Why Did We Choose This Life & Could We Ever Return To The Mainstream? | Earth Centered Living Series Vlog #2 (DTube)
On Today's installment of Earth Centered Series (see intro post), we are answering some questions around Transition. This video is us answering the second question about our transition into this type of lifestyle. This is a great opportunity to share some of the details of our life and larger vision.
Ini & Wren in an earlier time working on friends' earth block home.
We go into more detail in the video, but have summarized our answers below.
Question #2
Transition from mainstream society to homesteading: How did we make the transition to this life and why? What is anything do we miss? Do we think we'll ever transition back to normal society?
How did we make the transition to this life and why?
At core we both feel a great passion for living well, being connected to our needs & the earth and living sustainably. We had come to understand that society at large was going in a very destructive direction and we didn't want to contribute to that, but felt a passion to build something different and be a signpost for others (as others were for us)...
Neither one of us lived for very long as adults in the mainstream society, so it wasn't as big of a stretch to begin the homesteading life.
Hiking in one of our favorite Ozark haunts to a sacred spring.
Living on the land and meeting our needs of food, water, medicine, shelter and energy seemed like the most rewarding and meaningful approach to addressing some of the perilous ways humans have chosen to live. There is a greater responsibility that comes with meeting our own needs and stewarding a piece of land as opposed to traveling and we knew we were up for the challenge. This transition has not always been smooth or free of struggles.
That said, we both "roughed it" a lot in our 20s and were prepared for the transition. We had gained a lot of skills while Wwoofing, traveling, living outdoors, climbing mountains, working on farms and visiting intentional communities. We knew what we were "in for" and felt that it was one of the best options for how to live a good life considering the social/political/economic climate.
We feel it's important that humans start "walking their talk" as far as living alternative lifestyles. So many people have earth-centered alternative dreams inside of them and while preparation and skill acquisition is good, it also takes a lot of us on the ground teaching and living in a healthy and sustainable way to make a difference. We wanted to live that difference.
Ini pedaling a bicycle powered water pump in Guatamala
What if anything do we miss?
As we get set up on the homestead, the biggest thing I miss is the ease of living in a grid tied climate controlled environment. There's no effort to meet the needs of water, food and shelter. We are planning to build a well insulated, off grid passive home with all the creature comforts, but until that time we both miss things like easy hot showers, stable temperature, plenty of indoor space (especially when they're mold free!).
Sometimes the conveniences of a conventional home are alluring, even though we understand this comes at a cost to the Earth.
We both grew up in homes we mentioned above and for many years the alternative "rough" lifestyle was alluring, exciting and adventurous. As we get older and take on bigger organizational tasks and grow our earth-based business, it's not as exciting and we just want a stable, comfortable home to move from.
Where it all began. Canadian Thanksgiving at OUR Ecovillage in 2012
Do we think we'll ever transition back to normal society?
This got us both thinking. I (ini) answer with a clear no. Quite frankly after tasting a life full of freedom and empowerment, living a "normal" life just wouldn't feel right. I suppose I could, I just couldn't see myself wanting to.
Wren left her response open-ended and left the possibility for opportunities in the future. As educators, perhaps we will interface with colleges or take a so far unforeseen path.
You'll have to watch the video to hear our responses in full.
Hope you enjoyed a peak down memory lane with the old photos of us!
Thanks for watching/reading!
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I love how well you both articulate your answers in the video. I was hesitant to watch it at first because honestly I have heard so much hippy-dippy stuff over the years in regards to living a different 'Earth based' lifestyle that I was a bit suspicious. I am glad I was wrong about that and have enjoyed both the first two videos in this series and looking forward to seeing the rest of them as you all make and release them.
Something that I often point out to folks (perhaps because it was once pointed out to me) is that modern industrialized society as we know it has only been around for less than three centuries while on the other hand living a more simple and albeit 'Earth based' lifestyle predates it by thousands and thousands of years. In other words if there is an aberration to a certain style of living it is the current model not the previous one.
Cheers to you both and be well!
Thank you for bringing that point up! I shared this link on my Instagram too and an old friend who works in varying countries made this point as well- that it isn’t “mainstream” for much of the world to live like the West.
It is so appropriate to bring that up and needs to be a part of the conversation so thanks!!
And thank you for your other words as well. We seek to ground the dreams keeping our feet on the earth and balance vision and inspiration with what is actually possible. And also to eat really well ☺️
You are welcome all around! :) I like that last bit about liking to eat really well! It is so important!
This is so true and there surely is much of the world where living 'earth centered' is simply just living. We are spoiled for choice and sometimes all that choice does indeed spoil us :)
I surely live in a more 'western' comfort, but yet we also put up with many things other's might not want to. We are lucky in our location by the sea, but the cost is an old no well isulated house that often loses power in Winters and is not always warm or cool enough, but we make trade offs to enjoy what touches us most.
I'm always impressed and feel joy when I see others delving so deeply into living more With the earth rather than just 'on top of it' as many of us do.
I definitely love gardening and planting and keeping s few animals, but I'm probably far more 'play at' homesteading then I'd ever consider myself a homesteader. And I also get the pull to go to urban areas part of the year, which aren't super 'earth based' :) Though there are some amazing community and urban gardens.
Great answers. Really interesting to get a window in your lifestyle and choices. Thank you for the insight. Looking forward to the next one.
great to hear your feedback, thanks. it's really great having people ask us questions and answering them. if you have any, let us know!
We've lived where we are since 1983 and the life style has changed several times. It's about to change again, as we age older. No real clear idea of what it will turn into, but we have some ideas of what we'd like to see happen...
I really loved all of the photos you shared! xx
Very interesting. I think once you make a choice to change your lifestyle it is hard to ever go back. And definitely it makes sense to transition into new things, not just jump in unprepared. Watch some old Westerns with the green horns that never make it on the frontier ;)
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i get the feeling that if you are both together you can do anything! <3 you are such a beautiful couple!