Un Sueño

By Grace Leslie of Carleton College

This week was particularly special as we headed off for our homestays! We were split into groups of two or three and sent to various homes in and around Cochrane. My group was composed of Maya Hilty (Carleton College ‘21), Drew Whitney (University of Vermont ‘21), and myself. Our van left home base on the morning of October 13th for a long drive to the campo of Gabino and Norma. It was a week like none other, and one that I will certainly cherish forever. Our homestay was different from the rest; we were told we would have to hike into the home, as our family lives in an isolated part of the mountains and travels only via horses. We arrived at the end of a road that disappeared into a field. Gabino, the most down to earth man I have ever met, was waiting for us with a horse to take our gear. We loaded the horse up with our backpacks and supplies (that made me regret my horrible, heavy packing) and began the hike over the mountain ridge. We reached the top of the mountain and looked below at the open landscape, all of which belonged to Gabino and Norma. “Como un sueño, si? (Like a dream, isn’t it?”) Gabino asked as I looked over at him in complete awe of the beauty and isolation of their campo. We could see their home and barn off in the distance. As we got closer, I was greeted by countless horses, cows, goats, sheep, chickens, dogs, cats, and best of all Norma- our mother for the week. Both Norma and Gabino immediately welcomed us in as their family, and they showed us a glimpse of the gaucho life in Chile. They taught us everything from shearing sheep, to collecting eggs, to cooking (hundreds of quickly devoured) tortas. Each morning, I would wake up startled by the roosters crowing and the goats and sheep peering in my tent… one of which even peed on my tent. It truly did feel like a dream.

I was immediately shocked by how relaxed I always felt. Neither Norma or Gabino owned a clock or watch, so time was irrelevant. Often by habit, I would ask when we were going to complete the next task or what time we should plan to meet up. They would respond with a smile and simply say “mas tarde” (later). It was definitely an adjustment from my typically over-scheduled life. Each morning we would wake up at 7:30am to feed the cows and sheep. However, I quickly found out that we wouldn’t actually leave the house until 9:30am.

Time was filled with drinking mate, eating tortas, and sitting around the fireplace. I quickly learned to find peace and joy in doing simply nothing (usually my worst fear). In between meals and doing yard work around the property which included a variety of tasks like shearing the sheep, collecting chicken eggs, feeding animals, building a garden, etc. we had siesta time each afternoon from lunch until ~3PM. We filled this time with a variety of tasks including napping, reading, journaling, working out, relaxing, or listening to Drew play the acoustic guitar. I often found myself reflecting on how happy and at peace I felt.

Obviously, we were spoiled by the relaxation that Gabino and Norma allowed us to have. It felt like we were receiving an inaccurate representation of the gaucho life, as they hid all of the discomfort and harsh realities that I suspect come with the isolation and independence required to live as off the grid as they do. In addition, Norma and Gabino made their work look way easier than it was. It was pretty obvious that I can’t capture sheep for shearing like Gabino can, and I certainly can’t flip a pancake like Norma. At the end of the week, I walked away with an entire new perspective on gaucho life, countless skills, and another family. Gabino’s words rung true as it truly was un sueño…