My Experiments With Wild Things: A Letter To Rusty

My Experiments With Wild Things is an epistolary anthology where a reluctant wayfarer explores Tenpy’s tiny homes, composing a collection of affecting letters relating realisations, anecdotes, and experiences.

Dear Rusty,

I have a secret — the vastness of the natural world terrifies me. There is something about the great unknown, the unfathomable, the unmeasurable immensity that sets my teeth on edge.

You see, I like the ocean, but only from the shore. I enjoy the mountains, yet not their peaks. I appreciate woods, so long as I remain on their outskirts. It all sounds… unadventurous, does it not? As though I do not have the spirit or spontaneity to relish nature as it stands. Perhaps I do not.

Yet, sitting under your tiny roof, I feel as though I am teetering on the cusp of change. Nothing too big, as you can tell from my aversion to the big stuff, ha! No, it’s a small change, so small, as wee as the little house – no, home – contained in your four walls.

I can measure it, though, and this brings a sense of comfort. Like when I return from the beach with a pocketful of seashells, or from the jungle with flora pressed between the pages of a book. Economical summaries of nature’s majesty.

But you must be wondering — when did it begin, this metamorphosis? Perhaps when I first looked through the large yawn of your window. A square frame, trimming my (however irrational) fears of vastness into a slice of verdant wonder. The grand outside no longer feels oppressive when seen through your lens, Rusty.

And as the tendrils of transformation uncurl inside me, I must confess that part of it is also the compact character of what is possible in your vicinity.

To begin with, the treks. Simple and invigorating; no endless march to nowhere.

The excursion I made just the other day wound its way through the shrubbery of the Bilikal Forest. And the change was triggered when I had the honour of witnessing the vibrating, almost meditative calm of the landscape. The 10th-century Veera Kallu – hero stone – pointed out to me stood like a marker of my own change.

And changed I am.

My preconceived notions of the natural world were replaced one at a time, a miniature, bottle-encased Ship of Theseus. This was a thought experiment after all, was it not, Rusty? A pocket-sized exploration of the hypothesis that perhaps the outside world is not too outside of my comfort zone?

Hence proved, then. I, purveyor of sip-volume solutions, have met my match in your short-stay sanctuary. A city slicker has planted new roots: farm-to-table meals, local delights, strolls without a destination, and a tiny home to retreat to when the bigness threatens to consume me.

Your small plate existence is the epicentre of this tectonic shift I am experiencing. I came here to escape long-held truths, and escape I have. With each sunrise filtering through the curtains, every fruit picked straight off the branch, each childhood game remembered and replayed, every animal call that has formed the soundtrack of my weekend with and within you.

Rusty, I must offer you my thanks. You have plied me with the choicest, juiciest of experiences, and I will preserve each one with care. And on days that the vastness encroaches, I will reach out for the mason jar of memories I have made through you — an economical summary of your majesty

And fear not, I shall return to you, seeking new escapes and familiar solace. In the near or far future, we shall reunite. Until then, all my gratitude.

Signed,
Yours truly

Want to experience your own metamorphosis with Rusty? Escape the humdrum hustle of Bangalore and uncover the rural gem nestled in Chiguru Farms. Book a stay with Tenpy.