How Did We Get Here?

Well, the short answer is, in a 17 foot U-haul truck pulling our Ford Explorer behind it with a golden retriever sitting in the driver's seat, but I suspect that's not really what you meant by the question.


The Reader's Digest condensed version is this:  I lost my job back in February and decided to pursue my lifelong goal of making a living writing and editing.  I got lucky and found the best employers that ever lived and began working from home.  Professionally, I have never been happier or felt more successful.

However, I was living, with my nearly-12-year-old daughter, in a fairly large metropolitan area.  I had a teeny 20th of an acre yard for a teeny tiny garden and I was paying over $1000 per month, which was most of my income.  I had to either reduce my expenses or give up my dream job and go back to the corporate grind.

I did a search on Craigslist and made it province-wide.  In the search parameters I quoted a ridiculously low price, and lo and behold a few listings appeared.

I had a checklist of must-haves, which as you can imagine, on a very limited budget is rather laughable.


  • Wood heat
  • Good source of water nearby
  • Space for gardening
  • Country living
  • A forest within walking distance
  • Room and permission for chickens

Imagine my shock when I found a place that met all of my requirements except for the chickens!  As far as a requirement was concerned I decided that chickens were something I could do without, so Rosie and I set out to check the place out.

The first view of "our lake" when we crested the hill thrilled us so much we were ready to take it, cabin unseen!


Admittedly, the cabin wasn't much in the "decor" department, but the landlords were wonderful, there was an opportunity for some part-time work at the resort that would offset the already low rent even more, and the area was everything we wanted.  The move would cut our living expenses, quite literally in HALF.

We impulsively made the deal and within 10 days were in our U-haul, driving 6+ hours north to the middle of Canada, with our pared down belongings, two dogs and two very ticked off cats.

I've written this one week into our adventure and we're still surrounded by boxes....This blog is a way to share what we've learned about becoming more self-sufficient and sustainable, to share our adventure with friends and family, and to document this crazy journey we have undertaken.

No comments:

Post a Comment