Thorndike, Maine
The Lookbook
Unexpected twists and turns can either be welcomed or fought. Driving down a windy unfamiliar road can be scary, each intersection looks like the last and the destination is a mystery. In March of 2023, I set out on the road to see every National Park but as I embarked on this mission I didn’t realize my objective would slowly alter along the way.
Little did I know that I was about to put into practice a lesson I would learn in Thorndike, Maine: “Be Available.”
Anywhere there are groups of people who have decided to live within proximity to each other, there will also be love, warmth, conflict, fellowship, chores, and a desire to understand and explain the world around us.
At times I have not realized what I was searching for until I found it. What might have been another night alone in my tent, turned into a week long visit on a small farm with a small family.
My time at Coram Deo Farm in Thorndike was unexpected but possibly the whole point of this long road trip: to meet and fellowship with new people.
I wasn’t sure when I actually entered Thorndike, but then, I was there—wondering who I would meet.
I met Bill & Stephanie at Coram Deo Farm. They were warm and welcoming, letting me partake in their dinner party with friends down the road. The dinner and company was peaceful and light, everyone heard and respected but nothing taken too seriously. I would spend a week here helping build a small building to be used as a common meeting house, reading, writing, and taking photos.
I worked alongside David, an author, hunter, and logger. We discussed theology, writing, and the state of the modern mindset.
Every morning I’d walk up to the main house to have breakfast with Bill & Stephanie while discussing life, marriage, faith, hard times, the past and the future. They met each other later in life after problems in previous marriages but now, seemed well suited for each other.
The “Danger Awaits” hoodie has taken on a new look. The back graphic has changed to a fight of wills and cunning: a jaguar and snake going head to head.
Be Available.
Be Available.
Bill talked about being buried somewhere on his own land when he dies. The simplicity of returning to the land is appealing, knowing that there is no other place you want your empty vessel to remain. Ensuring your remains last longer by keeping them in a casket seems to perpetuate the same ancient idea of being buried with treasures—wherever we go after this, we leave everything behind.
CHOPPING WOOD HAS ALWAYS FELT CATHARTIC TO ME.
What I noticed while staying at this little cabin is that experiencing the right amount of discomfort is often how I feel most aware and tuned in. While camping, you do what you can to stay warm and protected knowing that you will have to experience a level of discomfort while in the elements. While at the cabin, I was warm as long as I kept firewood burning and had a bucket for a toilet.
Welcoming this discomfort reminded me of desert monks who purposefully go to the wasteland to strip away the amenities that we convince ourselves that we need in order to find what we truly desire. Make no mistake, I am nowhere near that level of commitment, I still had wifi, but I was given a small taste of a more simple day to day.
The farm life isn’t easy but it is often romanticized. Every day is a routine and each routine has its own time investment. It could span from day to day, seasonally, or decades from now.
Composting your food and excrements weekly means harvesting your own fertilizer in 3 years or so.
After returning from my road trip, my most fond memories will likely remain in Thorndike, Maine. The unexpected was welcomed and taken advantage of and new friends were made. I’m hoping to return to Coram Deo Farm someday soon but this time, I know where I’m going and who I will meet.
