Costa de la Luz – the dream destination for your next workation
2024-05-11
Thriving in community - Insights from a Finca resident
Where am I?
Zarzuela, Spain.
For the past month I was settled in at Finca la Palmera, a sustainable co-living and co-working community nestled in a small town in between Tarifa and Barbate. This co-living was crafted with love for anyone searching a sustainable community, working spaces, creativity, healing, solitude, nature, and so much more. Every little piece of the property was thoughtfully perfected to make guests feel home and at peace. My first night I was welcomed with a warm dinner after a long day of travel. This part of Spain feels distinct in geography, lifestyle, and community.
My Adventures.
My first few days felt like a big warm hug that I could relax into, I have never taken so many naps and slept all night through when first arriving to a new place. Feeling like the weight of my heavy backpack I’ve been carrying these past eleven months finally dropping and held in the hammocks while being comforted by the cool wind of the poniente and witnessing the gusting power of the leveante.
I spent ample time admiring the fuchsia flowers blooming along side the house daily (my favorite) and gazing at the palm trees against the the backdrop of the wind farm in the distance with horses and cows grazing in the neighboring fields. The surrounding landscape is what I can only describe as Colorado, Wyoming, and Southwest Iowa mixed together meets the sandy beaches of the Atlantic ocean among white washed villages that combine Spanish and Moroccan style and influence.
There appears to be unlimited adventures in the this area of Spain that I barely scratched the surface of while living at the Finca. My most memorable moments were connecting with others, buying produce and fresh fish delivered to the finca weekly by Manolo and Jose Luis, learning how to make paella, finding neutral while driving a manual, exploring Vejer de la Frontera, lazy afternoons in the hammocks siesta-ing away, playing pine cone fetch with Milo, exploring and swimming in all the surrounding beaches, magical wildlife interactions, attending a small but lovely Pride parade, day tripping to Morocco (stay tuned for next week), burning intentions at the San Juan summer solstice celebration, and watching Spain win the Euro Championship.
An abundance of adventure can happen here if you desire but in the same instance there are plentiful periods for working, grounding, resting, creativity, and introspection.
In My Feels.
I feel grounded, stable, and secure. Like I can unleash whatever has been holding me back and process it while having a safe space to land comfortably. There are some places that facilitate enormous healing and inspiration and this is one of them. Healing is sped up here and I am leaving this place a different person than when I showed up— more patient, mindful, hopeful, and trusting in myself. I had more meaningful connections and interactions than I would have ever thought possible in the month living here. If it weren’t for restrictions on Schengen days, I would have extended my stay in a heartbeat.
A Lesson I Learned.
Living and engaging with a community is essential for my mental and physical well-being. This is a lesson that has been on repeat while traveling and observing different communities around the globe. I no longer want to live in an apartment by myself, only able to see my friends and family occasionally when our tight schedules finally line up. I no longer want to work myself into any sort of burnout or exhaustion while trying to prove I am worthy of love or acceptance. Because I am already worthy.
I need social time with other human beings frequently outside of work, maybe even everyday. I need long talks over coffee and tea, healthy debates, shared meals, and as much nature as possible. A nap every now and then wouldn’t hurt either. A safe community is what I need, a community who is accepting and allows for freedom but also welcomes in and celebrates differences.
Kindness I Received from Strangers.
Kindness blossoms easily here, whether it’s catching a ride into town from another guest, hitchhiking like a local, or sharing food for family dinners— kindness is planted and grows abundantly here.
I love a good thrift shop, clothes sharing, and the concept of outgrowing or no longer needing physical items and giving them away as a form of clearing and letting go while contributing to someone else who may benefit. You all know how much I have missed my clothing and how tired I have been wearing the same outfits over and over again.
I was gifted a beautiful bright-colored dress by a new friend who stayed at the Finca. She happily gave it to me, saying it was my color, and she was no longer was wearing it— she is one of those people who looks absolutely stunning in black. Nothing boosts a woman’s confidence like a lovely new outfit to wear, especially gifted by another woman. To be thought of and gifted something meaningful like a colorful dress might seem insignificant to some but impactful for me... to be noticed, to be thought of, and to be considered by someone else is an essential need of being a human and thriving within a community.
What I Miss From Home.
I arrived here at the end of June and won’t lie I was missing an American 4th of July holiday full of barbecues, parades, fireworks, and family gatherings. As overstimulating as the 4th of July can be, not being in the country at that time had me missing the summer holidays I would spend with my family on my grandparents farm. Full of potato salad and lighting off smoke bombs, writing our names in their gravel driveway with the different colors of smoke.
Things that are missing always seem to show up in some form or another, shortly after I arrived here we went to the summer solstice celebration complete with fireworks, attended a Pride parade with water guns and drummers, had a BBQ grilling fresh sardines, and surprisingly there is a lot of potato salad eaten here. It’s not as good as my grandmas but it came pretty close.
Music I am Playing on Repeat.
Moving a few times as a young child and through adulthood, divorce and traveling all resulted in goodbyes and loss in communities over the short span of my lifetime so far. I even tried hard to push community away for awhile, thinking I could talk my way through therapy and achieve safety and healing all on my own. I am finally putting down my shield of hyper-independence and allowing love and community to find me. So it doesn’t feel like I am saying goodbye to Finca la Palmera, it feels like see you later…love and community still growing here when I return.
Transformational Travel
WELCOME! If you are new here, I am Sarah. I took a break from nursing and decided to buy a one way ticket to travel the world solo.
Every week I reflect on where I am at, what I am learning, and music I am listening to among many other fun travel and personal growth topics with some pretty cool pictures.
Thank you for reading and following my journey. Please share, comment, or subscribe if you love travel and the transformation it can bring.
