The Healing Acres healed me
In a time of chaos, we drove up to The Healing Acres. Warning: Alpacas
Last season we were up in the Hudson Valley where Matsar was a vendor at Enoki Presents: Reflections of Home at Basilica Hudson. We met new friends from Enoki to HOSE, Sira Ulo, GATAS, Dirt Dance Farm, Kado Farm, and The Healing Acres.
This season we attended Reflections of Home again and it was something special. Before the weekend, we got to connect with The Healing Acres on a deeper level. We were very fortunate to become super close friends with them and stayed at their farm, days leading up to showtime.
San Jay and Tish of The Healing Acres are two of the sweetest people you will ever meet.
I don’t know where to begin. During our first ever Reflections of Home, when San Jay asked us if we needed any help during the first market I had my guard up. I thought am I really that damaged? Is NYC making me weary of kindness? We accepted his help like we were from two different villages. Luckily I watched Miyazaki films to soften me up. When the two lent us a helping hand setting up the first market, I wanted to become friends forever. Then came the second Enoki market and damn that wish came true.
Here’s what went down during our learnings of the foundations of The Healing Acres. No ghost stories involved, just me being vulnerable which is scary enough.
We arrived to Lake Katrine in upstate New York and pulled up to The Healing Acres welcome sign. On the right is The Healing Acres Farmstay where you can book on Airbnb their Waterfront Farmhouse on Esopus Creek with Alpacas. All my friends seem to be busy this summer but come winter y’all need to book with me when the Alpacas grow their fur back. Busy this winter? Damn, Ok. How about next year during the weekend of the shearing event? The Healing Acres come together and shear their alpacas before the temperature rises. Can’t you see how excited we are to come back?!
Day one: Rest and chill. We were all packing the same day for the market in NYC before driving upstate. Work has been crazy since we’ve been back from the Wear Many Hats World Tour this year. When we arrived at the farm, we caught a beautiful sunset, and got a tour of the lay of the land. We met the alpacas at night in all their glory. I wanted to shed tears like alpaca fur.
Day two: Rise and shine. Up and at em!
Nah slept in while the two were already hard at work. Got up eventually and helped getting scraps for the chickens at our friends farm, Dirt Dance Farm. The excitement of meeting the alpacas, chickens, roosters, peacocks, and ducks again was lovely. All the alpacas have names and if you know me, I already forgot their names. Each alpaca is named accordingly to their personality. After we jumped into Esopus Creek a handful of times and wore a life jacket to float on for hours. We got to see the debut of The Healing Acres trailer that is ready to go painted by Mr. Mustart.
For some odd reason, I have these visions that I can make things happen in order to cure my sadness. I can envision it by doing it. It’s part make believe and cartoonish but IRL. It would break out in spurts of daydreams that seems like its a possibility to do but in fact not possible. For some reason, I thought that if my best friend brought up his kids and saw the alpacas, they would relax. If I were to give the alpacas a hug, the alpaca and I would both be happy and that happiness would follow us till the end of time. You can’t hug alpacas. They’re shy, will spit at you, and turn the other cheek showing you their butt cheek. It was all good though because seeing them in person was the best thing that could ever happen.
Although I believe I’m cursed. Somehow I attract bad luck and it follows me.
Back home I had so many issues from family to friends. I had to keep it together. I almost broke down in the middle of a Walmart super center. Needed to get some air and how do you get out of a Walmart super center? It’s a maze with no windows they could make the next season of Squid Game in there.
Dinner time came and we ate an amazing meal cooked by The Healing Acres featuring a chicken from the farm. Farm to table. It was delicious.
After I ate I was super nauseous and my stomach was in pain. I thought I had food poisoning but it was actually stress. Who would have thought? Reddit MD was telling me that the mind body GI connection plays a key part when something goes haywire before eating. Your brain will send messages to your gut saying “look you’re not ok, you’re stressed.” I also knew that from the health mishaps that happened to me in 2020. I tried to take my mind off back home for a bit and went for a walk around the farm. It was truly healing me.
Day three: Enoki Market: Reflections of Home. Game time. We arrived early and set up was a breeze. Greeted everyone from the last time we did the market. Found out that KADŌ FARM very own Okasan is from Izumo, Japan. It’s where the farm Matsar gets their matcha from. Came back and swam the creek one last time and said goodbye to the alpacas.
Day four: Enoki Market: Reflections of Home. Said goodbye to our friends and drove home.
Every night we ate a beautiful and dreamy meal by The Healing Acres. It was so delicious and was giving reflections of home. We are so lucky to have them in our lives.
Thank you to everyone at Enoki and Basilica Market again for having us and special thanks and big hugs to The Healing Acres for having us. Matsar loves you.