I am in my second year of living my life out as a self-designated Peripatetic Communitarian, “Peripat” for short. I feel it is potential of great benefit to both any community and any individual seeking or belonging to community.
I first heard the phrase used in describing it’s coiner, Geoph Kozeny in 2015 on The Farm in TN, unfortunately 8 years after his passing. He is very searchable including on ic.org. Immediately on hearing it, I let out a giant gasp: Ha! that’s what I am!
My personal working definition has become: I live in community every day of the year, 2 or more communities, 2 or more months each, each year repeating. Currently living in 3 communities, in 3 states in the “U”“S”, which mite be called an attempt at a community of communities it self.
So far, I am amazed at the benefits I feel to my self as individual, and very hopeful for the benefits to each community available.
I have met a number of younger communitarians who live on edges of processes of memberships, & affiliations of immense endeavor, with more than one community each, who are very attracted to the concept. And I hereby put this up here for potential discussion. —grateful ole mar_tree
The benifits of having a community membership category of Peripetitic Communitarian in any community
Love this! I can tell you and I would get along famously. Keep up the positive vibes and showing positive examples of what’s possible.
I love this, one idea I have is a farm share. Kind of a time share but farm work and profit sharing.
I’ve been a “frequent flyer” in some communities over time, and sometimes it’s been tough to feel like I could be a part of community while continuing to do work that requires travel (that I enjoy!). Also… it gets cold in some places and hot in others – why shouldn’t I be able to split time? 
While the FEC (federation of egalitarian communities) does have precedence for dual membership within its communities, In practice this can be quite difficult to set up. I imagine that it’s easier to be a peripat between communities that are not fully income sharing or communes. In working towards dual membership within the FEC communities the the member and the member’s communities have to have pretty thorough level of negotiation, conversation, and transparency around money. Which community is responsible for covering that members needs and when?
I think it’s fantastic to have movement between communities. I think it’s a hundred percent necessary to spread knowledge share enthusiasm reduce boredom and have fully developed lives. Living in community means we don’t have as many funds available to us all the time and traveling between communities means we get to have more affordable vacations.
I have lots to say on this. I’m not a peripateic communard right now but easily could see in myself moving into that role later in life for various stages.
Honestly, this sounds like the best of all possible worlds!
Absolutely down for something like that myself!
Been actively researching the idea of living in (a) community for years now - your post just switched on the light bulb for me: the thing that’s holding me back from making the jump into that life is my massive fear of being ‘trapped’ in only 1 experience, 1 set of challenges. 1 group of people (however lovely they may be), 1 place… FOREVER!! Yeah, I don’t think I could stand it!
I also think it’s a total boon for any community - to have ‘fresh blood’ - or maybe a better image: ‘fresh AIR’ - coming into the community twice a year or so. I’m sure things can get stagnant in communities if nothing ‘new’ happens for too long…
Yep, I think it’s a massive win-win for everyone.
I support the idea (don’t know if I made that clear? Ha ha :D)
EDIT: just noticed this post is 6 months old - has there been any significant progress with your idea?
i love this concept and i want to be a peripat too. i also want my Waystation (https://pin.it/5xHWil3 & Looking to form an intentional community in Southern California) to be basically a big home base for others. some permanent members in the population, but i wish for it to mostly be a safe space for travelers to rest & restock. hence: Waystation. (i just came up with that name a day ago. but it’s perfect.)
and i agree that nobody should feel stuck. which is why i’m big on connection and exploration. i want our potential/future children that grow up in these spaces to come of age and set out on a journey to visit & engage with all the other IC-spaces, and even some of the big cities, and i never want them to feel stuck or out of touch. it’s a big world out there.
aaaaugh. @FakeNameForTheInternet i meant to reply to you with this.
Thanks Benny, love the name/concept ‘WayStation’! If I had a boatload of money that’s what I’d set up (with others who had the same idea). When I was backpacking and staying in hostels occasionally, meeting all sorts of adventurous ‘outside the box’ people, I used to dream of running a big hostel - I imagined it would be so fun and interesting every day. Now I’m imagining it on more land with lots of cabins and funky dwellings. Trouble is, I think I’d be no good at administering something like that day to day - too much of a dreamer! Starting to look around more seriously these days to find out if other people are already on that train and making it happen. Need some millionaires who’ve had a genuine change of heart! 
(see, told you I was a dreamer!! ha ha!)
or it could be more homegrown than that. we could check out gofundme, or even Kickstarter.
money isn’t what i’m worried about. you can hire folk to build your community for you, but then they leave when the contract is over; i’m worried about our core group & population.
the more people we find who want to stick around, the closer this concept is to reality.
i deeply appreciate the widespread multivarious positive response to this topic from Forum users. each response, to me, is a fresh unique contribution!
i am the one who began this topic here in the Forum in May 24 or so this year 2022, i cannot believe it! I have been on this campaign for a newly official classification of membership to ic’s for both individuals to consider, as i do, and for communities to consider, since Labor Day 2018.
on May 18, 2022, 6 days before my post here, i broke my brother out of the abusive captivity of 33 years from his friends and my self, and out of his marriage of 55 years. the divorce is still in proceeding. we are living & talking together again for the first time in 33 years. it is hard getting to know each other again and assisting with the divorce with someone who left all the paperwork with his wife!
my Peripatetic Communitarian campaign began at the Labor Day Weekend “Annual” Regional Inter-Community Summit 2018 at Lama Foundation as a Seeker participant just after my Membership Committee’s set-back of 3 years in my 3-year membership process at The Farm community in TN. I shall post, when i get the wherewithitall and knowhow to do so, my 2-page flyer for that occassion.
4 years into the membership process at The Farm TN, i declared my primo community of choice was my brotherhood i was born into, and at that time it was an impossible, unthinkable goal as my primary Peripatetic Communitarian Community home! This is now my reality. You are welcome to come and stay for your annual term. Terms & quarters may be mutually determined. I cannot respond until my taxes are done, hopefully October 16.
if the divorce is ever settled and i am still alive, at 76 now (i was 20 at muh bruddah’s wedding), i will recontinue this campaign. it is what i live for. i believe it has endless potential for our species’ thrival.
Grateful Ole Marty, Peripatetic Communitarian, Writer in Community
Now, i have left this topic i started on this Forum without even signing in to the Forum!!! No officials of FIC or of COMMUNITIES magazine (of GEN) have weighed in on this topic with me with any positivity UNTIL this Sept 6, dated Aug 22, e-mail from Cynthia Tina, FIC Community Chat connect@ic.org included:
Peripatetic communitarians
What does it look like to split your time between communities? Are you connected to several communities and like to move around?
There are pros and cons, of course.
Hi,
My name is Gail and I started as the Communications Director in May. Along with my colleague in the Comms team, we’re responsible for the different communication channels at FIC, like email, website, social channels and more. Our goals are to uplift, connect, and empower people in the intentional communities movement, while acting as a resource hub (see our vision and mission). This is why we’re started driving people to conversations in the Forum, both in the Community Chat newsletter and on our social channels. Thank you for your contribution to the Forum and this conversation.
thank you for entering in and overseeing this Peripatetic Communitarian Forum topic discussion, Gail!
I personally plan to be contributing again full force beginning the last half of October, then the entire month of November from The Farm community, TN, Goddess williing.
I plan to propose and offer the first community homebase expressly for Peripatetic Communitarians and their supporters of each other, in Mimbres/San Lorenzo NM, beginning before or in 2023, with organizational meeting forming governance, goals, values, principles, and guidelines among the first 10 (founding) members, as they declare them selves.