Live the Dream in an Intentional Community—How I Did It

If you’re dreaming about community life and wondering how to make it a reality, you’re not alone.

During community matchmaking sessions, clients ask me all the time questions like: How did you find your community? Why did you choose it? Was it love at first sight or a slow, thoughtful decision? The truth is, finding the right intentional community is a journey—one that begins with a dream.

And for me, it started with the question: What does it really mean to live the dream?

Growing up with a dream

I didn’t grow up in an intentional community. I was raised in the suburbs outside of Boston by loving and supportive parents (who still don’t exactly understand what I do, but love me all the same!).

From an early age, I had a deep connection with nature and a growing fascination with all things back-to-the-land. I started a garden in my parents’ backyard and proudly brought my own vegetables to school—purple carrots and all. My high school friends looked at me a little sideways, but I knew I was on to something.

My 20s were filled with travel, study, and exploration. I bounced around communities across Africa, India, Central America, and Europe, always learning, always asking questions. As a Goddard College graduate, I was lucky to pursue a degree in Sustainability while traveling and visiting ecovillages. I lived for stretches in well-known intentional communities like Sirius in Massachusetts, urban co-ops in Asheville, North Carolina, and even helped (unsuccessfully) attempt to start an ecovillage in Togo, West Africa.

Each place taught me something new about what it meant to live the dream.

Leading, learning, and listening

My journey eventually led me into leadership roles with the Global Ecovillage Network, the Foundation for Intentional Community, NextGEN North America, and other organizations that support this movement. I’ve now visited over 200 communities worldwide and met thousands of people—each with their own story, their own dream, and their own reason for choosing this path.

One thing I’ve learned: there’s no single right way to live in community. But there is a right way for you. And that’s why I created the Community Wishlist Worksheet. It’s a simple tool to help you clarify your vision, so you can start taking real steps toward living your own dream.

Finding my fit: How I chose my community

I joined Headwaters Community in 2019, after a long period of traveling and a growing desire to put down roots. Located in the wooded hills of Cabot, Vermont, Headwaters is a small, under-the-radar community that captured my heart.

Here’s a little about us, straight from our website:

We are a multi-generational community nestled into the wooded hills of Cabot, Vermont. Our community began in 2011 and today consists of 8 households on 14 acres. We are situated at the headwaters of the Winooski River, hence our name.

Most households have built their homes here using natural or sustainable building techniques. Homes are clustered near each other to allow for greater shared open space. The design of our community is loosely based on permaculture principles.

We share our home with goats, chickens, bees, dogs, cats, and many woodland critters. Our community is well connected with neighboring homesteads and the village of Cabot (within walking distance).

We make decisions together during a monthly business meeting. Everyone pitches in to help with projects and contributes monthly dues to maintain our shared infrastructure and land.

Living here, I truly feel like I get to live the dream every day.

Before you ask, no, we don’t have openings and aren’t open to the public. We don’t have a visitor program, other than the Vermont Ecovillage Tour I host each year in July. Participants on the tour get to visit my home and journey with me to other communities throughout the state. 

My Community Wishlist

So how did I know Headwaters was the right fit? I made a list. Literally.

Before choosing my community, I created a Community Wishlist. I knew I wanted to stay near northern Vermont, close to where my partners had retired. I also dreamed of building my own house—a lifelong goal. Other wishlist items included:

• Permaculture gardens
• Families with kids
• Opportunities for shared gatherings
• A wood-fired sauna (which we built shortly after I moved in!)

Headwaters checked almost every box. Most intentional communities have pre-built homes, but Headwaters has grown slowly, without a developer. We each build our own homes, and I was lucky enough to arrive when there was space available.

If you’re wondering what your dream community looks like, the Community Wishlist Worksheet is the place to start. It’s helped hundreds of people get clear on what they want and need—and it can help you, too.

From world traveler to community homesteader

It’s still funny to me how my life shifted. When I joined Headwaters, I promised I wouldn’t be away more than four months a year—they needed people who could stick around and contribute. I was nervous about missing out on travel opportunities.

But now? I turn down trips all the time. Why? Because I don’t want to miss a moment of what we have here: the kids growing up, late nights around the fire, the joy of communal meals, and sauna nights under the stars. I wanted to live the dream, and it turns out—the dream was right here.

More than five years in, I’m still working on my house. It’s a hybrid of natural and conventional building styles, with hand-burned wood siding and clay-lime plaster on the inside. I’m writing this right now from my attached greenhouse, which faces south and fills the whole room with sunlight.

It hasn’t always been easy. Like any community, we have challenges—communication issues, project conflicts, differing visions. But despite the imperfections, there is truly nowhere else I’d rather be.

Want to live the dream, too?

If you’re dreaming about intentional community, I want to tell you: you can do this. Whether you’re still in the research phase or actively visiting places, there’s a community out there that’s the right fit for you.

That’s why I created Ecovillage Tours in 2019—to help people visit communities and get a taste of this way of life. In Vermont, we visit my own community along with seven others. You get to ask questions, see homes, meet people, and start imagining what your version of the dream could look like.

We also hear stories every day from members of our Community Finders Circle group coaching program. Everyone’s story is different. Some want more connection. Some want land to grow food. Some are looking for a better place to raise their kids. The good news? There are hundreds of communities out there—and more are starting every day.

Take your first step

So, what does your dream look like? Do you want to live close to nature, raise your kids in a supportive village, or grow your own food with neighbors you trust?

Start by getting clear on what matters most to you. Download the Community Wishlist Worksheet and take the first step toward living the dream.

Your people are out there. Your place is out there. Let’s go find it.