Hostel in the Forest, Brunswick, Georgia

We made the right choice going to the Hostel in the Forest in Brunswick, GA! Just shy of 1.5 hours from Jacksonville, the Brunswick area has so much to do and we were kept busy for our whole trip.

When we got off of I-95, we passed a few gas stations and one supermarket...to be honest, it didn't look like anything special. Once you follow the dirt road marked "The Hostel" though, you are magically transported into a whole new world. (Minus the magic carpet, Princess Jasmine and the transport is not that magical, we slowly drove over the bumpy road in our Honda Accord)

The Hostel in the Forest itself, though, is magical. When you walk into the main building to check in, you are instantly reminded of your friend's cabin by the lake complete with photos from the 70's, an old couch, books and random musical instruments strewn about.

We were shown to our tree house, The Elmo Hut, and were immediately thankful that we weren't planning on drinking heavily.
(The stairs to our tree house)

Inside, there were remnants from past travelers like a hairbrush, sunglasses, a "graffiti book" for random thoughts and poetry, matchbooks, etc. It didn't look messy, it just looked...eclectic :)

Since we are being honest, I felt super awkward at first. I like to think of myself as a hippie because I bring my reusable bags to Publix and I buy soap made from vegetable glycerin, but I enjoy modern conveniences and haven't fully immersed myself in the hippie lifestyle. The people at the hostel have completely embraced a sustainable way of living and I felt like a savage at a tea party. I didn't quite know what to do or how to act. (I see that this was ridiculous now as everyone we met was very kind and came from all walks of life and many were new to this just like us)

After we dropped off our bags in the Elmo Hut, we wandered around the property and were enchanted with the beauty of the forest and the many animals we encountered. There were the three ducks we found sleeping by an old pool that is now strictly for ducks:
The many chickens running around that provide eggs and entertainment for the hostel:
There were also fish and birds and lizards and beautiful flowers at every turn.
The hostel is blessed with gardens, a lake, a sweat lodge, a glass building for massage and meditation, a fire pit and many tree houses and domes that have been built over the years by volunteers. It is easy to relax here and you find that you breathe easier...that is, until you have to pee. Remember outhouses? Well that is what the hostel has...with a twist. These outhouses use sawdust to cover "deposits" which are then composted and used for fertilizer. An ingenious idea that I hate to admit repulsed me. Did this prevent me from using them? No. Will it prevent me from going back? Absolutely not! I think what they are doing is wonderful and the smell is a small sacrifice to save so much water and put nutrients back into the forest. Plus, these outhouses have lights and running water to wash your hands...a big step up from the outhouses I've used in the past growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!

The showers are all outdoors and they request that you use the Dr. Bronner's biodegradable soap that they provide or something similar of your own because all of the water goes straight onto the forest floor. They even use soap nuts in their laundry room instead of regular laundry detergent. (Soap nuts are absolutely fascinating to me and I meant to buy some to try at home while I was at the hostel and forgot so I looked them up and found their website here)
Truly sustainable living is being practiced here and it's a great learning experience to see it firsthand.

After we were given an official tour of the property and told what to do and what not to do, we decided to check out nearby Jekyll Island before the family style vegan dinner being served later that night. (Just how much later is another story!)