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¨.

Learning how to fix a fence, Colombia.

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