The Campfire Trail: December 31 - DIY Homestead - The Final 2022 Task

December 31, 2022

Day 456 of the Adventure

Being the final day of 2022, I have been doing two things. Building some storage shelves for one in our cabin kitchen and reflecting on the past year as another. I suppose you might need to throw in watching my favorite football team win their Bowl appearance as a third thing. Aside from the football watching and the shelf building, considering the difference in lifestyle we've had this year is worth some recounting. The Run-Amuck property was purchased a year ago last September. We spent much of the first half year or so just getting preliminary things done around here. Things like clearing for roads and a cabin site. Getting a shipping container set up for storing our stuff. Building the utility shed and securing sources of water and power. Building the cabin and getting moved onto the property didn't begin until well into 2022.

Nothing significant happened today to spark any kind of reflection, other than that "End of Year" event that always seems to get us looking backward and forward. For a number of reasons, all of which I've written about this year, I'm focused on two things. One of the things is something I have no control over and the other is something that I do have at least some control over. The first is the economy. Honestly, it does not affect us as much as it does others I'm sure. Our business is fairly self-sustaining and we're thankful for that. Still, the fact is that the cost of living is an out-of-control factor in everyone's lives these days. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for those on limited, fixed incomes. Which brings me to the thing I do have some control over. Our highest priority in our move towards a more self-sufficient life was to demonstrate (primarily through our YouTube videos) that the pursuit of a frugal, self-sufficient life is a worthy and noble lifestyle. One that includes the benefits of gaining some level of control over the outside forces of the economy that we can't control. For us, knowing that we are in many ways, beating the forces that are economically against us is very satisfying. We hope that in some small way, we are serving as an inspiration to others in that regard. If the Run-Amuck legacy ever includes the idea of becoming one potential pathway to self-sufficiency and independence from energy reliance, then I'll be happy of that. If not, I'm still glad we chose this direction in our life at this point. At the very least, it's allowing us to ease into retirement knowing that the cost of doing so is wonderfully minimal.

Carry On

Adventure Quote: “During recession greed dies, frugality survives.” ― Amit Kalantri

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Lost in the Woods (Colombia/Costa Rica blend)

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