Escaping the noise

My husband and I have been searching for a place to go off grid in Pennsylvania. Very hard to find and then I found this group. With the stress of life we're ready to escape, with our autistic son who is nonverbal. Waking up everyday I want to scream. I've always had ants in my pants since I was born. Joined the army out of high school so I could get a better life, traveled the country, road trips. I never stayed in one place and then I realized that the world has always felt like it's on my shoulders and that's why I always feel the insatiable need to get back to nature.  I've strayed so much from the outdoors I've always loved to now being spooked by what moves in the dark. It's like some universal sign is telling me to get back into it and enjoy life. I've spent decades helping others before myself to give back to those in need and found a passion in doing it. Now the demands of caring for my son coupled with all the stress and anxiety that builds up in daily life I want to throw in the towel and move off grid. I'm tired of saying I don't have time or I don't feel like it when my work exhausts me. I am ready to run and be free and turn my life into one that doesn't have a 9-5 office. I want to play in the mud, build and wire a house, grow a garden and find peace. The world is noisy. My son tells me everyday even though he's nonverbal. I'm ready to escape the noise.

Hi Maria,

Welcome to Permies.

I am sorry to hear that it has been difficult to find land to go off grid.

Are you looking for a blank canvas or something with a dwelling?

If I were looking, as I have done many times in the past, I would look for a property that is less than desirable.  An old house that needs fixing up, possibly ...

I also have done the blank canvas several times.  This route needs a water supply as water is the staff of life.  Your family will need water and so will the animals and garden.  Something with a running stream, pond or even an old working well.

Going off grid didn't work for my dear hubby as he was tied to the TV.

Best wishes for what you desire ...

When I was much younger, I drove down from my homestead  to Minneapolis to see a friend.  The one factor that has stuck with me is the 24 hour a day noise.  Even at 1:00 AM the steady noise was still there.

Still can't escape the noise - only its different.  Crows doing roll-call at 5 a.m., magpies welcoming the dawn with a choir practice and the cockatoos taking exception to intruders in their territory,  the occasional grunting koala, and the tutting of a mother 'roo trying to round up her joey.  Inversion layer allows distant traffic noise to filter in which highlights the actual pleasure of nature's symphony🎼🎶🎵.

Jill Dyer wrote:Still can't escape the noise - only its different.  Crows doing roll-call at 5 a.m., magpies welcoming the dawn with a choir practice and the cockatoos taking exception to intruders in their territory,  the occasional grunting koala, and the tutting of a mother 'roo trying to round up her joey.  Inversion layer allows distant traffic noise to filter in which highlights the actual pleasure of nature's symphony🎼🎶🎵.

Noise, still noise, though a better noise!

Anne Miller wrote:
Noise, still noise, though a better noise!

This topic hits home for me too.  It's that difference between noise and music. Those tranquil melodies of Nature - the good noise.

The main trigger for my wife and I to make a transition away from our peaceful rainforest homestead in Hawaii was...Noise.

We had a very quiet piece of land, where we could listen to the symphonies of rare native bird songs and the gentle rattle of rain on our metal roof, but then a neighbor decided to move into his empty lot only a  stones throw away from our cabin.  He quickly built a house, and then started inviting friends over to his place to have parties that lasted all night long - sometimes until 5 am.  It was very loud music and lots of drunken screaming accompanied by obnoxious laughter. Right next door, less than 50 yards away.

I tried many times to confront him politely, and let him know that we like to go to sleep early, and really appreciate the peace and quiet of the rainforest.  It didn't work.  After a few more requests my anger started to build, and I became less and less kind with each confrontation, until finally we had no choice but to start getting the police involved.  My sleep was getting interrupted, my patience was getting tested to the extreme, and the police didn't help.  Finally after many months we decided to sell and move away.

In some ways I guess it might have been a much needed trigger to make a change in life, but that period in our lives was quite terrible to have to go through.  

Maria, I hope you are able to find the peace and serenity that you seek.  If I could offer any lessons for your journey from my own experience, it is to really make sure to get to know the neighbors before moving in, and ask about what their experiences have been in the area.  It also offers a chance to read them to see how considerate they might be of others.  

And welcome to Permies!  You'll find that there is a fun and supportive community here.