A Day In The Life of John
The heart of Plenitud PR is our 15-acre educational farm and teaching center in Las Marías, Puerto Rico, and this is the place that I call home. My name is John, and I have the privilege of serving as the Operations Director of this little slice of tropical paradise. I take care of everything from utilities, payroll, and project management to pruning fallen trees and taking out the trash. This position grants me a window into everything that happens on-site, and I want to give you a glimpse into a day in the life at Plenitud PR.
Come take a walk in my work boots!
4:30am - I like to start the day by rising early. I do a few quick stretches, get dressed, drink some purified rainwater, and make a strong coffee with milk and sugar.
5:00am - In this sacred hour before the sun comes up, I sit in a quiet place to go within and meditate, read wisdom scriptures, and cultivate a focus on the Big Picture.
My morning routine helps me to navigate the challenges I face each day and to purify my intention, so I can hopefully be a better servant of my community and the earth.
I joined the Plenitud PR team in 2011, as an enthusiastic and naive intern fresh out of college. Though we have accomplished a lot in over 9 years, the farm is very much a work in progress. A handful of excellent off-site team members help with agriculture, maintenance, and construction, and it is part of my service to oversee their projects.
7:00am The off-site team members are rolling in the gate, and I try to be ready with the tools and materials they need to accomplish their goals for the day.
The first few hours of the day are the most hectic—have you ever
tried to be in three different places at once?!
8:30am - A hearty breakfast prepared by team members Alexandra or Jessica before making rounds to check in on the projects
8:40am - Drop off more fuel for Israel running the weedwacker by the main gate
8:50am - Head to the Workshop area to consult with Alexis, our electrician, utility, bio-construction, do-it-all team member, about our 1984 Toyota truck
9:05am - Visit the Agriculture team (Magali, Daimer, and Rebekah) to pick up cilantro and green onions from the Shalom Center, our food production and packing site, to bring to the main kitchen in Zone 1--the main gathering space and where we all meet for community meals--for lunch. I am grateful they have the harvest ready even though they are busy washing and packing produce for the community!
9:15am - Carefully driving to avoid hitting the sheep grazing around the farm on the way to the Dome Home, I pass Board of Directors President Jessica in the Tulsi House Garden, and Co-Director Paula and Fundraising Director Naina walking along the road
9:30am - Arrive at the SuperAdobe Dome Home site where volunteer Ismael is training team members Jimmy and Bhreon in the art of installing tiles.
After camping for over 9 years, the SuperAdobe Dome Home will soon be my permanent residence! Though I would love to stay at the Dome Home site all day, it is time for me to keep moving. Knowing that the tile team is on the right track, I drive down the hill to Zone 1. As I park the truck, I reflect on how I am still learning how to best divide my time when juggling different projects at once, giving enough of my attention to each team member without micromanaging. An important part of management is giving people enough space to allow for initiative, for mistakes, and for growth.
10:00am - Zone 1 is buzzing! Americorps VISTA volunteer Che & Naina are in the classroom, busy working on their computers; Co-Director Owen is making tea in the outdoor kitchen and speaking on the phone to what sounds like a potential donor; VISTA volunteer Seona is in the kitchen, awaiting the green onions and cilantro I have.
With upbeat Latin jams on the stereo, Resident Artist Natalia’s murals adoring the walls, and beautiful scenery all around, Zone 1 is a happening place, the hub of life on the farm.
10:15am - I fill up my water bottle and grab a couple of farm-fresh bananas for a snack, and remember it’s trash & recycling day. At Plenitud PR we try to value each service with equal importance, no matter how seemingly insignificant or mundane.
It’s not a glamorous job, but someone has got to take out the trash, so let me try to do it with love! There is a quote painted on the electrical pole near Zone 1 that reminds me of this purpose everyday: “No hay nada que el amor no pueda transformar,” which in English translates roughly to “There is nothing that love could not transform.”
More important than what we do is how we do it, and here we try to do things with love.
12:30pm - It’s almost lunchtime when I am finished with the garbage and recycling, and I am definitely feeling ready for a break.
Lunch is normally the most substantial meal of the day at Plenitud PR. We always try to get the whole team together for lunch at noon. We catch up, have check-ins, laugh with each other, relax, and remind each other of the greater purpose of our service. Ask anyone who has visited the farm and they will tell you that a plate of good, healthy vegetarian food, cooked with devotion and intention, is an integral part of Plenitud PR. I can safely say that I have never had a bad lunch here in almost 10 years, and today will be no exception!
1:30pm - I’ve got to keep moving and deliver lunches to the off-site team members! Seona helps me pack up several plates to go, and as the rain starts to fall I hop in the truck to head back up the hill.
2:00pm - Bhreon and Jimmy have just cleaned up after the tile project with Ismael and climb in the back of the truck, soaked in sweat, clothes dusty and stained with tile thinset, glad for a lift with big smiles on their faces. I see the satisfaction of a hard day's work and a job well done.
2:15pm - The rain is picking up and the guys dash to their cars clutching a to-go container. Alexis pulls into the parking lot from the workshop, and I pop open my umbrella to bring him his lunch and open the gate for everyone to take off.
Part of life in the rainy season in the mountains of Puerto Rico is embracing the water that falls from the sky almost every day and gives life to all beings. I wave to the guys as they head home, feeling so much gratitude for my compañeros en servicio (partners in service). I breathe a sigh of relief as I lock the gate and head down the hill, glad to be walking for a change. I wouldn’t trade this job for anything in the world, because it’s more than work; it’s my life.
So that’s a glimpse of my work day in a nutshell: lots of activity, lots of service, and most importantly, a lot of love and gratitude for the opportunity to do it all in the company of this team. We love what we do and we love to share it with our community. Thanks for joining me on this day-in-the-life at Plenitud PR. And now, what do you think…...do you want to take a walk in my work boots?!
