Montana

July 2024, 2 of my closest pals and myself set off on a 32 hour drive to live in the middle of the Lewis and Clark National Forest in Hughesville, Montana.

We signed up to work on an artist refuge called Thunderhead, an experience founded by NYC French horn player, Chris Komer. Here, we lived without phone service or wifi for a month. We had community and creativity to keep us company.

We spent our days working on building cabins after breakfast. We learned how to construct cordwood masonry- a combination of concrete, insulation, cordwood, and glass bottles to create intricate designs in the walls of future cabins. Together, we completed a structure that began construction nearly 5 years ago. We erected a new building and began working on the walls of what would be a future bathroom.

When we weren’t working, we learned how to live life without our electronic devices again. We drew, cooked, did chores, told stories, painted, played music, danced, and played games with one another.