From city lights to nature’s embrace 

AT the very pinnacle of her urban existence, Brittina was living and working as a young teacher in the capital city of Guyana. Born, raised, and schooled in Georgetown, Brittina was the definition of a city girl, thriving amidst the hustle and bustle of the town. But at her very lowest, the loss of a loved one placed her in a dark place while living in the city of lights. Brittina needed an escape and she sought solace in nature, far from the only existence she had ever known. Many judged and ridiculed her bold decision to move off the grid. But Brittina says her move to the village of Yarrowkabra was among the few decisions she made for herself, and it was definitely for the best.

A change of Pace 
Those living in Georgetown may often forget to notice the fast-paced and seemingly intense life they live compared to those who call the outskirts and rural areas home. A young Brittina, however, always seemed to take note of the constant excitement that surrounded her life in La Penitence. “I was born in Georgetown, grew up in Georgetown, and went to school around the town,” Brittina said.

At what most would consider an early age, Brittina began pursuing various careers whilst furthering her academic endeavours. After not being out of school for too long herself, a young and passionate Brittina found what she believed was her true calling: child care. “I continued studying and graduated as the best childcare student.” She shared. The mother of three spent almost a decade educating children at numerous schools nationwide.

Brittina’s life-altering decisions of leaving the teaching world and leaving the world she knew behind go hand in hand. The majority of Brittina’s upbringing was spent with her mother, and as an adult, she still sought solace in the woman who was her role model. She would turn to her mother for far more than advice. Brittina says she was solely dependent on her mother for the majority of her adult life. This is perhaps why the sting of her mother’s loss affected Brittina the way it did. For many, losing a loved one, particularly a mother, is a time consumed by immense grief. For Brittina, whose bond with her mother was unlike any other, the loss of her mother affected her mental state as well, placing her into what she describes as a state of depression.

“She passed away when my eldest daughter was just six months old. That was when reality really kicked in like it was thrown in my face: it was time to live,” Brittina said during her interview with Pepperpot Magazine. She further went on to state that during this time, she felt bombarded with all of life’s struggles and her rock, her mother, was no longer around. “Before she passed, it was like mommy this, and mommy that, but mommy was not here anymore. So, I had to paddle my canoe on my own and that was when life’s challenges started. I had nobody to confide in.” For her, the decision to move was about achieving a mindset shift and embracing significant change for the sake of inner peace.

This series of occurrences was the first step in what led Brittina to Yarrowkabra. She said she had reached her breaking point, which changed her perceptions and beliefs on life. Beliefs that she still holds firm today. To a young Brittina, it felt like restarting her life, only this time it was going to be a bit different. She shared, “I started to see life differently. I had low self-esteem at that point and I had to pick myself back up. It was like I had to start living.” Hitting the restart button was difficult, but it was necessary nonetheless.

Brittin had a new mindset and needed a fresh beginning. She sought to leave the noise of the city behind when she moved to Yarrowkabra more than a year ago. However short, the time she spent in the community reshaped her thinking. Being a part of the serenity that nature presents has given Brittina the space she needs to move on from the loss of her mother. She shared that being a part of the natural and the unapologetic beauty that the world offers has given her time to reflect. To see life in a different light; she stated,“Being here has shown me that there are so many things you could do for yourself. When you sit in your alone time it helps you see things from all sides and not just a one-sided basis.”

Brittina and her husband built a new life in Yarrowkabra, far away from family, friends, and anything that resembled Georgetown. Brittina and her husband built their family in Yarrowkabra on a foundation of farming. The couple farmed and shared their first harvest with the community. She stated that, “When we first came here, we started farming. We had a bora patch and we had tomatoes. My husband did most of the planting and I did the distribution.”

However, challenges are woven into the beauty and serenity of living in a place like Yarrowkabra. With hot days and freezing nights surrounded by nature’s sights and sounds, Brittina says calling Yarrowkabra home can be a tough task at times.  “It can be desolate sometimes. But I have learned just to sit and watch the trees move. I listen to the wind and birds and see different creatures.”  Brittina’s decision to move to a place like Yarrowkabra may seem ludicrous to some, but to her, it was the only thing that would bring her what she truly needed: peace. She shared that, “It’s a real mindset. It’s a real big change, and you have to want it to have it.” Despite the challenges, Brittina emphasises that transitioning to a place like Yarrowkabra requires a genuine desire for change. Her journey reflects not just a physical relocation but a profound shift in mindset, bringing her the tranquillity she sought.