The Hostel in the Forest
Where ducks think they’re chickens and everybody is cool with it.
I’m sitting in a large room with three large picnic tables full of people from all around the world. We are sharing a meal.
This room, the common area, also has a pool table, a seating area with two chairs and a table, and walls made from the same screen material found on a front porch in the South.
The meal, prepared by the in-hostel chef, is spaghetti, garlic cheese bread, and salad with blueberry dressing.
The conversations at the table I’m sitting at bounces around from travel, to individuality, to each of our life paths. All of a sudden, the conversations come to a stop when we overhear something from another table mostly filled with staff, “…in other words, the ducks think they are chickens.” With our curiosities peaked, everyone including myself looks toward the table where the conversation stopper came from.
The story goes…
When The Hostel’s ducks were introduced to the community, they didn’t have a momma or leader duck. They began to follow the leader of the chickens and integrate themselves into the chicken’s way of life. Eventually, they began acting, eating, sounding, and living like chickens…. in other words, the ducks think they are chickens.
Definitely an interesting look at how living things can be formed by their environment.
Earlier that day, driving down a highway in Brunswick, Georgia, I passed the turn into The Hostel in the Forest which was only noticeable by a small dirt road and a semi-hidden sign that read, “The Hostel.” I pulled onto the side of the highway, made a U-turn in the grass, and back-tracked the 50–60 feet back to The Hostel’s entrance.
I drove down a bumpy dirt road for a half mile to their parking lot. If I had read the directions provided by The Hostel I would have been prepared for, what seemed in my MINI Cooper as, massive pits on the way down the dirt road. Their instructions are more confident than I would have been trying to go through those bumps after a rain storm. Luckily, it was a nice dry day in Georgia and the MINI made the trek like a champ.
The parking lot was a small patch of land with a hand full of cars and a dirt bike. From there, it was another quarter mile walk to get to the center of The Hostel. While unpacking some things from my car, a car that had just bumped along the same half-a-mile as me pulled up and parked next to me.
Out stepped Kirabelle and Evan, two people I would end up spending the majority of my time at The Hostel with. The first of our shared experiences together was a tour of the grounds after we checked in.
The recently completed library was our first stop. The walls were lined with books, a dome roof made for an acoustically room, musical instruments were everywhere, and, to top it off, a ping-pong table was placed in the center of the room.
Next was the hygiene area equipped with two composting toilets and two solar showers. (Yes Mom, I still shower!)
In-between the library and hygiene area was a meditation labyrinth.
Walking back towards the center of the hostel, we were shown the kitchen, outdoor brick oven, art room, the entrances to the clothing optional pond, the entrance to the glass house, and the common area.
Departing ways from Kirabelle and Evan, I ventured toward my home for the next three days. About 1000 feet from the center of The Hostel was my hut, with a few acres of land to itself. The hut was a small room, probably 10x10, with a half-wrap-around porch and stood on 5 foot tall stilts. Inside was a full sized bed, make-shift desk, and walls made of the same screen material as the common area.
I had a 360° view of the surrounding nature.
After dinner I had the chance to play a few games of pool with Tom Dennard in the common area. Tom is the man behind, what is today, The Hostel in the Forest. If it wasn’t for him, his ambition, and his travels, The Hostel would still be the figment of a dreamers imagination.
35 years ago, Tom put into motion an idea that has expanded 133 acres, grown to nine tree houses, and built world renowned geodesic domes — all of which were built and have been sustained entirely by volunteers.
The only thing more welcoming than Tom’s calming and inspiring presence is the embracing hug received upon meeting and parting ways with him.
The Library is something everyone involved with The Hostel is very proud of, and for good reason. It’s beautiful both inside and out.
On the last night of my stay, I, along with some other campers, spent a few hours in the library listening to Kirabelle and Evan play some of their favorite acoustic songs.
You can find Kirabelle’s music on Spotify, her website, or Facebook. Evan unfortunately doesn’t have music online, but you can find him playing around Cincinnati from time to time.
The community at The Hostel is one of the most appealing things about it. As soon as you arrive, you are greeted by a sign in the parking lot, leaned up against a stump that reads, “Welcome Home.”
“Welcome Home” is a saying usually found among family spread all over the world. This family can include, but is not limited to, blood and kinship relatives. Family includes like-minded, conscious individuals and those that think on a similar, awakened wavelength. The type of people you can hug, let your guard down around, and open up to the second you meet them.
To maintain this vibe throughout The Hostel, a chalkboard is provided in the common area for anyone to lead a class and share a skill they are passionate about. One of the classes taught during my stay was a beginner’s swing dance class.
The cool part about this class, besides learning a little bit about swing dancing, wasn’t revealed until after the class was over. The class consisted of six people: two of The Hostel workers, two people I hadn’t met before the class, Kirabelle, who was teaching the class, and myself.
One of the two dudes I had never met was no beginner. While the rest of us took turns stepping on one another’s feet trying to learn the basic steps, he was helping Kirabelle teach the class by example. After about thirty minutes and a lot of stubbed toes, the lesson came to an end. By “an end” I mean everyone watching Kirabelle and her new dance partner cut a… er, deck.
The whole time we were dancing, I figured the two new comers had gotten to The Hostel at the right time for their visit. How else would you want to be welcomed into a community than a swing dance class?! Come to find out, the two were on their way through Georgia, heard about The Hostel from a friends, and decided to swing through. They weren’t even staying there!
After the class, they thanked everyone for their generosity and were on their way.
Another person I met and spent quite a lot of time talking to was Ronny. Ronny and his friend were on their way to a Vipassana Center north of The Hostel. During their stay at the center, they would engage in 10 hours of mediation for 10 days. Ronny makes it a point to visit this center at least once a year as a cleansing ritual.
With a peaked interest in meditation already, Ronny and I spent hours talking about the center, our own thoughts on life, and other existential topics.
On our last night at The Hostel, Ronny agreed to lead a 30-minute guided meditation the next morning before Kirabelle, Evan, and I went our separate ways. The meditation was held in the Glass House at sunrise.
The Glass House is a hexagonal room with walls made of, well, glass. Being secluded from The Hostel and surrounded by nature made for a perfect place for meditation.
If you’re interested in staying at The Hostel, they are a membership driven hostel. Memberships have a one-time cost of $5 and last for a lifetime, there’s no other requirements. After you become a member, you may stay for up to 3 days at $25/day.
When I arrived at The Hostel, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I definitely wasn’t expecting to have my own treehouse surrounded by a few acres of land or to learn so much from so many people. I walked away from The Hostel in the Forest feeling rejuvenated, detoxed, and all around happy.
I can’t suggest a stay at The Hostel enough. Go there, turn your phone off, turn your computer off, interact IN REAL LIFE with REAL people, learn a few things, and take a break from this fast-paced world.
