This is a beautiful story, made all the more so because you include the difficulties and challenges. Thank you for sharing this, Megan. What an incredible life for your boys! ✨
aw, thank you for your message. remembering to see the beauty all around is so important for any of us on this crazy journey of life. My friend said, "beauty is a need megan, never forget that!"
Youngmee was my first name given to me in Korea. It means beauty, prosperity, eternity :) My parents kept it as my middle name when I was adopted, and my last name is Germanic and meaning machine that recycled rags. I dropped that name when I moved to Peru b/c 1. no one could say it and 2. the pain history of my family was one I wanted to distance myself from. So Youngmee was my original name. Funny enough- the people in my town started calling me "curandera joven" which makes me chuckle cause Youngmee in spanish is translated "jovencita - Little young one" The joy is a new thing I'm cultivating ! It was not always the case.
Hi Martin - joyful is not my surname it is my chosen nickname behind my name. I feel like I was born joyful and always wanted to the joy I felt. And I felt my joy was too much and I dimmed it for a long time. As I have come to embody and appreciate who I am I want to express my joy in every way possible. :)
What better way to raise children immersed in and learning from Nature, being part of the ongoing Creation of which we are all part. They have advantages other kids will never have and they are learning how to sustain and support life in the midst of challenges , without all the materialism that engulfs so many kids in other cultures. And they know the love you all have and show for each other and where you live.
Thank you friend. This is why we are here <3. My boys teach me as they have always known this connection. We are grateful we are able to nurture them and share this simple but very full life. Appreciate you so much.
Having been part of thousands of children's education over many years, I believe your boys are blessed beyond their knowing at this point although as they learn and grow they will come to understand and appreciate so much more than many others ever can or will. You all learning together, growing and contributing. Would that more could find ways to have more of that experience.
I didn't know that about you Gary! what a life well spent. Thank you for your service to our children. I've done a lot of due diligence to try and learn about many methodologies- waldorf, montessori, unschool, old ancient methods of teaching.. and being guided by my kids. It's such a responsibility to self educate and I don't take it lightly. We are grateful to have many people from many walks of life that also help direct their learning. An entymologist, biologists, writers, farmers. Now after taking it on for years, I am only now starting to feel more confident that we are doing okay.
You are doing way more than okay and like planting seeds, you might not see immediate results. But over time your and the boys’ growth will be phenomenal. You could probably invite more earth science folks to visit since you live in the laboratory.
The balanced truthfulness of the full story of a jungle life, both good and bad, makes me believe you, Megan, when you say that it’s ultimately satisfying and beautiful for you. So already, without having the perfect place ‘to offer to others’, you probably have the perfect place (that really depends on their perception of it ) and the connections you've made are far more real than those that are based around the relentless pursuit of money, power and possessions.
a deep bow. I do my best to share multiple views of a thing. It is a perfect place for us. It is alive in all it's richness. So grateful for our connections here. (some days I do forget the pretty parts... in its discomforts)
Your words and sentiments in this post touch my soul, Megan. I innerstand what you and your beautiful family are doing and I am deeply grateful that your souls are here in this lifetime with this profound message for humanity. While I don’t live deep in the jungle, I experience everything you speak about here in my rural living in Jamaica (we have huge rats living on our roof right now lol and I hear them scurrying around all the time and I just get used to it…we all are trying to live and thrive). Many people don’t understand why anyone would want to be so close to nature as you so eloquently talk about and I feel you. And you’re so right that this living simply isn’t for everyone. I stand in solidarity with you my fellow peaceful warrior and I hope so very much that the universe intends for us to connect in person one day. A deep bow of love for you 🙏🩵
lol! omigosh so with you! Rats on the roof! we get them scurrying too! looking for a cat right now! I have some borax sugar traps set for the roaches. Keeping the jungle at bay from the confines of the house is a task! Like, I know you were here first, but come on guys. give me a few square meters. BAHH. Nature in all its forms.
I know you are with us in the values and actions. Together sister. A deep bow in honoring your journey and you. Thank you for your service. LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
I feel you on every level and I can only imagine how it would be if I lived in the heart of the jungle like you! I often talk to the mice and rats asking them for some space, too, lmao 🤣 I know we are all just trying to thrive and survive but come on! They’ve taken my ganja, microdosing mushrooms, and now this morning, my watercolor paint and seeds I’ve been collecting. I’m hoping the mushrooms and ganja are going to raise their consciousness and they will begin farming and painting so we can all coexist in more harmony 🤣
lol. those are some rats really living. I feel like they have a lot to say about the world. I'd like to sit down and have a long conversation with them over tea.
This comment confirms that you are my soul sister and kindred spirit, dear Megan. Let’s have tea 🫖 with the rats 🐀 and talk about life. I’m so there! I LOVE YOU. YOU GET IT. 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶
This is trully beautiful. The way you write and the way you live. I can see through you. There is so much transparency, so much good heart. You care about the environment and about human connection and you are not afraid to show it.
In nature there is no I, thats why most of us end up living in cities, it comforms our ego.
This morning as i read your post it changed my life, I felt revitalized again. "It can be done" The little voice said in me.
Thanks so much. This comment was so meaningful to me and wonderful to find this morning. and so insightful! "No I in cities" . I appreciate you and how much you care. We really are in this together and finding each other is such an encouragement- finding courage in our selves because we know we aren't alone.
It can be done. all things can come back to life. people, the earth, our lives :)
oh my! what a wonderful message to read. I’m so grateful you are here. thank you for your kind comment and I’m so happy to hear it had a calming effect. Big ole hug.
I luv what your son said about everyday being different!!! They are truly alive. I wish people to hold onto that type of wonder. That is pure honesty also. That is living in truth.
You make it sound like PARADISE on Earth ! I could use an indefinite break from life in the industrialized world, for about 75 years.... I BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN GUESS WHY, even though they say that one can't run from their problems, their past, etc.
haha. It is AND. I posted about the horrors too. lol. don't miss that part. https://meganyoungmee.substack.com/p/a-quest-our-move-to-the-forest. No one can run from themselves, their problems and their past because the common denominator is Them. There is no perfect, no paradise. but there is a very alive place that helps people remember ... more.
HMMM..... you gave me something upon which to ruminate.
Are there any communes down there ? I'm serious. One of my maternal uncles would complain about a nearby commune called " The Farm ", although that WAS the late 70s. & it was mentioned in the book " A Walk Across America " which was released in the 70s as well, if memory serves. It wasn't like Jonestown.
there are communities building. Much of this idea of living together and coming together with skills and something to offer is old but being born new. Many old (bt in recent memory, not ancient) ways of doing it were from some sort of guru cult style mentality. Egos, politics, games, taking advantage, leadership, ownership. It all has to be reconsidered before true lasting communities based on a different foundation completely could ever be built.
I think the new way has to be humans wanting to create something connected, functional, beautiful. It has to be in balance with the environment itself. It will take time because humanity has only been taught to take what others have built and take from the earth.
This will require a destruction of old ways of thinking before people can really start to coexist and cocreate in any kind of harmonious/balanced way. We've been building community in many ways, but it doesn't look like houses on a property yet.
So many people say to us, "If Sh*t hits the fan we'll be at your door." We don't want that. It's taken our blood, sweat and tears to build something so simple for ourselves. If people come with skills, offerings. support, people will be welcomed with open arms. If not. That's okay to. We make the beds we lie in and are responsible for the worlds we've created. And if people haven't noticed yet, there is a lot of Sh* t spinning about.
When people start to SEE. what goes into creating things, building things, taking risks...and offer something real in exchange. Things will change. But first people have to see. it.
I feel kind of enlightened. I'm NOT TRYING to be a suck - up, but do you have a teaching background ? I'm MODERATELY good with reading people. Sometimes I'm right on the mark, sometimes way out in the field.
As far as I know, communal life goes back to the Neanderthals, Denisovans & some other prehistoric people & societies. Those cave paintings weren't done by 1 person - & if so, they were probably busy beyond BELIEF !
haha. no. not at all. I went to art school and then got into design and communications. The translation was more my work- taking language from one specific group (lawyers, business people, product people) and trying to break it down to make it make sense to others (the masses)
Yes. communal living was the original way. people worked together for their survival.. We needed each other to live, eat, create and thrive. Rather than competition model. it was seeing that each persons efforts and actions added to a group rather than were a threat to each other. And I do think I was active way to live.... but it was purposeful. Sometimes I see "Busy" as active but semi-meaningless... (scrolling, more stuff, over booked, not getting anything done well .. lots of activity, little impact)
I think of art as a language. Other people say that MATH is a language, although a language that I'll be forever Illiterate in, & music is a language. Early humans were much smarter than we credit them with. Early humans even performed funerary rituals ( also some lower apes ). & those cave paintings might have had SOME ritualistic meanings, like insuring ongoing success in hunting & gathering. My anthropology courses are rarely far from my mind.
This is a beautiful story, made all the more so because you include the difficulties and challenges. Thank you for sharing this, Megan. What an incredible life for your boys! ✨
✨🌿 ✨ thank you Trudi. ✨🌿 ✨ thats it huh? the beautiful becomes more bright in the darkness. wohoo. still here.
It does 🌟
You’re really living a life full of profoundness and meaning. 💛 Thank you for sharing.
Thank you sweet one. I'm happy to be able to share this with you. Appreciate that you are on this ride with us.
Beautiful and thank you for sharing all the beauty. The pictures and your words
aw, thank you for your message. remembering to see the beauty all around is so important for any of us on this crazy journey of life. My friend said, "beauty is a need megan, never forget that!"
Is your surname really Joyful? That really is something! It just has to give you a positive or joyful attitude to life.
Youngmee was my first name given to me in Korea. It means beauty, prosperity, eternity :) My parents kept it as my middle name when I was adopted, and my last name is Germanic and meaning machine that recycled rags. I dropped that name when I moved to Peru b/c 1. no one could say it and 2. the pain history of my family was one I wanted to distance myself from. So Youngmee was my original name. Funny enough- the people in my town started calling me "curandera joven" which makes me chuckle cause Youngmee in spanish is translated "jovencita - Little young one" The joy is a new thing I'm cultivating ! It was not always the case.
Hi Martin - joyful is not my surname it is my chosen nickname behind my name. I feel like I was born joyful and always wanted to the joy I felt. And I felt my joy was too much and I dimmed it for a long time. As I have come to embody and appreciate who I am I want to express my joy in every way possible. :)
What better way to raise children immersed in and learning from Nature, being part of the ongoing Creation of which we are all part. They have advantages other kids will never have and they are learning how to sustain and support life in the midst of challenges , without all the materialism that engulfs so many kids in other cultures. And they know the love you all have and show for each other and where you live.
Thank you friend. This is why we are here <3. My boys teach me as they have always known this connection. We are grateful we are able to nurture them and share this simple but very full life. Appreciate you so much.
Having been part of thousands of children's education over many years, I believe your boys are blessed beyond their knowing at this point although as they learn and grow they will come to understand and appreciate so much more than many others ever can or will. You all learning together, growing and contributing. Would that more could find ways to have more of that experience.
I didn't know that about you Gary! what a life well spent. Thank you for your service to our children. I've done a lot of due diligence to try and learn about many methodologies- waldorf, montessori, unschool, old ancient methods of teaching.. and being guided by my kids. It's such a responsibility to self educate and I don't take it lightly. We are grateful to have many people from many walks of life that also help direct their learning. An entymologist, biologists, writers, farmers. Now after taking it on for years, I am only now starting to feel more confident that we are doing okay.
You are doing way more than okay and like planting seeds, you might not see immediate results. But over time your and the boys’ growth will be phenomenal. You could probably invite more earth science folks to visit since you live in the laboratory.
The balanced truthfulness of the full story of a jungle life, both good and bad, makes me believe you, Megan, when you say that it’s ultimately satisfying and beautiful for you. So already, without having the perfect place ‘to offer to others’, you probably have the perfect place (that really depends on their perception of it ) and the connections you've made are far more real than those that are based around the relentless pursuit of money, power and possessions.
a deep bow. I do my best to share multiple views of a thing. It is a perfect place for us. It is alive in all it's richness. So grateful for our connections here. (some days I do forget the pretty parts... in its discomforts)
Your words and sentiments in this post touch my soul, Megan. I innerstand what you and your beautiful family are doing and I am deeply grateful that your souls are here in this lifetime with this profound message for humanity. While I don’t live deep in the jungle, I experience everything you speak about here in my rural living in Jamaica (we have huge rats living on our roof right now lol and I hear them scurrying around all the time and I just get used to it…we all are trying to live and thrive). Many people don’t understand why anyone would want to be so close to nature as you so eloquently talk about and I feel you. And you’re so right that this living simply isn’t for everyone. I stand in solidarity with you my fellow peaceful warrior and I hope so very much that the universe intends for us to connect in person one day. A deep bow of love for you 🙏🩵
lol! omigosh so with you! Rats on the roof! we get them scurrying too! looking for a cat right now! I have some borax sugar traps set for the roaches. Keeping the jungle at bay from the confines of the house is a task! Like, I know you were here first, but come on guys. give me a few square meters. BAHH. Nature in all its forms.
I know you are with us in the values and actions. Together sister. A deep bow in honoring your journey and you. Thank you for your service. LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
I feel you on every level and I can only imagine how it would be if I lived in the heart of the jungle like you! I often talk to the mice and rats asking them for some space, too, lmao 🤣 I know we are all just trying to thrive and survive but come on! They’ve taken my ganja, microdosing mushrooms, and now this morning, my watercolor paint and seeds I’ve been collecting. I’m hoping the mushrooms and ganja are going to raise their consciousness and they will begin farming and painting so we can all coexist in more harmony 🤣
lol. those are some rats really living. I feel like they have a lot to say about the world. I'd like to sit down and have a long conversation with them over tea.
This comment confirms that you are my soul sister and kindred spirit, dear Megan. Let’s have tea 🫖 with the rats 🐀 and talk about life. I’m so there! I LOVE YOU. YOU GET IT. 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶
hahah. LOVE IT ; ✨ 🤣 ✨ cheers to us and the rats seeing life through shrooms.
🫖🍄🌀🐀🌈
Wow. What a life you have chosen this lifetime
I see you. And I’m grateful I can. Soul vision. Thank you.
✨🙏✨ Thank you for taking the time to go in this journey! I see you!
Hey Megan,
This is trully beautiful. The way you write and the way you live. I can see through you. There is so much transparency, so much good heart. You care about the environment and about human connection and you are not afraid to show it.
In nature there is no I, thats why most of us end up living in cities, it comforms our ego.
This morning as i read your post it changed my life, I felt revitalized again. "It can be done" The little voice said in me.
Keep journaling your experiences.
Thanks so much. This comment was so meaningful to me and wonderful to find this morning. and so insightful! "No I in cities" . I appreciate you and how much you care. We really are in this together and finding each other is such an encouragement- finding courage in our selves because we know we aren't alone.
It can be done. all things can come back to life. people, the earth, our lives :)
This is so beautiful, Megan! I feel calmer just reading it, especially now ✨ Only just found you but happy to be following your journey ❤️
oh my! what a wonderful message to read. I’m so grateful you are here. thank you for your kind comment and I’m so happy to hear it had a calming effect. Big ole hug.
I luv what your son said about everyday being different!!! They are truly alive. I wish people to hold onto that type of wonder. That is pure honesty also. That is living in truth.
so pure. he’s a little elfkin sweetie liam. always talking to animals and in a tree. a wonder himself
Megan, should I contribute to your Nawa Foundation or directly to you?
direct paypal is the least amount of fees! Thank you for asking <3
I’ve tried Megan Youngmee but nothing came up. What else should I try?
This is the PayPal link - https://www.paypal.me/tresososperu
You got it.
Love you.
You make it sound like PARADISE on Earth ! I could use an indefinite break from life in the industrialized world, for about 75 years.... I BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN GUESS WHY, even though they say that one can't run from their problems, their past, etc.
haha. It is AND. I posted about the horrors too. lol. don't miss that part. https://meganyoungmee.substack.com/p/a-quest-our-move-to-the-forest. No one can run from themselves, their problems and their past because the common denominator is Them. There is no perfect, no paradise. but there is a very alive place that helps people remember ... more.
HMMM..... you gave me something upon which to ruminate.
Are there any communes down there ? I'm serious. One of my maternal uncles would complain about a nearby commune called " The Farm ", although that WAS the late 70s. & it was mentioned in the book " A Walk Across America " which was released in the 70s as well, if memory serves. It wasn't like Jonestown.
there are communities building. Much of this idea of living together and coming together with skills and something to offer is old but being born new. Many old (bt in recent memory, not ancient) ways of doing it were from some sort of guru cult style mentality. Egos, politics, games, taking advantage, leadership, ownership. It all has to be reconsidered before true lasting communities based on a different foundation completely could ever be built.
I think the new way has to be humans wanting to create something connected, functional, beautiful. It has to be in balance with the environment itself. It will take time because humanity has only been taught to take what others have built and take from the earth.
This will require a destruction of old ways of thinking before people can really start to coexist and cocreate in any kind of harmonious/balanced way. We've been building community in many ways, but it doesn't look like houses on a property yet.
So many people say to us, "If Sh*t hits the fan we'll be at your door." We don't want that. It's taken our blood, sweat and tears to build something so simple for ourselves. If people come with skills, offerings. support, people will be welcomed with open arms. If not. That's okay to. We make the beds we lie in and are responsible for the worlds we've created. And if people haven't noticed yet, there is a lot of Sh* t spinning about.
When people start to SEE. what goes into creating things, building things, taking risks...and offer something real in exchange. Things will change. But first people have to see. it.
I feel kind of enlightened. I'm NOT TRYING to be a suck - up, but do you have a teaching background ? I'm MODERATELY good with reading people. Sometimes I'm right on the mark, sometimes way out in the field.
As far as I know, communal life goes back to the Neanderthals, Denisovans & some other prehistoric people & societies. Those cave paintings weren't done by 1 person - & if so, they were probably busy beyond BELIEF !
haha. no. not at all. I went to art school and then got into design and communications. The translation was more my work- taking language from one specific group (lawyers, business people, product people) and trying to break it down to make it make sense to others (the masses)
Yes. communal living was the original way. people worked together for their survival.. We needed each other to live, eat, create and thrive. Rather than competition model. it was seeing that each persons efforts and actions added to a group rather than were a threat to each other. And I do think I was active way to live.... but it was purposeful. Sometimes I see "Busy" as active but semi-meaningless... (scrolling, more stuff, over booked, not getting anything done well .. lots of activity, little impact)
I think of art as a language. Other people say that MATH is a language, although a language that I'll be forever Illiterate in, & music is a language. Early humans were much smarter than we credit them with. Early humans even performed funerary rituals ( also some lower apes ). & those cave paintings might have had SOME ritualistic meanings, like insuring ongoing success in hunting & gathering. My anthropology courses are rarely far from my mind.