I thought this idea might deserve its own thread. Also I'm notoriously bad at coming up with names for stuff so, please, suggest away.*
The term refers to when an ERE person(s) go live with another ERE person(s) and does any combination of:
1. working on host projects (like an ERE version of workaway)
2. working on own projects (like an ERE version of artist-in-residencies)
3. working on the fine art of living.
4. Basically just roommates, but ERE. (The difference between 3 and 4 might be slight... I have in my mind that 4 is more solo/individual, wheras 3 has an intent to collaborate/work together on The Art of Idleness or however they want to frame it.)
5. ???
Examples:
I lived with @mooretrees for two months in late 2021 to help with their bus build. This was pretty close to a workaway style arrangement: I lived in their basement apartment and had a specific project of theirs to work on, but I rarely worked more than 6hrs a day (my average might have been closer to 4, in fact, but my memory fades). We also shared meals, hikes, dual sport rides, long talks into the evening, etc.
Quadalupe stayed with me this year end of August through end of September. This was more a combination of 1 and 3: we worked a couple hours a day on Quail Haven projects and he also helped a ton with EREfest, but we also
.went on hikes
.climbed and hiked locally
.philosophized about life and ERE on Serenity's stoa (rear deck).
.then went on a dirtbag-hedonic climbing trip up the Sierras.
Logistics:
The only rule is that The Deal ought to be well communicated and agreed on up front, including:
.Will the host pay the resident for work? (e.g. @mooretrees paid me for labor on her bus)
.Will the resident pay the host for food/travel expenses/etc? (@Quadalupe and I split food and fuel expenses; at mooretrees' place I mostly bought my own groceries, but drank their coffee because it is SO GOOD)
.Whose gonna cook? (At @mooretrees' place the food deal was like roommates who occasionally share or collaborate on a meal; with Quadalupe I cooked every meal and he did all the dishes.)
.What are the accommodations like? (Quadalupe slept in my kitchen, for instance, and I'm pretty sure I told him that ahead of time. I also definitely told him what the deal was with the toilet.)
.How long will the resident stay?
Misc Thoughts:
I suspect that in most cases an EREsidence is going to involve complex mixes of skills and abilities. Oftentimes you'd think of the resident/traveler as the person doing the learning and the host doing the teaching, but it could be the other way around or more likely a mix.
I went up to help @mooretrees ostensibly because of my construction skills but I learned things about cooking, coffee, tool repair, wild ferment brewing, etc. @quadalupe came to have an offgrid American experience and learn about bodging but he also taught me a ton about how to think analytically, how to be more content, and how to say 'you are my little hunny bunny' in Dutch. (also some swear words)
EREsidencies are different than visiting/crashing, obviously. @RF stayed with me a few weeks in summer 2021 but it was more of a visit/crash. theanimals are crashing with me at the moment. We're having a great time (well, I am at least) but it's not a 'residency' kinda deal.
EREsidencies could be a model for bringing multiple ERE people together to get a community-visioned project off the ground. Let's say I want to build a cob bunkhouse/free hostel a la Boyle's Happy Pig, plus a workshop space that fure EREsidents could use to work on their own projects. I might let it be known I was looking for folks to help, and I'd provide places to sleep, transportation from within 100miles, and food. Anyone who wanted an ERE free hostel/workshop to exist and also (ideally) was looking for offgrid experience and cob-building skills might come pitch in. (Let's keep the discussion off quail haven specifics in this thread, I'm just throwing this out there as a for-instance.)
EREsidencies
EREsidencies
Last edited by AxelHeyst on Thu Oct 12, 2023 4:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: EREsidencies
I think it's a great idea. IME, the clearly defined DEAL is key, especially length of stay.
It might be interesting to think how this might naturally expand towards involvement with other groups. For instance, my first season on my urban permaculture project was mostly just me thinking and occasionally mowing in alignment with local code, but by year 3, due to social intersection with an activist minister in a local clean water initiative, one weekend I had a youth group of Chinese Christians visiting the U.S. to supervise as volunteers. And, it could go the other way. For example, if I was engaged in a community group that was constructing an organic gardening project for disadvantaged children, an ERE person who was interested in the experience of helping with such a project could possibly bunk in the tiny office space of my garret apartment*.
*Offered as example only. Unfortunately, I am not yet well enough to hostess OR provide help.
It might be interesting to think how this might naturally expand towards involvement with other groups. For instance, my first season on my urban permaculture project was mostly just me thinking and occasionally mowing in alignment with local code, but by year 3, due to social intersection with an activist minister in a local clean water initiative, one weekend I had a youth group of Chinese Christians visiting the U.S. to supervise as volunteers. And, it could go the other way. For example, if I was engaged in a community group that was constructing an organic gardening project for disadvantaged children, an ERE person who was interested in the experience of helping with such a project could possibly bunk in the tiny office space of my garret apartment*.
*Offered as example only. Unfortunately, I am not yet well enough to hostess OR provide help.