What's the best thing to do when the spring semester is driving you crazy? Pretend it doesn't exist! Take a road trip to your favorite commune! Snuggle platonically with your ex!

Elizabeth and I spent Friday evening, Saturday, and most of Sunday at Acorn, a lovely little community in central Virginia. In fact, my favorite community so far. (Granted, it's my favorite of 2.5, but still. I like it a lot.) I got incredibly little school work done, but I think that's just what I needed. Screw you, psychology. I needed a mental health break.

Elizabeth and I agree that one of the most obviously wonderful things about Acorn is the food. It's so good, and the communal meals are all vegan. Pax says that the really good food is Acorn's way of quietly converting people to veganism: cook amazing vegan food and people won't even realize that they're missing anything.

Other wonderful things about/that happened at Acorn:

-Trampoline! Whoa man. I am so seldom around trampolines; it's easy to forget how excellent they are. Acorn has a really nice one, complete with child safety net. Elizabeth and I jumped around on it quite a lot. In fact, Friday evening found Elizabeth, GPaul, Jon H, and I cuddling and tickle-wrestling on the trampoline.

-Acrobatics workshop! Did I mention that Elizabeth used to be in a circus and loves partner acrobatics? (This is a rhetorical question-- I remember what I write, and I fully realize that this post is, in fact, the first time I have mentioned Elizabeth at all.) It turns out that the folks at Acorn love partner acrobatics, too. I don't remember how it started, but we ended up spending a couple hours Saturday night climbing on each other. Elizabeth was thrilled to have shared her love of acrobatics, and the Acorners were thrilled with the new ways to interact with their bodies.

-Lots of cuddling! I had so many hugs! I never slept alone! Everything was platonic! I am so proud of myself for snuggling platonically. Look, Ma. I'm not a promiscuous floozy. (Even better: I'm not a floozy even when extremely fertile. Great!)

-Henna! Joan did a sweet henna design on the back of my left hand. Thanks Joan!

-Scrubbing a hippie-rigged hot tub! Physical exertion! Perhaps scrubbing isn't most people's idea of a good time, but it was so rewarding. That thing was gross, and now it's clean. In fact, right this second, there's a good chance that naked hippies are basking in the hot tub that I scrubbed this afternoon. And by "hot tub," I mean "giant, mysterious tank with a fire trench under it."

Today was the celebration of Acorn's Land Day, the anniversary of their land acquisition. Sadly, Elizabeth and I had to leave around 5:00 to get back to school at a decent hour, so me missed out on most of the party. Revelries don't really start until after dinner, you know.

I now wish I had set aside more time this summer for Acorn. There's a chance that I'll have a car at school next year, so perhaps weekend jaunts will be less of a hassle in the future. Also, my winter break next year is looking nice and open. I assume my parents will want me home for Christmas, but I am free to leave after that.

On another note, I wrote (part of) a song tonight. Tentative lyrics to this mini-song:

If I had to say the color I love the most, I'd have to say I love the way the sun looks through my eyelids. Sunbeams are falling across my drowsy face; I'd have to say I love the way the sun looks through my eyelids.
(And then something about time dripping into a drinking glass on your bedside table, but I haven't worked that part through yet.)