washington state to create more opportunities for affordable housing that offers more hands-on access to small scale food systems. Connecting people to their food means connection to our own bodies, environments, and the planet.

When I have lived paycheck to paycheck, I don’t think about how “green” my spending habits are.

When I have lived with intense stress, shame, or fear, I don’t think about the seventh generation from now.

When I have spent time fasting in the forest, I don’t think about how eco friendly my car should be.

When I can only afford cheap food, I don’t think about how to build an edible garden for me and my neighbors.

My access to baseline survival is intrinsically linked to my ability to create a thriving community.

If I do not love where I live, I will not want to invest in my ideal home life.

For me, the line between survival and thriving is clear: when I am capable of helping others nudge this line, I am thriving.

Franky, I am thriving when I can feel pleasure in the survival process.

When I can help someone deepen into their love for home, community, food, nature, or family, I am thriving.

To help someone out of a less than ideal situation by building a better home together, that is thriving.

Let’s bring back neighborly love.

Let’s bring back villages.

Let’s bring back local walking food forests.

The solution for the modern housing crisis doesn’t have to be to lower our standards for multi-family housing.

We don’t have to give up connection to the natural world to be able to afford a place to live.

What if we could take back our health by simultaneously taking back our wealth?

Home economics starts with growing and preserving food, land-based skills, and innovative housing.

What if we could solve the housing and food system crises at once, with new integrated garden community developments?

I think we can.

Because the line between surviving and thriving doesn’t have to be so fine.