Good article about living at a remote estancia at the bottom of Argentina, January 1971, 'The Housewife at the End of the World'. Not too much has changed since then.
I was just looking up lightkeeper positions in my province. Unfortunately no openings right now. But it would be an interesting job for an introvert like myself.
Today, with a modern vehicle, it is 1.5 hours from the nearest 'town' and 2 from the county seat, which has 2000 people.
I can't imagine how remote that must have been in 1900. What the seasons must have looked like going by, and how far the rest of the world must have felt.
I recently spent some time out that way staying at the Hart Mountain Refuge and visited the place where Oregon, California and Nevada meet just south of nearby Adel. I was fascinated about how remote everything is even in a modern vehicle.
I couldn't imagine traveling that area by foot or horse. Eastern Oregon is a fascinating and beautiful place. I wrote a bit about it on my blog.
Take a 2 week long vacation deep somewhere doing just this, you will appreciate it but more than likely come to realize it is not something you would prefer long term. If you can find a middle ground, to me that’s the dream.
I thought that was plenty of human interaction (I'm somewhat extroverted) until we had a friend come over and chat with us outside on the porch.
I couldn't believe how, for lack of a better word, "refreshing" it felt. It was an excellent reminder that we are largely social creatures who also need some variety in the social circles we interact with.
I think it looks romantic from the perspective of someone in a major metro area. But long term, that sort of lifestyle is only for the people who can really endure that. After a while I think most would not want that remoteness.
Are you open to the other tasks this life requires or are you just looking for western comfort but in a place far from whatever you have now?
Living out here means dealing with real problems because there is no infrastructure. You need to know how to survive if that solar panels break and you need 2 weeks to get a new ones. What happens if the food delivery couldn't make it for one extra week because the one guy who flies that out is sick. Can you handle illness without medicine or a doctor for a few days. etc..
The people shown in this article live very differently then the starlink solar van campers who work in tech and glamp out in the Sierra Nevda on Saturday night.
Please don't romanticize isolation. We have enough elderly folk existing in dire loneliness in assisted-living facilities and nursing homes who understand the true definition of it.
People aren't allowed to enjoy something because other people don't enjoy it? Other people are experiencing something they didn't choose, so nobody should be allowed to choose it?
as is often pointed out, loneliness and solitude are two different things. The latter, especially in nature, can be a very formative and restorative experience.
Incredible photos. First thing that came to my mind was an awareness of the contrast between "the full breadth of humanity experience" vs "Silicon Valley's view of humanity". I don't know if that makes sense, but it's literally the first thing that came to my mind.
Patagonia as it’s referred to today was never unpopulated, it still has an indigenous population. This narrative is used everywhere for vast untamed wilderness that just ignores the many people still living there.
I'm certainly willing to be corrected, but as far as I can tell from some brief searching, indigenous populations that exist in the region today aren't living some nomadic life out in the wilderness either. They're living in cities and towns like almost everyone else does.
So a post like this is still correct in how it's presented.
Almost no one is actually living out at "the end of the world" in the wilderness with few or no other people around, and it is potentially a topic of interest/curiosity to hear about those who do.
https://archive.ph/XDM2H
Good article about living at a remote estancia at the bottom of Argentina, January 1971, 'The Housewife at the End of the World'. Not too much has changed since then.
https://archive.org/details/edg-ng-1961/edg%20NG%201971-01%2...
These photos are beautiful: https://media.newyorker.com/photos/6a7f7ed55b6cfa7eff424505/...
For real. Amazing work. And also, there’s a reason people refuse to give up shooting on film. Especially medium format film.
I was just looking up lightkeeper positions in my province. Unfortunately no openings right now. But it would be an interesting job for an introvert like myself.
Yesterday I was reading about this place in Oregon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_L._Shirk_Ranch
Today, with a modern vehicle, it is 1.5 hours from the nearest 'town' and 2 from the county seat, which has 2000 people.
I can't imagine how remote that must have been in 1900. What the seasons must have looked like going by, and how far the rest of the world must have felt.
I recently spent some time out that way staying at the Hart Mountain Refuge and visited the place where Oregon, California and Nevada meet just south of nearby Adel. I was fascinated about how remote everything is even in a modern vehicle.
I couldn't imagine traveling that area by foot or horse. Eastern Oregon is a fascinating and beautiful place. I wrote a bit about it on my blog.
https://object.computer/2026/07/15/summer-slows-and-trips-do...
The above link, https://archive.ph/XDM2H
does not work for me. However I can see that there is plenty of food (perhaps too much) at the end of the world.
Looks amazing. Just finagle a small solar array for power, some backup batteries and a satellite uplink for the web and I'd be there in a heartbest.
Take a 2 week long vacation deep somewhere doing just this, you will appreciate it but more than likely come to realize it is not something you would prefer long term. If you can find a middle ground, to me that’s the dream.
During COVID lockdown with:
- my wife
- au pair
- 3 kids (all under 5)
- dog
I thought that was plenty of human interaction (I'm somewhat extroverted) until we had a friend come over and chat with us outside on the porch.
I couldn't believe how, for lack of a better word, "refreshing" it felt. It was an excellent reminder that we are largely social creatures who also need some variety in the social circles we interact with.
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I think it looks romantic from the perspective of someone in a major metro area. But long term, that sort of lifestyle is only for the people who can really endure that. After a while I think most would not want that remoteness.
Same... that's the goal now. Try to get a place somewhere remote, cabin, fireplace, books, Starlink, maybe a diesel truck and couple of dogs.
Are you open to the other tasks this life requires or are you just looking for western comfort but in a place far from whatever you have now?
Living out here means dealing with real problems because there is no infrastructure. You need to know how to survive if that solar panels break and you need 2 weeks to get a new ones. What happens if the food delivery couldn't make it for one extra week because the one guy who flies that out is sick. Can you handle illness without medicine or a doctor for a few days. etc..
The people shown in this article live very differently then the starlink solar van campers who work in tech and glamp out in the Sierra Nevda on Saturday night.
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But why?
You can "isolate" in less isolated places.
Also what's the point if the activity you're describing is linking through other people anyway (just over internet).
I think they'd intend to consume content, not to interact with it, but commenting here discredits my interpretation.
Anyway, isolation and solitude seem lovely until you get appendicitis.
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Don't think the mall would like that. </sarcasm>
Please don't romanticize isolation. We have enough elderly folk existing in dire loneliness in assisted-living facilities and nursing homes who understand the true definition of it.
People aren't allowed to enjoy something because other people don't enjoy it? Other people are experiencing something they didn't choose, so nobody should be allowed to choose it?
10 replies →
as is often pointed out, loneliness and solitude are two different things. The latter, especially in nature, can be a very formative and restorative experience.
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Where do I sign up? Seriously. ¿Dónde solicito el empleo?
They probably all are former software developers. I would imagine the waitlist is very long
https://archive.ph/XDM2H
Incredible photos. First thing that came to my mind was an awareness of the contrast between "the full breadth of humanity experience" vs "Silicon Valley's view of humanity". I don't know if that makes sense, but it's literally the first thing that came to my mind.
Seeing the photos, the first thing that came to mind was "Wow,really well kept and clean."
related: https://steelcrown.weebly.com/the-elusive-reign-of-king-orli...
Chilean Patagonia, not Patagonia, Inc.
(/s though from the title did consider for a second that it meant a retail store in some isolated place)
Patagonia as it’s referred to today was never unpopulated, it still has an indigenous population. This narrative is used everywhere for vast untamed wilderness that just ignores the many people still living there.
I'm certainly willing to be corrected, but as far as I can tell from some brief searching, indigenous populations that exist in the region today aren't living some nomadic life out in the wilderness either. They're living in cities and towns like almost everyone else does.
So a post like this is still correct in how it's presented.
Almost no one is actually living out at "the end of the world" in the wilderness with few or no other people around, and it is potentially a topic of interest/curiosity to hear about those who do.
Phew. I am sitting here in my fleece feeling attacked.
"At the End of the World" disambiguates it pretty well, I think.
The lonely men sewing VC's ugly sweater vests, at the financial end of the world.