ARCH ACADEMY GLOBAL TRIP 2016 - FINAL POSTS STUDENT EPILOGUE

WESLEY: DAY 14

Thank you Plum Village! You guys helped me set my dream job into a goal. I want to be a herpetologist, and I started that by looking at the frogs and holding a lizard. Thank you. Mom and dad, thank you for letting me go on this trip! Dad, thank you for helping me get a lot of bottle caps for money.

NOAH: DAY 14

Thank you to everyone who helped me get to Plum Village! It really helped me because I think meditating can help me very much. I will remember to be mindful to myself. I'll see you soon in New York and remember to use my passport and the envelope to the security in the airport.

CJ: DAY 14

Well, here I am: sitting in an airport and awaiting what I can presume are many travel complications. I want to thank Plum Village for the experience. It has already been a little chaotic on our way back and I don't know how I would have acted before. I now have new tools to use, and a new outlook on older tools. This has already been very helpful to me. I can't thank you enough. And thanks to my parents. I know this hasn't been the easiest trip, but it means a lot to me. 

MATT: DAY 14

Hey everyone! I just wanted to take time to say thank you to all the people on the trip and everyone in Plum Village. I want to thank all the monks and all of the long-terms, short-terms, and one-weekers. You guys helped me figure out how to deal with my emotions in a much more effective way and how to get joy out of the simpler things in life. Also, thanks to all the staff who took me on this transformative trip!

DIANA: DAY 14

Hello everyone, I wanted to say thanks to a few people. First I would like to say thank you to Plum Village for letting us come and be part of their culture. It was great being  peaceful and being able to slow down from our normally fast-paced life. I would also like to thank the chaperones for helping on the trip. Thank you to Taylor, Cooper, Drew, Eric, Cheryl, John, Beth, and Heather. Thank you to everyone back home commenting on the blogs. And thank you Cheryl for doing all you do!!!!

CHIP: DAY 14

I would like to say thanks to all the monks at Plum village for taking us all in and letting us experience their way of life for a week. They were all super chill and likable and being there taught me that sometimes I have to slow down and get myself and my mind organized. I would also like to thank all the chaperones: Taylor, Cooper, Eric, Drew, Beth, John, Heather, and Cheryl. I know we can be a handful sometimes and I thank you for your patience. I also want to thank everyone back home. All of your support and blog responses keep us going.

CJ: DAY 13

Today was actually bittersweet. We left Plum Village. I didn't sleep the night before. Then I slept in and skipped breakfast (aside for some apples because, I swear, if I have to eat oatmeal again I'm going to be sick). Then I packed and read most of the day, enjoying the rain while reading "A Farewell to Arms." Which I finished. Good book. Then we left Plum Village. Part of me wanted to stay. It was like an oasis that I was a bit sad to leave. The other part of me wanted actual food. So after a long train ride we arrived at Bordeaux. There was a relativity Americanized pizza shop conveniently located across from the train station. I had a pizza and, oh my god -- after a week of vegan food did I need actual food. As far as I could tell everyone else was one the same page as there seemed to be every member of the animal kingdom on the table. Then we took a very long bus ride and I dragged mine and Eric's heavy bags 200 meters and up a flight of stairs to a Best Western that has been styled to look like an American movie studio. So now I bid you all good night.

WESLEY: DAY 13

Today we had our last day in Plum Village. I went for a walk in Plum Village with John and I told him if I ever get married I am having my honeymoon in Plum Village. But because we had no meat this week, on the way down to the train station I saw cows and said, "fresh meat!" For dinner tonight I had some delicious salmon. That made me think of me and my dog together. I can't wait to see my dog. We are at a Best Western right now and it is nothing like the one in Dover.

ARCH ACADEMY GLOBAL TRIP 2016 - DAY 13

May 13

COOPER:

Back to Bordeaux!!

Today was our last day at Plum Village! We enjoyed a "lazy morning" as they call it, although most of us were up by 7 purely out of habit at this point. After cleaning up our rooms and packing up, we enjoyed a standard Plum Village vegan lunch and enjoyed a few more mindful games of ping pong. As the students and staff said their goodbyes to the monks and other Plum Village visitors, I couldn't help but marvel at how much all the students had grown over the course of the trip.

I saw CJ go from missing his video games to gaining an appreciation for nature. This coupled with a quiet and respectful approach for problem solving revealed a side of him some of the new staff had never seen before. He even read his first book for American Literature while on the trip! Although he is a little worried about applying this to his life outside of the village, we're confident that with a little help this is more than possible. We can't wait to see the go pro footage from the San Sebastián swim!

Chip has overcome his shyness around the students and staff and continues to crack up the entire staff and student body. He has also been pursuing his passion of photography on the trip, and it's been nice to see his friendship with Matt develop as they went off on adventures in Plum Village. Chip is a great traveler and an excellent addition to our group.

As I've stated before, Noah is arguably the most mindful of the whole bunch. His enthusiasm for Plum Village kept our spirits up when some of us were pretty done with the whole farming thing. I've also seen him talk to his peers a lot more on the trip than I have at school, something we expect to continue well after the trip. I also got a glimpse of his dry wit on this trip, and I expect he has many more one liners up his sleeve.

Wesley learned a myriad of life lessons on the trip, and successfully handled a week of quiet mindfulness. At times he handled it better than even the staff could! He was always the one willing to try the craziest thing on the menu throughout the trip and had great questions for the monks. He was truly a positive driving force throughout our time in Europe.

Diana was an excellent traveler throughout the Spain portion of the trip, but the real treat was seeing her branch out and talk to people outside our group in Plum Village. She joined pickup soccer games, ate with new people, and always kept her head up even though she was the only girl student on the trip. This was great to see because it means one thing to us: Diana is ready for college this Fall. We couldn't be more proud of Diana for getting into Mills College, not to mention her scholarships!! Besides that, Diana was a great morale booster during the times when Cheryl was sick on the trip. Well done, Seabiscuit!

Matt maintains his status as the wild card of the group, but a growing sense of maturity has shown itself as well. He really took charge as a leader, and it was nice to see him making decisions that positively affected both himself and his peers. We really couldn't have done this trip without his planning and constantly emailing the monks. We can't wait to see the video he puts together! Mundaka surf club!

As I sit here in my Bordeaux hotel room, I am sad to see the trip ending but happy to have been a part of this amazing experience. I'd like to thank John for introducing us to the wonder that is Plum Village and accompanying us on this journey. I'd also like to thank Cheryl for sticking it out while being sick, and most importantly for her 25 years of dedication to make this school a reality. I wouldn't be writing these sentences without her.

Most importantly, I want to thank the kids and their wonderful parents for facilitating this life-changing trip. We wouldn't have a school without students, and Arch just wouldn't be the same without the support group that you parents provide for your children.

Also, shout out to my life coach Beth for handling logistics for this trip and making sure we all arrived at each destination in one piece. Another shout out to Eric for his French skills, without which we would still be on the wrong platform at the Bordeaux train station asking, "Qua?"

And of course thank you to all of our chaperones and Plum Village monks for hosting us. I apologize for not writing more but I need to head to bed for our flights home tomorrow!

While we would love to answer any and all questions you may have about the trip when we arrive at the San Diego airport, please save them for Monday as we have just one day off to adjust to the time difference before hitting the cove for Zombie swimming.

Au revoir!!

DIANA: DAY 13

YA!!!!!!! We are going home!! Today I woke up to Cheryl yelling at me saying that it is noon and I have to pack my stuff up in basically 10 minutes. I was running around packing up and after rushing I was finally packed. Cheryl told me that the van to get our stuff was going to arrive in three minutes, and to sit outside on a bench and wait. Before leaving the room, Cheryl told me to look at the top of her phone. When I did I saw the time.... It was actually 8:40 am. Not noon. After that we cleaned the farmhouse we stayed in and ate lunch. Then I played some ping pong. We got to the train station and then went to Bordeaux. We ate dinner and almost everyone got meat. We then went to a Best Western and now I am blogging. The end 

NOAH: DAY 13

I can't wait to go home tomorrow morning. I packed up all my items before we left Plum Village. We got to the train station and ate at a restaurant. I was happy, because I felt like I was never going to eat American food or meat again because I only ate vegan food in Plum Village. We took a bus to go to the hotel near the airport and the hotel is best western. We'll be going to the airport tomorrow morning. For me I thought we were going to the airport today because I thought we were leaving France already but we're leaving tomorrow instead. I'll see you soon in New York and remember to give the passport or the paper to the security in the airport by myself.

MATT: DAY 13

What's up everyone. Today we said goodbye to plum village and are starting what is going to be a pretty long journey across the Atlantic and back to the U.S. Of A. I had a really cool experience because Karim, one of the people in plum village working on the Wake Up Schools Project, interviewed me. It was pretty cool feeling like I made a positive impact on the place before I left. It was a bitter sweet thing leaving that place. After a week there it feels like you won't be able to function in the quick society that's outside plum village. I really do feel like I can apply some of the principles I learned there in my daily life. I also feel a sense of peace in the community there that is pretty unique. I am excited to go back to San Diego considering how much freedom I'm going to have compared to here. I have been reading up on my Physics and some Boat design ratios, so when I go back doing Physics will not be difficult even though I have to put my butt in gear to finish early. Good night.

CHIP: DAY 13

Today was a pretty good day. It was our final day in Plum Village so we didn't have to do anything until we left at 3:00. I slept in until 7:30 and the whole day I just read and played ping pong. At three we went to a train station to take a train to Bordeaux. when we went to Bordeaux, I finally got a hamburger and fries! I know my stomach is going to hate me for it but it was totally worth it. After that we took a really long bus to the hotel which is a Best Western that’s basically right next to the airport. On the whole trip a cool thing that happened is that everybody would ask me what time it was cause I’m the only guy with a watch. It was pretty cool cause it was like I was the guy with the watch, like we were in The Great Escape or the A Team, and having the watch was my thing. But it would be pretty cool if I were to be Steve McQueen. Well, I guess that’s it. This is my last blog post and tomorrow I will be in San Diego. It was a really fun trip and I have a lot to take out of it. Im so grateful for all the chaparones and especially Cheryl, John, Beth, and Matt for making all this possible. Bye!

BETH: DAY 12

Hi everyone!  Greetings from Plum Village.  This is a wonderful peaceful place and Arch Academy is enjoying all it has to offer.  The students seem to enjoy the freedom of the silence, reflection and work.  It is inspiring to watch them as they navigate Plum Village.  

Matt is making friends with everyone and is very popular with the monks.  He has done a great job planning this trip and we are grateful to him.

CJ is maturing and is very reflective.  He is engaged and relaxed.  He is also our business manager keeping track of our expenses.

Wesley is in heaven. He loves the nature and is so joyful.  The monks like his spirit!

Chip is having a great time.  He is helping the other students and is very relaxed.  His smile and sense of humor brings happiness to all of us.

Noah is patient and likes the walking meditation.  He has shown some emerging leadership qualities.

Diana was excited to meet a couple from Romania.  They gave her a political and economic overview of Romania. They told her that the Romanian gypsy culture is beautiful full of artists and poets.

That's it for know!  Thank you to Lin and Jamie for holding down the fort.  

Peace,

Beth

ARCH ACADEMY GLOBAL TRIP 2016 - DAY 12

May 12

ERIC:

A day of lasts here at Plum Village: last morning meditation (goodbye noble sangha!), last Day of Mindfulness (goodbye Dharma talks!), last Dharma sharing (goodbye making monks compete to hear Arch kids share their feelings!). If we're being honest, however, it won't be the last day Drew wears unlaundered socks that look like potato skins (hello airport security!).

Our day of mindfulness went much like Sunday's with the exception being that the minds of New Hamlet came to our little hilltop retreat for the bulk of the day. That necessitated a little tidying up in preparation. Diana and I helped arrange the tables and benches in the dining hall before the sisters began pouring out of a passel of upright French minivans. The Dharma talk was delivered in French, THANK HEAVEN, because all this English was killing me. The speaker related the tale of Kieu (accents omitted), something of a Vietnamese epic love poem. He used the life of its main character, a girl named Kieu, to talk about the three types of love: Eros (passion), Philia (friendship), and Agapé (unconditional love). Betsy Rose once again sang a few songs, one of which was a poem by Tich Nhat Hanh put to music called... "My Face in My Hands." I find it deeply moving and as I looked around the room, I noticed that the students seemed particularly taken with its--oh, who am I kidding. They were all sleep.

The Dharma sharing that followed, however, was unique enough to keep everyone at attention. Cheryl encouraged us all to consider how to take the changes we've made here back with us, especially C.J. who has been not only calm but thoughtful (he's willingly reading Hemingway! Shh! Don't break the spell!) Wesley noted how Plum Village has been full of positive and negatives. And Noah... well, Noah's the mindfulness pro we all aspire to be. Everyone here has experienced some kind of change, even if it's something as simple as eating with more consideration of where the food came from (Matt's commitment). The difficulty comes in knowing that this change hasn't been experienced by our loved ones back home. Consequently, there's one question that dogs us all: Will the change stick or when, once back in the same environment I left, well I revert to... less mindful habits?

The only sure thing is that we're soon homeward bound. Speaking for all the chaperones, I know I'm looking forward to the 24-36 hour coma that I intend to slip into Saturday evening, hopefully after getting home. I expect everyone will have questions galore but they'll have to wait (unless you speak international air travel zombie, which... no you don't.)

So, life is set to return to normal come Monday morning. Just how normal none of us quite knows yet.

NOAH: DAY 12

Today, in our last day at Plum Village, we did morning meditation like normal but walking meditation along a different path. I'm excited to go home back to America on Saturday. We did working meditation and listened to one of the monks talk about how meditation helps us. We did a group share about how thankful we are to the monks in Plum Village. Tomorrow, we going to leave Plum Village at three p.m. I'm going to see you soon in New York and I'll try to take care of myself in the airport. I'll remember what to do in the JKF airport.

CHIP: DAY 12

Today was a pretty chill day. Last night, we got to read all the blog responses and it was really fun. I got pretty excited when I heard responses from all the people,. They really lifted my spirits, especially the ones from my mom. Matt and I played a ton of ping-pong today but he has still only beaten me twice. He is getting a lot better though. I have taught him well... maybe too well. Anyway, I took a lot of pictures today to make up for all the ones I didn't take earlier since this is our last day in Plum Village. I can't wait to get out and eat some meat. My stomach will be very pleased. We had a sharing with brother Chad who is seriously cool. We also saw Betsy Rose today who is , again, also really cool. Everybody here is pretty cool except for some of the visitors. They take themselves too seriously and it just comes off as being pretentious. Later in the day Matt and I went into the nature and we climbed some trees before dinner. There were potatoes at dinner! SCORE! This funny thing happened today where a monk came up to Wesley and Drew whilst they were playing basketball and the monk just took the ball and walked away. It was hilarious but I was pretty scared. Ok, that's all. Bye!

MATT: DAY 12

Hey everyone who has the time to read this. Today we had a pretty hardcore meeting. We all had a bunch of emotions and it was good. Except for me because I didn't really have any emotions. I kind of expected everything that was here. I learned a couple of important ways of dealing with my excitement and my other emotions. I also saw the school growing closer which was cool. I'm excited to come home and be in England for like 45 minutes so I can overspend for ice cream and laugh at the silly accents. I also like going to England because its funny that their empire lost our colonies. American revolution. Good night.

WESLEY: DAY 12

To day after breakfast we did some mindful working. Then we had lunch. After lunch we had a mindfulness meeting. A girl from Romania came and talked to me and that felt good. I saw more frogs, played ping-pong, basketball, and soccer. The frogs I saw today were bright green. I saw Cheryl with her feet all muddy and she said, as she pointed at them, "I tried to catch you a frog." So, tonight we might go frog hunting (editor's note: or frog "mindfully catching"). Tomorrow we are leaving Plum Village. This week was fun but boring. It was hard for me to stay still during mindful meditation time. Mom and dad, on Saturday night when I come home I want a big rare juicy cheese burger and water melon. I miss my meat. On Sunday I am going to sleep in and, when I wake up, have a big egg sandwich for lunch with my dog. I miss him.

CJ: DAY 12

So it's the end. I feel good. I think this place has helped me. Today we had another dharma talk and dharma share but it feels good to be over and on our way home. We played another game of soccer against the monks. Not a good idea. They play three sports in Vietnam: soccer, volleyball, and pingpong, which is what they have here. Oh, and the Americans I know brought basketball. But we lost and I hurt my leg again. And that's my day. Betzi can't believe I forgot to tell you about this. A few days ago, Chip and I saw a ton of ants hauling away a dead spider. The ants here are much larger than the ones in San Diego. About three times to give you reference. So, yeah, a bunch of ants hauling a spider away so we poked it with a stick and really thought it was dead. Then I left them but Chip later told me that it was actually alive and it ran away. Unfortunately my camera broke but I'm sure someone got a picture. Any way see you all later.