posted 1 hour ago
Hello everybody,
I’m a single Black woman in my 30s, and I am currently in the middle, rather the middle of the start, of completely resetting my life and starting over from scratch. I’ve never been on my own before. I’m not married, I don't have kids, and up until now, I’ve been living in a middle-class family environment in Little Rock that has felt incredibly restrictive and controlled all my life. In this modern life, I’m not exactly considered though, ‘successful, but this busy-ness that people think is ‘life’ is not for me. The dreaded constant unwanted stimulation.
I’ve finally made the decision to break away from that dynamic and build an independent, simple life in the country, even though, spiritually speaking, my flesh is definitely flinching from the fear of the unknown right now. Because I’m moving away from familial financial support onto a fixed income, it’s a big adjustment and attuning, and I know what it might look like to people on the outside:failure.
But I’m realizing that living a slow, debt-free life on a lower income is much safer and sensible for my peace of mind than staying trapped in the buzz of the city every single day.
Currently, my transition is moving in two steps:
The Immediate Step: I am currently working with a local crisis program (Restore Hope) to move into a transitional housing unit or duplex. This will help me separate from a toxic familial/financial tie and get my own independent space. All I want to do for the first three months is to, what I call ‘Spiritual Rest’. I just want to sit still and decompress from all the stress of modern life and learn the rhythm of a slower life. I'm going to start practicing how to stretch my budget by cooking simple, handmade meals using an Amish cookbook and my SNAP benefits.
The Long-Term Step: I applied for a USDA Section 502 Direct Loan 6/10/2026 to buy my own place. I just found out a few days ago that my pre-qualification cleared, and the loan technician is mailing out my full application packet. My dream is to secure a quiet 3 to 7 acre plot, but it’s ok even if I got just 2. I would like to eventually raise some backyard hens, grow a garden, and just live in quiet peace. However, I am aware that, at least in my situation, it’s a matter of time.
The constrained: I want to stay within a 30min/45min drive of my Ma, who lives in Haskell, Arkansas. Because of that, I am restricting my entire property search to rural Saline County (around Haskell, Traskwood, or Tull)or Garland county (Piney, Londale, Fountain Lake, Magnet Cove, Owensville) .
To be completely transparent and honest, I am a bit afraid of making this move on my own. Being a Black woman moving into rural spaces can feel intimidating, and sometimes I worry about isolation or how I’ll be perceived in the community.
I have no interest in joining traditional church homes or groups that social just to find community. As I am more of a loner naturally. Instead, I am posting here hoping to connect with a few genuine people: I would love to hear from any other independent homesteaders, especially Black women and/or anyone managing a homestead on a fixed income in Arkansas, who have navigated the USDA rural loan process or run a small cottage-food setup, such as self-sufficient feeding or budgeting. I would really love to find just one genuine person inside the Saline or Garland County area who cares enough to occasionally check up on me via text, and whose wellbeing and corridors I can check on in return, just to make sure we are both safe and supported out here.
I’m taking everything one slow step at a time, moving at my own pace, and putting this whole journey into God's hands to guide my steps. If anyone has any practical advice on stretching meals, dealing with the initial fear of isolation, or safe rural pockets near Saline or Garland County, I would be incredibly grateful to hear it.
Thank you for reading my story.
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