Co-Living in Valencia, Spain

I stayed on a farm in the mountains of Valencia, Spain for one month. The closest neighbor was a few kilometers away. Me and eight other strangers stayed in an off the grid house, surrounded by nature and mountain dogs. I went into this experience not really knowing what I had signed up for, letting my excitement (and anxiety) to experience new things take the lead. The payoff was beyond my imagination. Here’s the breakdown:

What is Worldpackers?

I used an online website called Worldpackers, which works similarly to Airbnb. There are hosts listing opportunities all over the world. Typically, you apply to positions, you get free accommodation in exchange for volunteering. However, for this specific listing, I paid €10 a day.

I arrived to meet eight new strangers from all over the world. Together, we took care of the house, made lunch and dinner for each other, and planned activities as a group. Days were filled with nothing more than each other’s company.

The were defiantly some difficulties, at one point we ran out of drinking water, while the host was away. After a big stock up of food, most of the vegetables went bad in three days leaving us to makre food from the bar necessities for 1 and a half weeks. The house ran entirely on solar power, so we had to be mindful of how much energy we used. That meant we could barely use our phones. We couldn’t go outside, and we were advised to use flashlights, to save energy for the night. Those days made me feel like I was living in a pre-industrial era.

Why Take the Risk?

Why do this? Well, it’s entirely up to you if this sounds like something worth experiencing. For me, it was absolutely worth it. There was nothing to do but be present with one another, I learned how to serve others in a way I had never experienced before.

What I learned

There were no alternative motives. We all created this community together. Every small effort I made to brighten someone else’s day and I was directly repaid with their gratitude. This is something I’ve experienced within my family, but it was truly amazing to experience the depth of connection with individuals from all over the world—people who live extremely different lives from mine.

It revealed the tenderness that lies within each human being. That’s why I would encourage you to take the risk. If you’ve always wanted to travel, this is one way to do it. It won’t be easy. There will be moments when you miss home. But you’ll never know what you’re going to learn unless you try.