Chilean woman finds peace in remote Asturian village

Mónica, a Chilean woman who left Santiago, now lives in a remote stone house in the mountains of Asturias, Spain, where she has found the calm she always sought. Her new life is marked by anecdotes like a delivery driver who, exhausted from the steep climb, told her: 'Vives en un lugar hermoso' Source: clarin.

The move

Mónica was born in northern Chile, near the Atacama Desert, and later spent over 20 years in Santiago. After the pandemic, she decided to leave everything behind: "Dejo todo en Chile, todo. No tenía ninguna necesidad. Lo dejé todo y me puse a viajar" Source: clarin. She traveled through India, Nepal, and Belgium, where she met Sergio, an Asturian, at a meditation center in Namur. They shared a desire for silence and nature, and after a year and a half in Liège, they decided to move to Asturias Source: abces.

Restoring a home

They restored a stone house that had been abandoned for nearly a decade, painting walls, sanding stairs, and decorating with natural elements from the forest. Mónica now cares for goats and enjoys a life of silence and rural tranquility Source: clarin.

A different sense of distance

Mónica's perception of distance has changed: in Santiago, commutes took nearly an hour, but in Asturias, a 15-minute drive reaches all services. She explains, "Mi concepto de distancia... yo vivo en Chile, Chile tiene más de 4.400 kilómetros de largo" Source: clarin.

Reactions and reflections

Mónica reflects on leaving her comfort zone: "Cuando sales de la zona de confort y te desprendes de lo que tienes, te enfrentas a quién soy. Y eso es, de alguna manera, como da mucho miedo al principio" Source: abces. She believes city life can cause "ansiedad, angustia, depresión" and that leaving it is liberating Source: abces. Her story was shared by Álvaro from the channel 'hilux_aventura' Source: abces.