Continuing my thoughts about Homesteading

Yesterday I updated a Squidoo Lens I wrote about “Homesteading-Living off Grid” and I added it to a site called Amplify.  I got some really interesting comments and wanted to respond to them in an article, so I decided to write it here.

  A short background about this page: Back in 2005 my husband and I took a journey to a dream we both had about living off grid and getting back to the basics of life.  We wanted to experience life without electricity, running water and all of the conveniences of life as we know it today.  We sold and/or got rid of almost everything we owned except items that had a multi-use and did not take up a lot of space. Everything we own fit into a small u-haul trailer and off we went to a life that would change everything for us forever.  

We found a wonderful home/land package deal in another state and believed all of the events were Divine Sent.  Although things did not turn out the way we had thought, and we are no longer in that life style, we still believe the experience was Divine Sent because we learned A LOT!!

Often in life, our minds are not in sync with our bodies.  When my husband and I ventured out on our journey we took a lot of things into consideration EXCEPT our age factor.  I was in my late forties and my husband in his early/mid fifties. We prepared for this journey learning to save our money and I stock piles can goods for food and so on.  But what did not consider was because of age it was harder for us to do some of the things that a younger couple could do without any problems.

(Q) Sorry to hear things didn't work out for you in Missouri. Would you ever consider going off the grid again? I would love to simplify my life, but don't think I could survive homesteading! Thanks so much for sharing your story with us, the important thing is that you followed your dream!

(A) Believe it or not I would consider living off grid again.  This time I would go into it with the understanding that modifications would have to be made.  One of the biggest things I learned homesteading was the fact there is SO much we are totally dependent on in life, it does not matter if we are aware of it or not.  The convenience of having a faucet with running water or having a light switch to turn on and off or even having those baby soft towels to dry off with are all things we are accustom to having.  When we are hot, we turn on the conditioner, when we are cold we turn on the heat.  Living without all of these conveniences make you truly appreciate every aspect of the things we do have.  I remember sitting on the porch on days it was so hot that it felt like you were going to melt, and often we could get a slight breeze that made you feel so blessed it was a bit overwhelming. 

If I could only give one bit of advice to anyone who wants to live off grid it would be:  move to an area that you truly want to and base that decision on your age factor. If we were given a chance to have a cabin in the mountain region, YES we would do it again.  Both my husband and I believe in regular life we have more than we need, and homesteading teaches us to be thankful and appreciate everything that you cannot purchase with money.

(C) What a beautiful story and a lovely lens. Thanks so much for sharing your dream with us, at least you can look back at the memories and experiences, instead of saying "I wonder...what if?". You did it!!!

(A) I agree, often in life so many of us live with that horrible “What if” syndrome. I catch myself today remembering a lot of the GOOD things we experienced while homesteading and trust me, nothing could every take away the appreciation we were taught.

(C)I would like to now do you still have the cabin I like everything in the story and your experiences that you told on hear I appreciate reading it thank you

Do I have any regrets for the months I spent Homesteading?  No, I do not because I learned so much and for that I am very grateful.  Would I do it again?  Yes, but not in that cabin in that state.  I could not handle the 105 degree weather everyday without a fan or an air conditioning, not being in my fifties today. 

I honestly believe and please note these are only my thoughts, but there is going to come a day when knowing how to use herbals for healing and how to grow our own food is going to be vital for our survival.  Learning to live “Without” all of the stuff will be an experience that many people will not be able to get use too because we have become too accustom to the “things” that make life easier.  

I often think back on the days in that cabin and still to this day incorporate some of the ways into my regular daily life.  I am very conscious of the amount of water I use, I try my best to take it easy on the electric and I still grow my veggies organically in containers.  I suppose you could say that both me and my husband both realize that Homesteading is a dream that both of us would love to live out the rest of our life doing if we could find the right location.

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