My Boring Life in the Colombian Countryside
I don´t think it´s boring, but to live outside of the city many wonder ¨what do you do all day¨.
Most days start with me waking up to one of the dogs wanting their daily walk, approximately 7:45. I could set my watch by this; these dogs know when it is time, and now so do I.
Our walks aren´t that exciting. We walk up the hill and down the hill.
Usually, I am half asleep, thinking maybe I can change their walk time. Then, when we get back, I am wide awake, and one of my roomies is making breakfast.
It is either all the fresh air or trees here. I don't mind waking up early, and now I enjoy our morning walks. I always think I will go back to bed, but if I lie down, I only check my phone for about 5 minutes.
Since I moved to the farm, I have been busier than normal, juggling my writing, filming, and work on the property. Surprisingly, I am not stressed and find time for everything; I pack a lot into one day. It makes me wonder how much time I was wasting before—a lot.
I enjoy being off my phone and computer for almost 4–5 hours while I work outside. This week, I have been working on fixing the fence around the front of the house. I have no idea how to fix a fence, but I am learning and teaching myself, and my brain is enjoying the challenge.
Today, I met almost all of my neighbors, and they have all invited me over for coffee. Where I live is very rural and full of campesinos, which would be the equivalent of farmers in the US. They are friendly and curious about who the new neighbors are; they stop and chat every time they see me out.
I love living in the countryside of Colombia; the people are so kind and genuine. To many, my life appears more exciting than it is; to me, it is exciting, but in reality, I have a boring everyday life. I am living a life that those around me have been living since they were born.
Before, I traveled the world; now, the highlight of my day is manual labor. My past self would moan, thinking I wanted to grow up and have a boring life, but now I cherish these days.
I look forward to my next project, which I have about 100. The farm is a fixer-upper in all areas, including the house, but for now, I will focus on the little things I can do myself. I am fixing the fence, creating a space for a garden, and creating a bigger space for compost.
I cherish living a slow country life instead of the hustle and bustle of the city.
I now look back to when I lived in LA; what was the point?
What was I creating or building?
It was a good experience, but the only thing I was doing was earning money; the only moment in my life was to earn money. I often think, what if I did not decide to veer off the path of ¨normal society¨ and stay stuck in the matrix?
What would I be doing, drinking too much, partying, and living a pointless existence?
That is a bit dramatic, but I think about it a lot. To many, that is fine, but to me, it was not. I left in my 30s and, for so long, was trying to figure out what I was searching for.
I had no idea; it involved returning to what I knew: the land, hard work, and farming. Growing up in nature, my life has done a complete 360, and I needed to have my city experience to realize that I needed to return to Pacchu Mamma, as she provides everything I need to live.
Plus, the grounding she gives my soul and entire body, from the sounds of the birds to the lighting I see when I look into the darkness of the night.
The sounds of the night insects lull me to sleep, and the dog gently wakes me; the river below provides the background music to my slow, boring life in the countryside of a country that I never imagined I would one day call home.
As my dog now lies next to me with his gentle hum of snores, he reminds me that our internal clock knows what to do: return to what we know; that is what gives us our breath, Pacha Mama.
XOXO
S
Your writing is so descriptive and filled with images of rural Colombia. I love reading what you have to say about the country side. I hope you don’t get too bored to the point of leaving. But I am sure you are making new friends there.
You make me laugh. You don't have time to be bored, haha. Next image shared of the farm needs to have you in it carrying around your machete and wearing your muck boots. I'm certain there is no one one who will equate this with boredom. :)