In September 2005 I broke my left femur in an accident. I was riding my bike in darkness without light and a car turning and crossing my lane did not see me. This accident was the catalyst for a major shift. Somehow I was able to muster more inner strength then I thought I had. I did not allow myself to complain or be depressed for even a moment.

Yes, I did cry sometimes, releasing strong emotions. Most of the time I kept a positive attitude and worked on getting back on my feet literally and psychologically. I started exercising consistently for about 6 months. First lying in the bed, then on crutches, in a wheelchair and at physical therapy and then at the health club. During that time I started working with the Incan Medicine Wheel. I attended a one-week soul retrieval training that allowed me to gain access to some parts of myself that I was not aware of. It became clear, that NOW is the time in my life that I have and if I do not follow my heart, soul and spirit, doing the things I really want to, then when will it ever happen.

So instead of waiting or looking for the perfect situation, I decided to put my energy into co-creating this wonderful world I have been dreaming about, right here with what is available. This brought me to the idea to retrofit our home into a permaculture site, creating an example how to design and implement an urban lifestyle that provides to a great degree for the needs of the inhabitants, in a continental type of climate, and is integrated into the neighborhood and community.

Additionally, after having searched for years for a learning program that allows me to study the way I wanted, in the subject I wanted, with enough support, guidance and quality control, I found the Gaia University on the Internet. This was almost like a revelation and I felt that for the time being, I want to be part of what Liora and Andy have started.

Soon after that I started helping the Gaia University with its information systems and applied for admission to the masters in Integrative EcoSocial Design (IESD) program. At the same time my programming work increased to the level that it provides for my livelihood, doing innovative web and Internet projects solely for sustainable oriented clients. Hurrah!

Now I am finally following one of my great passions that has been developing in many different ways since when I was in my twenties, one that really means something to me and I feel deeply connected to with my being – sustainability, ecology, designing our eco-social-economic culture in a way that provides for our needs and restores nature, living in harmony with it and celebrating the best in us. Studying ecological design is the fulfillment of something I wanted to do for a long time. And the degree project is the “urban residential retrofit for sustainable living” of our home. Others will be able to learn from it and maybe inspired to refine it ever more appropriately for their climate variations, local, natural resources, regions and individual needs for living a life with a small footprint.

Most of the things I am doing today, I am doing out of choice and not because I have to. The choices have become more conscious and I am much clearer of taking full responsibility for how my life unfolds, the situation I am in and what my experience is.