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Nasturtium

Millennial (30-45)

Female pair + dependent(s)

Maryland

Speed of commitment:

Fast: Open to a situation that takes everyone being all-in from the start (with contracts & clarity), In between: Open to a commitment after a defined time for a trial run, Slow: Open to a situation where trust can build over time

IC types I would live in or am forming:

Activist commune supporting shared work, Cohousing: private residences around shared space, Cottage industry in community (e.g. biz partners or recreation venture team), Ecovillage or agrihood, Farm or ranch, LGBTQ+ focused, Multi-family shared house, Multi-house collective (resource-sharing among houses not adjacent), Resource-sharing or income-sharing commune, Trial run: Join a household maybe work-trade

Food production:

Working toward a mix of producing our own food and buying groceries

IC seeker or founder/resident:

IC seeker or cofounder: I’m seeking to join likeminded others as a core group in founding a new IC. Together we will establish a vision and norms.

ICmatch group or IC I'm part of:

LGBTQ+ family

Service-based IC (population served):

Aged out foster teens, Chronically homeless, Escaped from sex trafficking, In-system foster kids, Learning disability, Low income LGBTQ+, Low income families with children, Low income racial or ethnic minority, Low income with high medical risk, Refugee resettlement

Service-based IC (services offered):

Provides housing while attending college or vocational training, Provides support services possibly including paid work opportunities for the selected group(s)

Vulnerable population as a proportion of residents:

About half

Residential proximity:

House mates (separate bedrooms, shared kitchen), Multi-house collective (shared resources, but IC houses might be scattered within a traditional neighborhood), Separate units (separate apartments but some shared common areas with shared resources), Shared land (separate houses possibly with some shared buildings)

Ownership types:

Co-operative (collectively owned separate houses or apartments), Joint land purchase to subdivide, hold shares, or hold "tenancy in common", Multi-house collective (shared resources, but houses have separate ownership or are separate rentals), Rent-to-own with shared housing or shared land, Rented with shared housing or shared land

Reasons for shared housing:

Ecological sustainability to reduce carbon footprint, Friendship and sharing activities, Having a “chosen family” to share good times and support each other thru hard times, Helping each other with childcare, Lower cost of living, Shared land, shared community hub such as gardens or meeting space, but not shared housing), Sharing meals and chores, Sharing resources (spaces, equipment, tools, vehicles, gardens), Working together in a business (e.g., remote location)

Décor of shared areas:

Prefer furniture & decor that's kid-or-pet friendly (used or easily replaceable)

Clutter level of shared living areas or work space:

Average level of "lived in" look, Creativity in progress (translate: not tidy in designated work space)

Cleanliness level (germs & crumbs):

All food counters & tables wiped down daily to not attract pests, Dishes washed (or loaded into dishwasher) daily to not attract pests, Dusting is not so important

Yard or landscaping:

Covered space for storage, Gardens and edible landscaping, Space for kids and/or dogs to run

Neighborhood or scenery:

Scenery is not high on the list of property characteristics that's worth paying extra for

Current city, town, or county:

Maryland

Nation(s) of current residence:

U.S.

Preferred regions:

U.S. California, U.S. Colorado, U.S. northeast region, U.S. southeast region, U.S. southwest region

Population density:

Remote, Rural, Small town, Suburban or exurban

Ideal location(s):

Places with mild winters, strong queer community, and flexibility on building multiple small dwellings on shared land

Commitment to my current location:

Happy with current location but open to considering other options

Relocation capacity:

Committed to my current residence for the foreseeable future

Resource sharing:

Car share, Care of elderly, disabled, or incapacitated relatives, Child care swap, Emergency preparedness efforts, Farm or food forest (share work and produce), Garden (share work and produce), Joint business (share work and profits), Meal preparation, Pet care swap, Time bank, Tool share (maintenance and use of expensive equipment)

My socioeconomic status:

Low income

Leisure and lifestyle:

Very frugal about leisure and entertainment expenditures

Leadership availability:

I'm willing to join as part of a core leadership team

Roles and responsibilities:

Flexible responsibilities are often best, which aren't assigned or micromanaged, In a small family-like group, the saying applies, “to each according to their need, from each according to their abilities"

Common practical skills:

Carpentry & repair, Childcare, Cooking for groups, Farm animal care, First responder (first aid) or EMT, Gardening or crop cultivation, Group facilitation, Organizing & labeling

Experience or schooling:

Biological sciences, Ecological science, English language proficiency, Experience teaching adults, Food handling certification trainer, Food preservation (e.g., cheesemaking, home canning, drying, smoking), Horticulture or permaculture, Musical performance, Nutrition, Outdoor survival skills (e.g., hunting, foraging, fire starting), Performative dance, Social dance, Spanish language proficiency

Languages:

Russian, Spanish, some French

Occupation(s) and expertise:

Volunteer EMT, Outdoor education (sp. Farm and garden), Cannabis cultivation tech (medical), Apple orchard/cidery market coordinator, nutrition counselor

Years lived in an IC:

Lived with roommate(s) or housemate(s), Lived with sibling(s) or other non-parent relatives

Experience in community:

Trail Corp group housing, firehouse shared housing for volunteers, currently living in a multi-family household

Generation:

Millennial (30-45)

Generations intended in IC:

Gen A (born 2013 – 2024), Gen X (born 1965 – 1980), Gen Z (born 1997 – 2012), Millennial (born 1981 – 1996), Older boomer (born 1946 – 1954), Pre-boomer (born before 1946), Younger boomer (born 1955 – 1964)

Number of infants and preschoolers:

Number of working adults:

Number of non-working adults:

Alcohol (tolerable rules):

Should be allowed after work hours, Should be regulated by group decision only if it becomes problematic

Tobacco smoking (tolerable rules):

Should only be allowed outdoors

Cannabis (tolerable rules):

Should be allowed after work hours, Should be allowed in designated areas only, Should be allowed with medical prescription, Should be regulated by group decision only if it becomes problematic

Psychedelics (tolerable rules):

Legal psychedellics are okay if not disrupting to others, Should be allowed by those authorized to use them for ceremonial purposes, Should be allowed only in a legal supervised therapeutic setting

Illegal recreational drugs (tolerable rules):

Should be dealt with by group decision in a manner to support non-use, Should not be policed by the community, as long as no minors are involved and others are not negatively impacted

Overnite guests (tolerable rules):

Should be allowed in designated guest areas, Should be permitted in limited circumstances as decided by the governance process, Should be subject to group decision only if it becomes problematic

Daytime visitor access (tolerable rules):

Should be discussed and limited by the IC agreements, Should be restricted to guest areas or residence of host, Should not be restricted after certain individuals or visitor types are approved, Should require that community is informed of planned visits

Nudity (tolerable rules):

Should be limited to private rooms or private residences (as is the norm outside the IC), Should be permitted within designated areas of the IC (e.g., a gated hot tub), Should be welcome and discussed through the governance process, to consider each individual’s preferences

Required disclosures:

Background check for landlord/tenant disputes, On sex offender registry, Past felony conviction

Religious or spiritual practice-based IC:

No mandate of adherence to shared religious beliefs and practices

My religious beliefs or practices:

Agnostic, Spiritual but not religious

Practices welcome in IC:

Agnostic, Spiritual but not religious

Ecological preservation ethics:

Commitment to reduce, re-use, recycle, Composting toilet, Gray water recycling where permitted, Local food commitment for low carbon footprint, Use of alternative power such as solar or wind

Belief-related practices:

Open to people's personal practices, but prefer no organized religious or spiritual practice in shared spaces

Wisdom sharing:

Socialist ideals, common good, sharing, communication

Size of community:

11 to 20, 21 to 50

Sense of togetherness:

I do not want obligatory group work where we are expected to help resolve disputes, I do not want to be required or pressured to share feelings in a group setting, Relationships should develop naturally, not thru team building exercises or mandated group circles

Gender + number:

Female pair + dependent(s)

Genders welcome in IC:

Female, Male, Non-binary, Trans AFAB, Trans AMAB

My current couple situation:

I'm in committed partnership

Couple situations welcome in IC:

Not available (e.g., you're okay if you're not going to be a threat to my primary relationship)

My sexual orientation:

Not necessary for others to know, Pansexual, Polygamous (married to more than one)

Sexual identities welcome in IC:

Cisgender (gender aligns with natal sex), LGBTQ+ (non-normative gender identity and/or same-sex attraction), Monogamous (committed to a single sexual partner), Non-monogamous, Polyamorous (in more than one physically intimate relationship with consent of all involved), Polygamous (married to more than one spouse)

Sex & intimacy norms in IC:

A topic discussed with curiosity and respect, allowing for experimentation around what works for the community

Physical affection:

I selectively enjoy hugs; I lean more toward the physically reserved side

My availability for physical intimacy:

Not currently open to a new relationship

Learning difference accommodations:

Considering homeschooling

Queer or LGBTQ:

Yes

Children in IC:

Children are welcome but not a necessity (not a dealbreaker issue), I have dependent child(ren) living with me and I am only seeking community with other families with children

Children present in household:

Full time

Other people’s children:

Children are the responsibility of their parents, so any shared care needs to be agreed on between individuals, I am open to sharing child-care responsibilities such as carpooling or swapping child-care, I prefer a community in which there are on-site designated childcare facilities to allow other adults to work, I want to be in a setting in which all feel a responsibility for well-being of children in the community

Behavior correction:

Parents shouldn't have to micro-manage their child(ren) for the benefit of adults around them

Children sheltered from:

Sexual behavior or images, Violent images or lyrics

Screen time (acceptable rules):

Screen time and content limits are up to individual families, Screen-free locations agreed on as a group, Screen-free times agreed on as a group to encourage outdoor play with peers

Schooling:

Charter school, Homeschool, Public school

Dogs:

Indoor dog(s) okay, Outdoor dog(s) okay

Cats:

Indoor cat(s) okay, Outdoor cat(s) okay

Farm animals or pets I have or want:

Big quiet indoor dog, 2 old cats, 4 goth chickens

Farm animals or pets:

Chickens, Fish pond, Goats, Rabbits, Sheep, Turkeys

Special food needs:

Avoid over-processed foods with unpronounceable ingredients

Plant-based or not:

Cage-free eggs okay, Certified-humane meat okay, Conventional meat products okay, Conventional milk products okay, Everyone makes their own food choices even when eating together, Fish okay

Organic:

All food choices are accepted, Commitment to local-grown as much as possible, Organic non-certified is okay

Shared meals (acceptable norms):

Prefer shared meals weekly or monthly, Shared meals are necessary community glue, Shared meals are necessary for efficiency and low cost, Shared meals should be optional

Medical risk bubbles:

I am in a high-risk category and must have those near me take precautions seriously, I can commit to taking extra precautions for others in a high-risk category

Pandemic norms:

Keep good health practices for good immune function, Maintain strict social distancing and masks outside the IC, Sanitize hands frequently in public, Whatever results from group decision-making process

Health conditions:

T1D

Accommodations needed:

Physical disability or condition

Noise level:

Different noise tolerance can be managed by having designated times for noise and quiet, One quiet space should be reserved for those who need to focus on work, Parents with children shouldn't have to constantly keep them quiet

Sleep:

I’m not very consistent with my waking and bedtimes

Sleep needs & noise:

I need respectful quiet around my child's bedtime otherwise nobody sleeps

Comfort & convenience:

I can participate in a rugged life and hard physical work, I can tolerate extreme temperatures, I like my cushy life

Tech savvy:

I'm about average with tech use

Internet connection & phone signal:

I can work without consistent internet connection, We have nearby library or cafe with wifi, We have reliable wifi

Off-grid:

Is not the plan if it doesn't work for others I want to be in community with, Is okay but not so important, Is workable for a part time location

Leisure time:

Paddleboarding/swimming, social dancing, playing music, playing d&d, cards, casual pickup soccer, bushcraft for fun

Films, books, music, podcasts, shows:

Becky Chambers (body of work), Octavia Butler Earth Seed, Fifth Element, Ngih Vo, Olivia Waite, British gardening shows especially Monty Don, Over the garden wall, Studio Ghibli films, Terry Pratchett (body of work)

Political orientation:

Progressive left

Culture influencers:

Michael Mezze, Karl Marx, Robin Kimmerer

Extroversion (under 50% means more introverted than average):

Emotional even keel (under 50% means more ups & downs than average):

Agreeableness (under 50% means less compliant or more contrary than average):

Conscientiousness (under 50% means more easygoing than average):

Open to new experiences / imagination (under 50% means more traditional than average, sticks with "tried and true"):

Myers-Briggs (& Keirsey-Bates) temperament type:

Infp

Enneagram type:

9w8 (peacemaker w challenger)

Astrological sign(s):

S: cancer m: Sagittarius r: gemini

Weaknesses and superpowers:

I can be quiet and avoidant, but I also do well on long independent tasks

Dealbreakers:

Non-acceptance of my identity or the identities of my family, profit-driven mentality, unsafe for myself or my child