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I'm Jake Hanson, and I'm Transition Lab's first graduate. When I was first considering joining
Transition Lab this year, there was no doubt that I loved the curriculum and that I wanted to learn
to build a resilient future. But I wasn't sure if the cost of tuition
would actually pay off financially. So before I talk about the rest of Transition Lab,
let's talk about money. Having completed
the program I now say I'm now living with a new sense of financial freedom.
But it's not financial freedom that involves a six-figure salary. Instead, it's about
not actually needing money to meet most of my basic living needs.
So, let's just run some quick numbers:
Before Transition Lab, I was spending almost a thousand dollars a month on rent,
utilities and healthy food. Now, I'm spending almost zero.
Add that up over a year and it's over ten thousand dollars in savings.
I'm able to live with zero dollar Rent, because Transition Lab has taught me how to live
as a skilled resident, where instead of exchanging money for rent,
I exchange 10 hours a week of my skills and talents
improving the home and community where I live. This year, most of that has gone towards
developing a permaculture garden
and helping improve and grow a community time bank. The best part of this for me is that
those are things I really wanted to do anyway! But, before Transition Lab
I was working so much in front of a computer to make money to pay for rent, utilities & food
that I didn't have much time and energy left over to really commit to projects like this.
Now, we've turned that whole thing on its head,
and I'm actually directly encouraged to do that kind of work to "Pay the Rent."
Similarly, I've eaten more healthy, local, organic produce this year than
ever before in my life.
Transition Lab has accomplished this by setting up mutually beneficial relationships
between students and local organic farms. Organic farming is a lot of hard work
and it's hard to turn a profit so these farmers
can't really afford to pay for extra help. So as a student, I work
8 to 12 hours every week on different organic farms in the area.
The farmers get the help they need, and I get a hands-on,
experiential education in growing organic food from people with decades of experience.
I also get a food share each week from each farm,
which is usually more food than I can eat, and I end up sharing it with my roommate
and with my friends. And on top of all of that, I now feel
much more connected with the food I eat. Rather than buying
and consuming it from the store like any other commodity, where I really have no idea
who made it or where it came from... I now have a direct relationship
with my food, with the land that it grows from, and with the people who work to make it happen.
So, with my basic needs met
in about twenty hours a week of good, meaningful and healthy work,
and without spending money for it, I'm now free to do what I really want
with the rest of my week. As a student, that's involved
diving into Transition Lab's curriculum. You can read more about that on our website,
but the highlights for me this year have been learning how to weld,
getting a permaculture design certificate, and developing a meditation practice.
Oh and I've also received
one-on-one mentorship in starting a new business,
with insights and new perspectives on what that business will need
in order to thrive in the new economy. All-in-all,
through Transition Lab, I've really developed a new way of thinking
about the world and my place in it. And I've developed a sense of trust
in the ability of people and communities to work together
to build a more resilient,
just, healthy, beautiful
and fun future that works for all of us. I'm looking forward to Transitoin Lab next year
and we're gonna have really rocking crew of
co-creative, inspiring people.
And if it sounds like something that you want to be a part of,
then get in touch with us. Check out the links below and
send us an application. Peace.