Posted on March 2, 2016
September 7, 2015 – Finland, Minnesota
From riches to rags.
Well, not exactly. But this is quite the opposite set-up compared to my last host. The community cabin for the farm workers has no running water, no bathroom, limited electricity due to the solar panels…
…God, we’re so spoiled.
Being in a place like this serves as a nice wake-up call for a guy who has been living in “modern society” his entire life. There’s an outhouse out back. We have to boil water to wash dishes. Laundry is hung on railings to dry. Fridge space is… lacking. At least there’s internet access.
Even with less amenities, however, this place would still be worth spending time in. This is my first experience along the north shore of Minnesota, and it truly is beautiful. Waterfalls, mountains, endless forests, Lake Superior. I’d gladly give up some modern conveniences for this.
I received a warm welcome from the crew: a guitar-playing hippie dude, a dumpster-diving girl on a bicycle trip across America, and a few other seemingly normal individuals. Speaking of giving up conveniences… could I ever do something like that? I’m sitting here talking about fridge space, and this girl is biking from farm to farm across the country with a couple backpacks and a tent. Now that’s minimalism. She’s telling us stories about getting kicked out of parks when trying to get some sleep. Getting denied when asking for fruit that was being thrown into a trash can at a grocery store.
What a brave individual.
I used to think that people of her character were somewhat poor or piteous. Low. It wasn’t until I started living a semi-homeless lifestyle that my opinion on the matter truly shifted. Now I strive to be more like this type of person. Making hard life choices to encourage sustainability. Efficiency. Minimalism.
Freedom.
“In the West, you have bigger homes, yet smaller families; you have endless conveniences – yet you never seem to have any time. You can travel anywhere in the world, yet you don’t bother to cross the road to meet your neighbors.” – Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
Neeksan my favorite nephew! I remember summer vacations at Uncle Orrie’s lake resort in Backus, MN with similar amenities, outhouse with every cabin, cold running water in the kitchen, but we had lights…but nothing that plugged in, transistor radio…at least it was only once a year for 2 weeks! Kudos to you, please send pictures! I haven’t been on the north Shore since I was in grade school, I’m sure much has changed. I’m enjoying my travels with you, but I need some eye candy in the form of photos. Godspeed young Neeksan!
Hey auntie! I have posted photos online, which you can see via the “Fine Art America” link. Thanks for your support! Love you. 🙂