Are there other teenagers here? 18m looking for friends in northern California

I’ve been living in many places across California learning to grow food and raise animals sustainably (and also learning from my many crazy and usually unsuccessful experiments which I always neglect to update when I post about them on these forums haha), and I wouldn’t trade my lifestyle for anything else... but I never find anyone my own age doing these things and it gets really lonely.  I’m posting here to see if there’s anyone else who’s gone out on their own at my age to live the cliché off grid hippie life that I like so much.  WHERE ARE YOU?  DO YOU EVEN EXIST?  I’m about to move yet again hopefully to a dream spot I’ve always wanted to go to in Humboldt county and hopefully by some miracle someone here is from there?  I don’t know man happy new years

(not really trying to date anyone I just thought this forum category was most appropriate)

I traveled to Humboldt before, I'd look up the website for the Mateel Community Center in Redway for a good place to meet people there.

I'd also recommend Humboldt and maybe even Del Norte. I'm in the latter and know a few early 20 somethings who are involved with similiar lifestyles. I know Ocean Air Farms up here used to host, not sure about others. So happy to see your generation gaining wisdom, hope you find your place!

Well im 24 so I'm not too far off if you wanna chat, im far away though in Saskatchewan. Been into permaculture stuff since I was your age though, took alot of working till now to afford the land.

May I respectfully urge you, at the age of 18, not to think of yourself as a teenager.  Great men walked before us. Be one, now.

Judson Carroll wrote:May I respectfully urge you, at the age of 18, not to think of yourself as a teenager.  When I was 18, I was laying in a bed, paralyzed in both legs. I was injured at work... a full time job paying my way through college and with a fiancée.   My friends, soon,  were going to war.  We were full grown adult men.  Most came back.  Yeah, you will technically be a teenager for another year.   But, even with the suck factor.... it is better to be a man.  And yes, it does really suck....  that girl left me...  I went to funerals... saw young widows and crying children...  but then, childhood is brief.  Who we become is forever..  A few years ago, I met an old man who said I looked like his best friend.... when he was 18 he was storming the beaches of Normandy.... his friend was cut in half by machine gun fire. Great men walked before us. Be one, now.

I was more so referencing the number of years I’ve been alive and seeing about others who’ve been alive for a similar number of years.  I wasn’t specifying whether I consider myself a man or a child, but thank you for the insight.

I'm 18... so at least two of us exist. I can't personally vouch for any others but I certainly presume they exist. I like to think there's lots of us already doing such cool stuff they don't worry about posting on internet forums...

I'm in Michigan right now, just back from being a boot at Wheaton Labs. Headed... somewhere, come spring. Time will tell.

If you're looking for community and willing to do hard work, the bootcamp is a good option. You'll learn a lot about all the things. Never had anyone as young as us but I don't think that matters much.

Happy seeking!

I’m 17 and I'm glad to here there’s others.Theres moments I feel very alone even amongst adults because of the way I think and the life style Im trying to build. I have friends who sit and listen just to hear what kinda “crazy” idea I’ve got next.

I’m 17. If I was on the same continent I would be game to hang/geek out with some of you guys. I totally relate with you there, Hank. I don’t really get along well with many people my age, mostly people at least a decade or two older, or at least five years younger. And ditto about ideas out the wazoo.

Myron Platte. I see you live in Russia. Do you intend to try the Homestead program they have there. I am slightly infatuated with my Slavic roots. I might have A couple batches of Kvass brewing .I was trying to figure how I could homestead in the motherland. Most of my plans ended at the fact that I would have to either marry a Russian gal or one of my friends who have dual citizenship. I guess ill just stay in the states.

Hank Waltner wrote:Myron Platte. I see you live in Russia. Do you intend to try the Homestead program they have there. I am slightly infatuated with my Slavic roots. I might have A couple batches of Kvass brewing .I was trying to figure how I could homestead in the motherland. Most of my plans ended at the fact that I would have to either marry a Russian gal or one of my friends who have dual citizenship. I guess ill just stay in the states.

I love kvass
Why would you have to marry in? Do you mean for the homestead program? If you can show that your ancestors are originally from anywhere inside the RF’s borders, you’re eligible. That’s what I’ve heard, anyway. (Nothing wrong with marrying a Русская девчонка, either.)

Besides, you don’t have to be in the program to start a homestead. We have no plans to enter the program. Land is not super expensive, once you get out of Moscow oblast

People say that Slavic blood is always dominant. Slavic traits always express over non-Slavic traits. That includes love of борщ, гречка, и квас.

Glad to hear of your intentions. I’d look into the Humboldt Permaculture Guild if down there, or if you are in Del Norte County sometime contact our Wild Rivers Permaculture Guild (you could pm me for more info, I’m one of the founders). I just moved on from my job developing the Crescent City Food Forest at the College of the Redwoods CC campus, with the help of many high school and college age interns and volunteers. The new manager is a great person and is undoubtedly looking for good help as volunteers or interns (funded through our local workforce center WIOA program). Feel free to reach out via PM if interested in getting involved in permaculture in Del Norte county. Best of luck, I know it can feel isolated, but we have many great young people around here and I am glad you are around the area looking to do good work.

There are definitely more teenagers interested in this type of life than we would think! Most don’t fully get invested till older unfortunately. I am a recent 20 year old currently in NW Ohio (but will always be a full fledged Tennessean at heart). I do have family in the Pacific NW specifically S. Cali. and Oregon. My college degree is centered in History with a focus on how people use to get by in normal everyday life. There are ways to get started young and I am on my way to getting land now. I have enough saved for at least 10 acres in most states. I started saving my senior year of High School. If anyone wants to contact me I am willing to give tips and have friendships with y’all.

Remember that it can be very easy to spend too much time thinking of great ideas and not enough action testing and experimenting with them. I can say from experience that taking action if extremely beneficial to critiquing and rounding out ideals and ideas.