Article written by Javier López López .
They say that opportunities arrive when you least expect it. And perhaps it is so, because with hardly any time to meditate on the decision they invited me to participate in the second edition of remote villages . An initiative of these that reach you to the heart, as if it were a pixar movie, because it is really beautiful: ten teleworkors willing to spend a few weeks in an idyllic environment in the town of Antigua, Fuerteventura. And not only that, together with the possibility of helping six local projects contributing knowledge.
Landscape of the town of Antigua, Fuerteventura
My first reaction was the classic of not wanting to break with my routine and not leave the already manido, but no less real, a circle of comfort. «Uf, I don't know, I will go there for a lost town with strangers ... I don't know. With the comfort that is on the couch ». But then I remembered one of my favorite phrases and that so many joys and experiences have brought me since I try to apply it to my life: " He invests in anecdotes ."
I repeat, because this is important: " Invest in anecdotes ."
Investing in anecdotes is "simple." You simply have to be alert to the opportunities and invitations that are presented to you. And as many times as you can, even if you start the decision and your conspire brain so that you feel on the sofa in front of the Netflix, you instead say: «Come on! I go to those rice fields in the middle of the mountains to work a few weeks in the field with this Japanese cooperative in Okinawa »(real example that happened to a friend, life is very curious).
Participants of ancient remote teleworking from the courtyard of the court
So neither short nor lazy, I took the first plane to Fuerteventura and there I planted. It received an island of extreme dryness and aridity (and for a Murcian to say, the peeled thing has to be), but in turn, of a wild and unique beauty: volcanoes, dunes, aloes and charcones of turquoise waters .
Antigua, the town that welcomed us, is a remote place in a fuerteventura and in itself remote. We stayed in the era of the Court and Casa Flor . If you are looking for a quiet place in Fuerteventura and with a good Internet connection I recommend these houses without a doubt. To imbueos from the essence of Fuerteventura and the wonderful story of the house of the era of the court, take a look this video. It is made with a very special love and care:
As soon as I felt that this experience was going to be unique. The good vibes of the organizers and the participants was incredible. Everyone had gone wanting to have fun, teleworking yes, but also to meet other people and explore the island together. A very "summer camp" roll, in which we share foods, dinners, activities and many laughs.
Ancient Remote Participants enjoying sunset in the Dunas de Corralejo
Local projects
As the days went by we met local projects. The idea was to create a knowledge exchange frame: on the one hand we have the opportunity to see how they made a living with their art and good work. And on the other, as far as possible, throw a cable with any topic in which we could contribute: for example, improving their website, teaching them non-code tools, etc.
I go with the feeling that they contributed much more to us than vice versa, but without a doubt this exchange of knowledge was something beautiful: it is something unique to see the passion and motivation that these people transmit when they talked about their initiatives, always from the point of sight of sustainability and love for Fuerteventura.
With The Animal Academy we discover how, against wind and tide, a couple is doing the impossible to build an animal shelter. With very little help: putting the money from their own pocket along with what they get donations (I encourage you to sponsor an animal!) They are sheltering many animals that had been mistreated: goats, donkeys, pigs, cows ... even A camel!
With The Animal Academy we spent quite a while teaching them to use some non-code tools that I think everyone should know:
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Notion : Not only is it powerful, but it progresses very quickly. Ok for "a broken and a rioter": from setting up a website to organizing all the documentation and processes of your company.
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Squarespace : To set up websites.
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PayComet and Stripe payment links : something they liked especially, because they can obtain donations very easily.
Combining all these elements, we can create websites, donation campaigns, etc ... on the flight and at the moment. And without depending on anyone!
Belén Roca, founder of The Animal Academy with Camella Lola
With the era of the Court , where we stayed, we learned how a daughter, with her intelligence and work capacity, can keep her father's dream alive and get a rural hotel.
With them we were studying how to improve their website to better present the information: this beautiful house deserves the best website in the world.
Opening act of ancient remote in the courtyard of the Rural Hotel de la Age of the Court
In Vidaloe we discovered the properties of the Aloes and saw how from a small family house and some land you can build a spectacular environment, while sustainable, to exploit these plants.
Little help I could offer in this, at least I, because they are already like a rocket. But we were chatting on how to set up a commercial team.
Aloe Vera plantation on the Vidaloe estate
In Verdeaurora , we learned about permaculture and how to get agriculture and livestock to integrate not only with the landscape without destroying it, but also with the resources existing by scarce. And all from the passion of two brothers who have inherited from their parents the love for the field. My greatest contribution here was to take a work day, but the truth is that they did not make us work hard, they were too good with us 🙂
Sheep on the farm of Verdeaurora
At Casa del Cheese Cabrera Pérez we got purple to good cheese, watered with excellent wine, and we discovered how to feed, care and get the milk of the authentic majoreras goats.
Explanatory poster about the different majoreras goats in the house of the Cabrera Pérez cheese
And in Flypart Crafts they taught us to create products with our own hands. Or they have told me because unfortunately I lost this activity and put my teeth long with the videos.
Reviewing the photos of those nearby days in time but at the same time they seem distant, I realize how lucky I have been for having been able to live a similar experience. I get nostalgic remembering anecdotes and experiences, but at the same time they fill me with joy.
Invest in anecdotes!
