I just want to take a minute to reflect upon the feeling one experiences in accomplishing a long-term goal. I'm talking about taking on a task that requires a multi-year commitment, such as earning a college degree. I found such a profound satisfaction in earning college degrees that I ended up with a doctorate! But even that degree and the work that it took pales in comparison to building one's own homestead. A degree has a major map, someone else has done all of the planning. With a doctorate there is more creativity involved. The student has to conduct original research which is daunting and difficult in many ways, but still there are formulas and templates found in the work of those that came before you. With this project there was no blueprint - I am not saying that others have not done this - I am saying that in making our homestead we had to consider our unique circumstances, land, location, etc. We had to plan out and make decisions about everything and then implement these plans learning many new skills in the process. Though we listened to others and read other accounts, we had to navigate many choices and find the path that met our circumstances. I know that our homestead is unique. While others might question decisions we made, we know that they are the right decisions for our time and place.
In this picture, Sister is playing in the shade of our power plant. This is a dream that started in 1999 before we were even ready to start a family. To see the lights turning on in the house, to have water running from faucets and to have made that happen... to have designed the systems and put them together - it is such an amazing feeling.
The solar array is a beautiful, because it represents 20 years of dreaming, planning, thinking and doing!
Some of the components of this system we have owned for many years and they are finally being put into their final place in the service of our grand vision. It's surreal. As an example, our pump solar panels have been with us for 20 years. Having them mounted and being able to easily switch them on and off without having to move them...well, it is easy to take it for granted, but when I step back and think of how far we have come from a raw piece of land to where we are today, I am very proud.
Having an off-grid homestead where we can grow food, produce our own power and water, and live a very low cost life is liberating. We've owned the cookie cutter house in the suburbs on more than one occasion and we walked away from it because we were not content being reliant on systems which are failing us. In terms of water quality, energy production, food production, infrastructure, public health, and educational systems we felt we could "level up" to the point where we could seek rugged individualism and self-sufficiency. As so we have - we often tell Brother (a passionate video gamer) that we are playing Minecraft in our real life. We are actualizing a dream. Yes, in America everything is for sale. You can buy a life someone else designed, or you can take the road less traveled and create your own adventure.
From my perspective you should always follow your bliss.
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