Camlyn (she/they) is drawn to intentional experiences and to exploring what it means to love where you live. Her relationship to Utah has transformed the more she tends to and is tended by community. Having learned that a village culture makes a place feel like home, she playfully tests living “life by design” through daily practice, communal living, and queer family building. With the heart of an educator and as the student of farmers, she comes to us with a drive to serve those who feel their dreams are inaccessible. The passion behind her work is to remind us how powerful we are, especially when life is ready to create with us. Camlyn is known for blending organizing strength with a calm nature, and when it comes to helping you find home, her energy, resourcefulness, and positivity will make certain you get where you want to be. She loves to start with the question, “Can you describe the feeling and the life you would enjoy living?”

You're an agent here. Tell us why. What led you to this work? I’m at a place in my life where I’ve settled into realizing I spend the majority of my time at home, at work, in relationships, and all my time is simultaneously spent in my body. So I prioritize: What is good for my body? How does the energy in my home feel? Does work nourish me or drain me? Am I present for my loved ones? 

I believe our homes are micro-experiments of the societies we live in. “Home” is an incredible opportunity for us to design the havens that we strive for on a broader scale. When I think about how I would like to contribute to my community, I would love to help my neighbors settle into a secure home and an overall energy of creativity, freedom, and rest. I resonated with cityhomeCOLLECTIVE and their philosophy around loving where you live, understanding your why, and the confident belief that the home (and life) specifically meant for you is obtainable. I am deeply moved when people remember they have the ability to create and then embody that power. It is contagiously liberating! Makes me feel like singin’ and dancin.’ 

You could be living anywhere, really. Why SLC? Ah, this is significant because I have lived outside of SLC for about half my life, yet some of my most significant growth has happened here. I’m rooted here because I’m finding a unique community that continues to care for and surprise me. If I were hosting a visitor, I would enjoy showing off, starting with this lively nook here at cityhomeCOLLECTIVE and then branching out to our canyons and hot springs, our farmers and their food, the art and film scene, hip hop classes, our badass entrepreneurs and community organizers, my favorite places to eat, and our ancient lakes.

What is your definition of home? Does it make sense for me to say: where your insides relax? Where you are yourself. Where love is. Where you unwind and come home to yourself, really. Yes it’s a space, but I also think it is a practice, a returning, and often a relationship. 

Describe your perfect day. What, exactly, does that look like for you? Waking up naturally after a good rest and meditating. Having three hearty meals, including one home-made community/family meal. Time to read, time to write, time to connect with loved ones. Physical movement! Time outside. And some random surprise turn of events, because I like an involved and playful Universe. 

How do you take care of your home and how do you take care of the house that is you? I have some weekly focused time where I clean the place. I tend to my plants. I like to go through each room and make sure it feels open. I love good smells for the nose. I love having tea, food, and blankets ready. And when I come and go, I might occasionally say to the walls, “Thank you, house! You’re so wonderful. I love you!”