What a beautiful place! It's a shame your experience was marred by faulty, reckless adults. I guess it's easy for some people to get away with bad behavior under the guise of "alternative" living (which brings a bad reputation to the rest of us in the alternative learning community, doesn't it?). Still, it sounds like you managed to make the best of a less-than-great situation, so cheers to you for that! Also, you are a great writer! I really enjoyed reading about your experiences. :)