Sometimes life throws you for a loop. Then tosses you another. Before you know it, a year has gone by and you feel like all you’ve done is hold on to the ride without falling off. When the dizziness stops, you realize that not only is your life very different from what it was, you’re far from where you were and may have lost sight of the road you were traveling.
So it is with me. Life tossed me a real doozy and it took me off the radar. Absolutely everything stopped (except the day job, bills, and laundry of course!) for me. I had to put all the energy I had into riding out the storm and then assessing the damage after the tide receded.
I was a long way from where I was 2 years ago. I hadn’t built a garden like I wanted to, let alone planted anything. This last summer, the only food I grew were herbs, and those were given to me from a very wonderful neighbor and friend (thank you Theresa!). As summer turned to fall, and now winter, I am able to slow down, think about what has happened, and start making a plan.
While I can’t see the path I used to be on, there’s nothing stopping me from cutting a new one where I am!
Without going into any details, the sum of the situation left me single with a duplex and a lot of debt. First world problems, right? Thing is, it’s very overwhelming! You have all these things to deal with on your own that was once split between two. Skills you relied on another person to bring are now gone and you have to either hire it out or learn – quickly. I have often thought about just walking away and starting fresh somewhere else. It’s human nature!
Re-Stabilizing Yourself
Before you can work on the dream, you have to start from a stable foundation. That will be different for everyone. If you build dreams on sand and a storm rolls in…well we all know how that ends. I have developed a little system over the years that helps me break the “big, scary objective” down into easily manageable tasks. Thing is, I do it backwards.
I start with the end goal and work backward. The end goal is to have a homestead on at least 2 acres of land (5 is such a nicer number though!). While I would love to stay in Alaska, I have opened my horizons and am considering other places as well.
To get there, I need the funds to make it happen. To get those funds, I need to develop my current property into a nicer rental (I own a duplex) so that it can help fund the dream. To do that (working backwards), I need to put some funds, time, and energy into it so it is a solid property that will serve well for years. Of course, I can also put in a garden and greenhouse when the driveway is done! (What, you didn’t think I would stay away from growing food forever, did ya?).
See? You can break all that down even further until things are in chunks that are comfortable for you. I have a revolving list that I keep on the kitchen counter. When I think of things I need to accomplish (like building a new septic tank cover), I write them down. When I have accomplished the task, I mark the day I did it. This list is so much more than just a way to keep track of chores! It’s a way to show yourself that with smaller chunks of focused effort, it adds up fast and you have made some real improvements.
Open Ended Path and Letting Go
I’m a very goal oriented person – always have been. It’s difficult for me to let go and simply travel a path to see where it leads. I am so used to having strict control over everything – especially the direction my life is heading. This is a real challenge that is pushing me far outside my comfort zone. Part of this is great for a homestead dreamer. The other…not so much.
I recently did a search on YouTube for the “5 biggest mistakes homesteaders make” and was very pleased to find several videos! Some from channels I knew and watched already, and some I’d never heard of. Down the rabbit hole I went to hear what these people had to say! I am so glad I did.
Being a control freak and inflexible is a surefire way to fail at homesteading. That life is not one of strict schedules! Nature dictates what you do on any given day and you need to be flexible. You need to have a plan, but that plan cannot be set in stone. It must be fluid and evolving. You are creating a living thing (homestead life and cycle) that needs room to shift and change as needed.
Other things I heard over and over from these videos included:
- Have a solid, well thought out plan before you even start looking for land. Infrastructure (or lack thereof) will make or break you.
- Make sure all local, county, and state laws allow for the type of life you want to live (Can you have chickens? Collect rainwater?).
- Have money saved for living expenses while you establish your homestead!
- Don’t try to do it all at once!
There is more, of course, and I encourage you to also do a search like I did and listen to what these people have to say. Though we are homestead dreamers, it’s just smart to learn from people who have already been there.
Moving Forward
My plan is slowly forming. I’m unsure where I will be in a year or two. I’m starting to follow Dave Ramsey’s “Total Money Makeover” plan. One thing I’ve noticed on channel after channel that I watch on YouTube (all homesteading haha!) is just how many of these people followed the plan and were able to buy their homestead with cash!! To buy a property, maybe with an existing house, outright~~what a concept! The smiles on their faces when they say they don’t owe a dime to a bank for a mortgage is priceless and I want to be one of those people.
So I am going to focus there, work on getting something planted this year, and see where the road takes me. I know it will end up with me on a piece of property with a small home, a huge garden, and some chickens (to start!). How the road between here and there will go, that’s the great mystery.
I hope you will join me!