April 24, 2024
Day 936 of the Adventure
Recently, Shelley and I did a video that touched on the subject of starting a "Back to the Land" or homestead or off-grid project after the age of 60. It was met with a much greater response than I had expected. Many offered their congratulations. Many declared with approval that they were living similar experiences. Many were encouraged by the fact that it was even possible at that age and perhaps was not so far out-of-reach as they may have believed. To be honest, our decision to go "Backwoods" was all for us and for our benefit. Still, we did give consideration to the idea that we may be setting an example to others to potentially follow or at least, learn from. Evidently, this has proven itself to be partially true.
The driving motives behind our move was primarily to go into a "pre-retirement" mode. Something where we could enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. Something where we could begin to implement self-sufficiency practices. Something where we could build a "playground" environment for our grandkids. Finally, something where we could still let our creative energy continue to be expressed in and around our lifestyle. In many ways, we've begun to see some of the results of that and I'm having more fun with it than I probably should.
Many of our friends and family have questioned all of the "work". The fact is, while it is work, it provides for an active lifestyle which would imply "exercise". I cannot exercise for exercise sake. So, exercising while creating something fun, like golf cart trails through the woods fits my style. Strenuous exercise would include things like mixing and pouring cement or cutting and splitting firewood. All of that happens on a regular basis. I'm probably staying slightly more fit than I have been for the past few years working the resorts. Certainly better than I would be if I had simply retired and went fishing.
It's given me something else I hadn't counted on. Because we've been documenting the adventure on a YouTube channel, I've had a small platform for extolling the virtues of making a "Back to the Land" move. I think that the biggest and most important element of this life is in that of developing a strong sense of self-sufficiency. The more we experience a degrading economy and an assault on our values, the more important this becomes. The ability to grow food, take control of more of our energy production and gain an independence from the outside forces that want to dictate how our lives should be lived by their standards is becoming our goal. Our passive submission to food suppliers where we know nothing of the production practices, occurs when we simply do our shopping without regard to the origins of the produce. We have the "privilege" of paying a premium for all of it on top of an ignorance of where it came from or how it was produced. Don't get me wrong. I am not all "conspiracy theory" on our food production. I'm just saying that by making an effort to become self-sufficient in as many ways and as many areas as possible, shifts control from the hands of others into your hands. This allows you to be more of a master of your destiny regarding the things and areas that are important to you,
All of this is true from the perspective of any age, not just from the 60+ age range. All the more important to begin creating a pathway towards self-sufficiency as early as possible.
Adventure Quote: “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” ― William Jennings Bryan
Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Lost on the Trail (Guatemala)
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