Article written by Gonzalo Fernández , participant in ancient remote
November 2021, the adventure begins
About five months ago I was preparing to live my second remote work experience away from home (since I have been working as a freelance for projects and remotely). After Sende , my first experience, I was knowing the things I could find a little. Although as the phrase that I like so much: People Make Places . So "there is not a second experience in the same place that is the same if people change."
I embarked on remote villages ( old ) when I was still in Senderiz (Sende). Moreover, the interview with Elsa and Carlos did it from there. And I embarked because I wanted to learn more about the rural tourism of the Canary Islands and more specifically in Fuerteventura, since I had lived the typical sun-place-all included from there. One of the things that caught my attention was that, in addition to doing "your work", you could help local entrepreneurs improve their business.
Local entrepreneurs and connections that last
And it was there that Malole and David appeared. They are the body and soul of the Rural Hotel was from the Court. My initial idea was to help other local projects that seemed more attractive to me. But the connection we created with them (in my case I didn't even stay at home) was what led me to help them with their challenge. His challenge was to improve his website, in order to have more reservations. As we did not have time to finish it during the 21 days that it lasts remote villages, we decided to continue supporting them a few more months so that their new website would be published and had the independence of managing them themselves. Today they already work the same as before our arrival in Antigua, but with their new website . This work could not have been carried out without the team, which we form: Jana , Alejandro , Lucía and me.
Work session to resolve the challenge of improving the website of the Rural Hotel La Age of the Court. Photography by Yeray Cabrera.
In ancient remote, two people from Madrid also appeared, where I am from. They are Lucía and Luis , or as David renamed them (I already introduced it to you before), such as Hulia and Hulio. Because in the ancient edition everything revolved around July (when it was created, the name with which we replaced the real name of the person when we did not remember his name or if we were of messing). And that good connection has made that every time I spend in Madrid (when I write these lines I live in Valencia) there is a dinner with the hulos, in places where Lucía and Luis know well (and where they eat very well).
Flor is valued (ba) tranquility
Alejandro was my roommate, already part of creating the blues of the electric car (soon on his best platforms) was my partner of geek , laughs and moments of tea/infusion at the end of each day in the place where we were staying (Casa Flor ). To these moments of peace and tranquility, Elsa was also joined, and some remote workers passed by from time to time. But the main nucleus that valued the tranquility of those moments of the house we were Alejandro, Elsa and me. Imagine 14 people all day up and down, teleworking and doing activities with local entrepreneurs. And being a flower house where more people had stayed (since it was where we slept in shared rooms) imagine how necessary those moments of tranquility were. In truth, tea/infusion was the excuse to be calm.
Any afternoon at Flor House during ancient remote in which we shared stories and concerns. Photograph by Javier López.
But those moments of calm led us to be relaxed. And that relaxation led us to moments of very fun talks, opening many melons. Therefore, when we returned to "reality" we decided to stay to take those teas/ infusions virtually. We try to do it with a monthly frequency. Alejandro from San Francisco (now in Bogotá), Elsa from Tenerife and I from Valencia. We have been able to maintain the essence of those moments. And as a result of those zoom talks (and the endless audio conversations at WhatsApp with Elsa) we occurred to us to record those talks so that our companions of Antigua (known as the Antiwers) could also enjoy them. And that's where we think "what if we created a podcast?"
Here you have the answer with what we have created; We already have the first chapter and it makes us very excited to share it with everyone.
(If you don't have Spotify you can also listen to it on other platforms from Anchor )
The frequency will be monthly (as we used to do in our video calls). After we have heard and lived this first chapter, we stayed with the most exciting (and beautiful): the three feel the same as in those moments at Casa Flor, so we hope you enjoy it as much as we are.
To say that one of our greatest sources of inspiration when making our own podcast has been the podcast people has no name , so we also recommend it.
Become an ambassador to the projects you like
I like to get involved in the projects that I like and that are aligned with my purpose . In this case, remote villages fulfills a part of my Ikigai "I help social, and health, to transform their ideas into digital products through technological consulting . Therefore, it was easy for me to become its ambassador (selflessly). I have done a lot of mouth-or-or-do recommendation because I think the experience is worth it. I have also shared it in Malt , a freelancers platform where I work a lot and with which I am also super identified. We return to the origin: People Make Places . In addition, from remote villages I have been given the opportunity to give a talk about productivity ( productivity hacks ) that I wanted to share physically in ancient. With these pills we try to boost the community of remote peoples, which is composed of the people of the first edition (in Icod de los Vinos , Tenerife) and the second edition (ours, which was in Antigua, Fuerteventura).
Gonzalo giving a talk during the ancient closing act . Photography by Macaronesia Fuerteventura.
June 2022, Fuencaliente or Antigua?
The next edition will take place in June 2022 in Fuencaliente, La Palma . And here I have the doubt that arises in the title of this section: go to Fuencaliente as a repeater, or to visit the people of Antigua in summer?
Both opportunities arise from the good relationship I maintain, both with the team of pueblos remotos, and with the Rural Hotel Era de la Court team. My initial idea was to visit Malole and David, and spend time there, but there is also the option to visit Elsa and Carlos on the occasion of the third edition of pueblos remotos. And to volunteer with those affected by the La Palmavolcano, which I already wanted to do even in Fuerteventura.
What will happen? No one knows it; Let's put ourselves in the river of life and let us flow.
In conclusion I would like to say a phrase that I have heard in the newspaper Diario Martín: "We all want to change the world, but nobody wants to change yourself." Being change agent begins with ourselves.
Happy #remoteworking in the #RuralityConed!
Gonzalo Fernández
