Gap at Glen Brook

If you want to do it, do it. Gap at Glenbrook was exactly the experience I was searching for during my gap year. I wanted to garden, work with animals, learn herbalism, explore nature, and become a better cook and I did that and a ton more. Everyone at Glenbrook is a teacher and a supporter. I felt like I learned something new in almost every conversation I had. For me, Gap at Glenbrook wasn’t just a lesson about community and nature, but about love. Specifically the love we share platonically for our friends, mentors, and for the Earth. The staff at Glenbrook are really great. I always felt safe around them, and they’re all easy to talk too. The other gappers and I loved getting to spend time with them. Electives week was a ton of fun too because almost every staffer led an elective. In the Hill House I formed close connections with my fellow gappers. The friendships that I came out with will stay with me for the rest of my life. Gap at Glenbrook also taught me a lot about me. I have some health issues and was worried about getting picked on or teased for not being able to carry my slack, but the staff and fellow gappers just cheered me on at every turn. When we hiked Mt. Manadonack I remember making my way down the path, seeing an obstacle, and going “Oh. No way in hell can I do that,” but then I’d just do it. As time went on in the program I met new challenges; in communal living, physical labor, and living outdoors, but I learned to have faith in myself. I learned that I am so much more capable than people have told me. I also learned that going on camping trips and being alone in the woods isn’t as hard as people make it sound. Especially people who haven’t done it before. So, if you’re scared but you want to do it, do it. It’s a big leap and a ton of fun. I was the happiest I’d been in awhile at Gap at Glenbrook. My one tip: buy yourself a sleeping for the winter. It makes a huge difference! Also a mattress topper doesn’t hurt either.

During this 3 month program at Glen Brook, I learned a plethora of new information and life lessons that have been incredibly valuable as I've continued along my gap year. Through working on the organic biodynamic farm, I gained knowledge on growing your own food and the processes of sustainable agriculture. During challenging wilderness trips, I learned how to endure physically demanding yet rewarding adventures and obtained skills on living in the woods. The workshops that I completed taught me a wide range of new knowledge from eco-philosophy to decolonization work to making homemade sourdough bread. The staff at Glen Brook are some of the most compassionate, intelligent, conscious people I've met. They facilitated and supported the cohort while allowing room for us to grow as individuals and together as a group. Glen Brook truly is a pocket of paradise set in the monadnock region of New Hampshire and I'm incredibly grateful to have been able to live there for 3 months.