18/12/2018
Hello,
On October 1 we gathered for the first time to officially begin our month-long co-creation of community in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Many families were present at the opening party and by the middle of the second week, the majority of the families attending had arrived. We also managed to attract 4 families living in San Miguel who heard about Stone Soup and they joined in as well. In total from start to finish, 34 families joined with over 140 people (children and adults). Who knew that this idea that was posted in February of this year would catch on so quickly and be so well received.
We rented space at a co-working facility "Smartspace Hub" twice a week in addition to our closing party. This was where the bulk of our planned events took place with the third being at a local park. Each week there was access to many workshops, meet-ups, dinners, excursions and lots and lots of play amongst the children and adults. Workshops were hosted by Stone Soup members as well as vendors in the community of San Miguel. Twice weekly we hosted a holistic health series talk after yoga, breathwork, and meditation at a local restaurant that allowed us to use the space in exchange for buying breakfast. We hosted a "Red Tent" for women, "Dad's Night Outings" "Teen Workshops" a weekly singing circle, weekly masterminds in business, real estate, and homeschooling, weekly Dungeons and Dragon's club and so much more. The children took place in a Mexican cultural workshop series, and a circus camp each week by local residents. Many events were added along the way based on the needs and requests of our community. All this was made possible by each family contributing one service workshop or another community offering. If I were to count, there were probably around 25 or more programs and services each week created by and for the Stone Soup community. The power of giving a little and gaining a lot was displayed so obviously throughout the month that many people were compelled to give more just because they could and knew it would be received with deep appreciation. There was more laughter, tears of awakening, brainstorming and fellowship than I think any of us realized was possible. By the end, many realized how quickly a month was and requested that the future pop-ups be extended up to three months.
Attendees came from many different parts of the world and there were at least 9 different languages spoken. Many of us attended The Family Adventure Summit directly afterward as speakers volunteers and participants. It was definitely a beautiful transition especially since it was so surreal to be saying goodbye after creating so many memories together throughout the month. The next Family Adventure Summit is taking place in October 2019 in Bali and there are already families asking if we can host a Stone Soup Pop-Up there or close by.
Our children were the most amazing to witness. They hit the ground running immediately forming friendships and close bonds. Many are now communicating on messenger kids to stay connected. They worked and played together in such an impressive way with multiple ages throughout. They created their own games, collaborated on ideas and they even managed to run a lemonade stand from production to sale. I think many of us adults were able to learn so much from the examples they set for how to live in the moment and really take life for all that it has to offer. Many of the children want to know when the next Stone Soup will take place and are already planning for another event before a date has been set.
I've said this already at the amazing closing party but, I want to express my total gratitude to each and every one of the families who participated and made this community come alive. All that it is comes as a result of all the work, ideas, love and attention we all put in, to make it a thriving community in such a short time. I have been impacted personally in seeing this shared economy, a big dream of mine, come together almost effortlessly. I appreciate you all for your enthusiasm and willingness to co-create this reality. We started with a concept and turned it into a beautiful possibility. We accomplished so much just by saying yes to positivity in a world that can make this difficult. The idea and working to make it happen came together in only 8 months time because we focused on what truly mattered to us all. Thank you for showing up in full ready to make it happen.
I look forward to the opportunity to create another pop-up community next year and build upon this concept even further. Below is a video made by the efforts of Nichole Gavel and 12-year-old Sebastian Rojas. It's their first film ever! It really captures the month and is a warm representation of all that we experienced together. For anyone seriously interested in a future pop-up please send me a message or post below. There are a few possibilities to create them next year in as early as March.
Thank you so much for believing in the power of community and doing what it takes to bring it into life.
https://youtu.be/FJKvZCxizVI
Azizi Birkeland
A group of 33 traveling families from around the world meet up in San Miguel de Allende Mexico seeking intentional community for 28 days. The video has one s...
