Too often we run through life and make plans. And we make more plans, then we revise them and still make more plans. The plans I’m thinking of are those big goals you may have, like moving off grid someday. I was just pondering how Jackie and I ended up here in a remote area off grid. It started with the purchase of some remote “vacation” property that had a little 12×16′ cabin or shelter.
Deciding and fear
With each weekend trip “out there” something began to change. Sure it was nice to have our own little get away cabins in the woods (more like the black Forrest, with the charred tree poles all around). It was fun to take the kids, and dream about retiring here some day. You know fix up everything and move, someday. This is standard fare for dreaming.
Jackie, pre-purchase walk
What if you give it wings? Really do it, not some day, but next month? or in 6 months? That is where we leave the comfort of someday dreams and move into the not so certain realm of giving it wings. Funny thing, you add wings, and get off the ground and it can be frightening at first. What if you fall? All kind of horror can come to mind when you leave the nest of dreaming!
Friends and family content to live in the future dreams nest will be quick to remind you of the hazards that await you in flight or pursuit of those goals today. By the Lord’s grace, Jackie and I were not distracted by those cautions. It became clear to us that why wait until we retire? Where do we want to raise the kids? If we wait till we retire there may be health issues, or it could be just too hard physically.
our choice
We made our choice more than ten years ago, and haven’t looked back. It hasn’t always been easy, perfect, or
The weekend cabin 1998
beautiful, but rewarding – yes. From this perspective looking back, its clear that the “retirement here” plan was unrealistic and just that, a dream. Yes it would have been nice to have financial ducks in a row, and to get everything right the first time.
I guess that’s part of the reason we created this site, to show that it can be done, that you can do it. Learn from ours, and your mistakes and just move forward. It really just takes the right attitude, and that is Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome!
What things are you dreaming of? What is holding you back? Why wait? Describe your situation below in the comments below!
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Hi Jakie & Marshall:
I discovered your site this morning & have been surfing all throughout the day so far in between other duties. During “snow days” as I call them, like today, I can spend hours looking around the web for bits & pieces of information about “Off-Grid Life”. Thats “one” of the things I do in preparation, so I don’t classify it as a waste of time at all!
Your site is terrific! I have to tell you both “thank you”, for all of the time you’ve all put into making this, one of the better sites yet! I can’t say “the best site yet”, but I have to tell you, it’s in the top two!
Another thing which I did to prepare was, begin early. My collection of information & stuff I figured I was going to be needing, began before I even realized I was going to be doing it!
Now, she’s on board too! )I just wish she would get more involved though. She’s under the impression that “I” will do “all” of the work).
For a long time now, I’ve been putting together my collection of various bits & pieces by gleeming the internet for any free info. It was during this time that I discovered “survivalist” sites & “low-impact” sites.
Since I’ve worked construction “all” of my life, searching out & discovering the “alternative building” methods was a natural. As well, I was building a small collection of material items like old windows & doors, etc..
It didn’t take too long before I realized what was happening. That I was “preparing” myself, to become an “off-gridder” & this was the most natural thing to evolve next.
So I began preparing others too. The people who meant the most to me. Like, there was no reason why I needed to do this alone so, why not take the wife
Well, thats “kinda how” it came together for us. NOw we own 100 acres of “beautifull” remote woodland just an hour north of our central Ontario, Canada home & have an temporary set-up on the go while we work towards our “full time” low-impact home & we practice what we preach. I have panels charging a battery bank in our house & use them for any & everything possible in order to reduce grid power consumption. We’ve owned this house since 1978 & it’s always been heated by wood. I’m in the process now of constructing solar water & space heaters to be used here as well as there (the acreage) & I have an “incredible” library of information at my disposal. And you’re part of it!
Rusty´s last [type] ..I Have My Own Domain name
Wow, nice praise. Welcome and we hope our experience is helpful to you!