Island Hermit, Still Has Wi-Fi

I came across this article about a hermit getting kicked off the island he has been a caretaker on for 32 years. What caught my eye was the fact that he said goodbye on a Facebook post–which means the hermit had a smartphone.

I’ve dreamed about moving to remote and difficult to reach locations since I was young. This guy happened to be sailing and his ship crashed there; there just happened to be a job opportunity and he took it. Fair enough–life takes you places you weren’t expecting to go. However, I strangely feel less sympathetic to a guy who obviously gets off the island once and a while. I doubt Amazon delivers to a place with just a hut. That’s not the definition of “hermit.” That’s just like being a lighthouse keeper–it’s just a remote job.

I’ve thought about moving to Pitcairn Island several times, which is about the most isolated place you can get to that still has the semblance of civilization. The only town, Adamstown, has about 55 people. First obstacle is the serious difficulty of getting there; fly to the French Marquesas, wait for a boat, and then take a two night boat ride to get to the island. After that, the New Zealand Government wants some assurances (like any immigrant) that you won’t be a drain on their economy. So you’ve got to have around $30K NZD per adult ($22K USD) in your bank account.

However, they also have satellite internet. It’s occurred to me that if I worked in Adamstown for my soon-to-be late employer as a consultant, I could easily make that amount in a yearly salary and prove that I would be a contributing member of their society. Of course, I’m married and have kids, so abandoning them… or asking them to move to the end of the world is kind of a non-starter.

So I like the idea that “you can work from anywhere” can be extended to incredibly remote areas. I think I’ve written about the consultants I worked with who spent half the year in Ghana or Brazil; if you get paid well enough for a job, you can live simply and simply not work. I’ve met travelling consultants who own a farm in North Dakota and this was how they paid the bills. For that matter, there are veterans who retire from the US military and live off half pay in Mexico. (As strange as it sounds, there are multiple American Legion posts in Mexico.)

Of course, that also redefines the concept of “hermit.” Can you still be a religious isolationist and still post a blog about your concepts of the infinite? I guess even priests have private lives. 🙂 But what do you think? Let me know in the comments below! Then check out one of my books. However, if $1.99 cuts into your moving budget, go ahead and download one of my stories for free!