Cicadas

This past May was my ANFT training immersion at the Wellbeing Retreat Center in eastern Tennessee. It is hard to put into words how much that experience meant to me, still means to me, the things I learned and the people I bonded with during that time in the mountains. I spent my mornings with a cup of coffee on a deck overlooking a foggy holler listening to birds, and I spent my evenings exhausted and content from a full day of being in nature-just simply being. My days were spent slow-walking, sitting with trees, being guided by our trainers, walking barefoot, and running my hands over tall grass.

The immersion itself was the final piece of my certified guide training, though I dare say training is never really done. I am always learning and observing, whether that be from fellow humans, seminars, or the plants and insects right in my backyard.

During our time in Tennessee we were right in the height of the Brood XIV cicadas emerging from their 17 year wait underground. We couldn’t hold a conversation without being drowned out by the noise. It was an ever present sound that blended so well with too much laughter, stories, singing, and tears.

I haven’t talked a lot about my time in Tennessee. I am holding on to that sliver of magic a little longer. What I learned and the impact the immersion made on me is evident in my daily life and guiding my nature walks. When possible, I move a little slower, sit outside a little longer, and listen more.

Special thanks to ANFT, Wellbeing Retreat Center, Darlene, Christen, my fellow cicadas, Mother Earth, and the people in my life who supported me during the immersion.