Community Life from Different Point of View

24.04.2025 | By Asia Martini

When I was still at home, talking with my advisor on Zoom before the 3-month stay at DRH even started, she told me we would be living as a community.

I thought, okay, that makes sense — we’ll all be there together, like one big community.
Did I really understand what that meant? Kind of.
Was I surprised and overwhelmed when I actually got here? Definitely.

For me personally, it was a big change.
You might wonder why.
Well, the answer is pretty simple: it’s just so different from what I’m used to.

Back home, I cook only for myself, I clean up after myself, and everything I do is mainly to make my own life easier or more pleasant (like buying flowers for myself). In a way, it’s a self-centered way of living — but that’s our “norm.”

Here, most things are done together. Even when there isn’t a scheduled activity, we’re often still spending time with each other. Sure, you can go to your room for some alone time, but if you’re in any shared space, there’s a good chance you’ll run into someone and end up in an engaging conversation.

We also cook and clean together, which is a great opportunity to learn how to cooperate with others,  without unnecessary conflict.

I asked some of my teammates to share their opinions about community life, Please enjoy!

“You know when your morning routine is all about waking up slowly, in complete silence, with just the sound of birds or city traffic in the background?
Well, forget that!
You’ll wake up to someone shouting “Good morning!”, head to the bathroom only to find it’s already occupied, and get annoyed.
Then, at breakfast, you’ll realise there really are people who laugh and joke before their first coffee of the day… and you know what? You’re going to love it!”

Asia – April team 2025