Aurora and the CICC - A true romance story
A tease...
Dear readers - This is a love story. It isn't a hot and heavy, it is more mood and experience. I write with a unique dialog style. There may be (probable) plot holes, and mixed tenses. But hey, did you come to LIT for Janet Fitch, or Hunter S Thompson. I think the latter.
Warnings: Food and housing Insecurity, Talk of Past Emotional Abandonment, Talk of Depression.
When you see a " = " think scene break. Take breath, relax.
-RoM-
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6:58 AM EST
Reading my email...
Hi Charles,
Following up on meeting with our team at the California Off-Grid meet-up, we would like to confirm our interest in your joining the Central Coast Intentional Community (CCIC going forward). We are looking forward to adding your leadership and technical skills to the community. Your shared interest in sustainable living, tiny home construction, and teaching should fit perfectly with the charter and vibe of the CCIC. Your position as a mentor and friend to the community is welcomed.
As discussed, we have started renovation to the clearing you desired, installing ready connections to septic and infrastructure per your specifications. (Thank you for the detailed drawings - they were instrumental in getting approval for the entire community.)
Please see the attached compensation schedule. We are already at full enrollment for the first six weeks, so your compensation plan will start at tier 3. We are more than happy with this! Your email to the greater community was instrumental in kicking the program off in high gear. We cannot thank you enough.
Please print the attached form and complete all area. If you need any additional information, we have included a FAQ and a link to our Discord servers. Based on your extensive knowledge in the field, we imagine you will have more suggestions than questions, and we will take every one under consideration. Please bring two hard copies with you when joining the collective. See you in a week, safe travels and we will have a fresh beer waiting for you.
CCIC
That was it.
An email, a form and for the next two, three or maybe five years I'd be among the CCIC. Let’s see what info they need.
Central Coast Intentional Community (CCIC) Uptake Form
[Please bring two copies along with any required ID, Licensure, or similar with you]
Name: Charles A VonReicht
Prior Address: 903 4th St. Middletown MA
Phone: 617-988-6788
Local Emergency Contact: TBD - It’s complicated
Q1. Please list any food allergies (every meal will include ingredients) Q2. Please list any....
So many questions...
Q12. Please share your Area of Expertise: Tiny House Design & Construction, Off-Grid living, Leadership
Q13. Please chose your CCIC name: Aspen
"Aspen" - Yes, Aspen. Why can't I ever rid myself from that name?
My middle name is Aspen (a 200-year-old family name), and I've rocked that family name as my "primary name" for my entire fucking life. Why? Because there were no less than three of us cousins named Charles. So, the oldest kept Charles while the two younger ones (me being the youngest), went by our middle names. I mean family, I mean school, Little League, everything. I thought I'd try to shed it at college, but once I was back at home, it sticks to me, well, like sap.
So, here I am, voluntarily, branding that name to my being. At least I'd never have to try to learn to respond to a new name. Yeah, I could have gone all metaphysical, but nope. I'm Aspen, mild-mannered, one among billions of other Aspens across North America. Aspen; plain, forgettable. Just an Aspen.
Back to the CCIC. Let’s see, 3,200 miles plus or minus, ten hours per day, yeah, that pretty much means I'm packing up tonight, no, now.
For most people, packing up and moving an entire life isn't going to happen in a month, a week, and certainly not in less than a day. Well, I'm not normal, I had time for a second cup of coffee, a shower, and my morning jog. Then, I'd start packing.
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Where did this all start? How in the world would a New Englander decide to move thousands of miles away to join an Intentional Community? A commune? A cult? Yeah, not a cult, but maybe close.