Hermitage

I signed a lease in Spanish today! As you may know, I've been working through some problems with indoor and outdoor air quality in my current living situation. So I'm moving 5.5 km out of town to a rural cabin next to the Río Simpson, just far enough to breathe clean air, but close enough that I can ride my new mountain bike. The bike ride is about 20 minutes on a quiet road, uphill both ways:   

The cabin is affordable and fully furnished, including:

- a guest bedroom with two beds! (yes, please visit) 

- a solid Wi-fi connection

- DirectTV (hmm...)

- microwave

- gas stove/oven

- kitchen pots/pans/utensils etc. 

- fridge/freezer (might not use to save on electricity?)

- wood stove (an emergency measure during deep freezes...)

- automatic water heating (i.e. gas with an electric ignitor) 

I am 100% not responsible for repairing any structural damage that may be caused by freezing pipes; in fact, I added a clause to the lease clarifying this. The dueña of the cabañas goes into town every day and has offered to share rides, although I plan to make about one trip into town per week, on the warmest day with the least precipitation. The route is well-trafficked enough that I could hitchhike if I wanted to, but not so busy that the ride is a harrowing experience (I'll probably wear a mask). I made the journey in pouring rain the other day, and had a blast! My lease starts April 1, but I'll mostly be at the current space in Coyhaique until April 10, when I'll be presenting at a seminar in Coyhaique (in Spanish!). I'll also use this time to start the transition and stock the cabin with hella black beans. This cabin is conveniently located on the same road that my advisor takes into town, and I confirmed with him that transportation to our field site in Coyhaique Alto will be provided (we chose a site where many other investigators are working). Try this link to check out where I'll be living! 

I can't help but reflect a bit on how this fits into my overall journey. Past experiences give me confidence that I can make this work: my days biking Jimmy Johns subs around Minneapolis in deep snow, living in an unheated shed in Boulder during sub-zero temperatures, hitchhiking to Coyhaique last week. Looking forward, this will be a good test run for my vague 'working remotely/ farming in the mountains' dreams. The minimum monthly average minimum temperature is 32F -- I've learned that my body converts butter into thermal energy fairly efficiently, and I'll stock up on heavy wool blankets beforehand. 

I will be the first to admit that I need human contact in my life, not necessarily society (bars, clubs, 'culture'), as much as community: good conversation, a shared meal, a word game. So I'll certainly encourage the current housemates to visit, take advantage of our field expeditions, as well as seek out other connections that don't require me to spend any significant amount of time in the Coyhaique cancer zone. For example, I may spend some time working at a permaculture operation outside of town called Minga alegre. 

Finally, no post would be complete without a bit of pontificating from a place of privilege: 

I truly regret that I am unable (unwilling?) to live in the city of Coyhaique: here I have already met great people who are creating cool things, but the combination of woodsmoke outdoors, burning cardboard (often with paint and/or plastic attached) indoors, unregulated vehicle emissions, and geographic inversion effects creates an unlivable situation for this old man. It makes me quite sad that the people of Aysén are economically incentivized to burn old-growth forests in order to cook and heat their homes, threatening their own health and quality of life. I've come around on natural gas in a big way over the past year or so, and my Chile adventure has solidly confirmed this unfortunate reality. Until we start building into the ground, move away from colder climates, or fully embrace wind and solar energy on a large scale, natural gas seems to be our best option for heating (leaving out the f-word for now). Okay, I'm done.