In a few minutes, the first rays of sunlight penetrated the darkness outside my window, revealing layers of dramatic, snow-dusted, desolate mountains – possibly the Andes of the Atacama Desert. As we began our descent, a sea of clouds hung below us, with stunning glimpses of lakes and hills bathed in the pink hues of sunrise.
As part of the project, Lenovo has set up a smart technology hub to offer (relatively) fast internet access to the otherwise isolated island community. The technology would simultaneously support Island Conservation‘s work to protect endangered species on the island.
As a travel writer and someone who’s begun dabbling in sustainable tourism consulting, I’d live on the island for a month. Part of my time would be spent engaging with the local community on sustainable tourism on the island and supporting Island Conservation’s work – while also documenting it. And the Lenovo workspace on the island would allow me to continue working remotely.
I furiously googled the island but found little about it online. All I know is that in the 1700s, it was home to a stranded sailor whose life is believed to have inspired the Robinson Crusoe novel.
Once shortlisted for the role, I had to undergo a psychometric test and interview to see if I could handle living on an island so remote!
And finally here I am, typing this while in quarantine in Valparaiso, just half an hour from where the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda once lived.