Every day I’m asked these questions via social networks. “What are you up to now?” “What is the Hawk’s Nest?” “What is Kalien?” Well, I’m glad you asked.

What is the Hawk’s Nest?

The Hawk’s Nest is my personal artist cabin made of cedar and situated high on a wilderness ridge (overlooking an actual hawk’s nest) in the Appalachian Mountains on our home of 55 acres. I have always dreamed of an elemental place of earth, water, fire, air, and aether set aside for creative work. I also knew deep down I had to build the first cabin with my own hands. So amazingly Gina and I built this cabin mostly from my imagination in only 66 days. We had a few friends join us for two of those days to assist with heavy lifting. The Hawk’s Nest is a working model for six to eight additional cabins to be built on the bordering 13 acres of Kalien, a place of solitude and encouragement for the wounded and weary.

Why are we building cabins? The cabin has become synonymous with a safe and cozy haven. A place of encouragement when what we are doing has worn us out. A retreat from stress and a place dedicated to restoration and creativity. From the moment we cross the threshold—push open the door and smell the woodsy, balsamic, aromatherapy of eastern red cedar—we transcend time and space. Cedar is an aromatic and beautiful tree used to build King Solomon’s temple because its fragrance was thought to lead worshipers to prayer and thus closer to God.

A cabin also provides a place to be closer to nature—and to our soul. The cabin is where we go to replace the frenetic hum of life with the buzzing of insects, where cyberspace is out of place, and where the milky way is more than just a candy bar. The cabin is a sacred and sensual place where food and drink taste better, the stars shine brighter, the fires feel warmer, and the birds sing sweeter. It’s a place of lingering pleasure, where sleep is long, and the beauty of dawn lasts for hours.

Each cabin will be unique, but all will feature decor of rustic elegance. There will be a buffer of an acre or so around every cabin to provide solitude. Each will have a pod brewer with coffee and tea to celebrate the morning and an available mini-bar upon request to welcome the evening. Every cabin will feature a deck or porch, lots of windows and light, and a luxurious bed featuring Egyptian cotton and woolen blankets.

For the truly wild at heart, there will be primitive campsites along a mountain ridge for tents. Horseback riding and a series of hiking and riding trails are planned as well.

The cabins and campsites will be available on a first-come basis throughout the year and will be priced on a sliding scale according to what one can pay. We will also provide a monastic approach and offer work on the property in exchange for refuge for those who truly have little or no money. There will be an online availability and reservation calendar at Kalien.org once the first cabin is available—hopefully around mid-2016.

What is Kalien?

Imagine after a long flight to Nashville, and a short but scenic hour-long drive into the Appalachian mountains, stepping out of the car into the tranquility of Kalien. Not onto asphalt or concrete, but a verdant carpet of ancient forests protected on all sides by primordial mountains. Many scientists believe the Appalachian Mountains are the oldest mountains in the world. You can literally feel the timelessness.

You stretch your weary body, and know immediately that every traveled mile was worth it as long as the trip ended here. Within moments of your arrival, it seems as if a blanket of peacefulness has gently enveloped you. A barn owl hoots a welcome as you breathe in the fresh air and marvel at the vibrant blue of the sky. And did I mention the stars? How can they be so dazzlingly bright? The milky way so close you can touch it. A place where minutes become moments. And the fragrance—the scent of honeysuckle and lavender. Oh, and did I mention the cedar?

Read more about Kalien HERE. If you have further questions, contact me via Email. To stay updated on our progress here at Kalien, subscribe to my “Letters from Kalien” HERE.

To help us build and complete the first guest cabin at Kalien by mid-2016, we invite you to share the dream with us and make a tax-deductible donation of any amount below.  No matter how large or small, any amount helps in building this next phase of Kalien. We can completely build and outfit a cabin for the unbelievable amount of only $15,000.

You may also send a check to:

Kalien
137 Gills Branch Lane
Gordonsville, TN 38563