Hi everyone! I recently found this forum and I'm so glad to have found this community. So, I thought I'd introduce myself and hopefully pick your brains for some advice!
A little bit about me: I'm 37, mom to a 7-year-old, recently moved back to the PNW (Portland area) in hopes of buying a little homestead in the Columbia River Gorge area. Sadly, those plans fell through, but more on that in a bit.
I'm an RN (not currently practicing) and studying herbal medicine while homeschooling my daughter. More than anything, I love to garden, forage, preserve food, ferment all the things...and teach others about wild foods and how to be more self-sufficient. I love plants and being outside. Both my daughter and I are dual US/Canadian citizens, and I'm open to moving. However, I love the West Coast, especially WA, OR, and northern Cali in the redwoods or just a milder climate than Canada in general.
I want to raise my daughter on the
land, preferably out of the
city, to have space to breath and time to focus on what matters, to build a homestead, and live as self-sufficient as possible. However, I am at a crossroads, and would love some life advice on my options...my former partner is no longer in the picture, and I don't have a clue how to proceed alone! I'm not afraid of hard work and am a quick learner, but I know my limitations physically, especially with building things.
Financially, I have no debt and decent savings. I would love to learn more about
permaculture, creating a food forest, living off-grid, and to just get my hands in the soil. Ideally I'd love to join someone who already has a homestead, and help out in anyway I can. I grew up living off-grid, growing our food, milking goats, etc.
So, my question is, if you were in my situation, how would you proceed?
How did you get started, for those of you who have achieved your dream? I want this lifestyle more than anything, I don't want to just work to live.
I'm skilled in:
Foraging wild foods and medicine
Herbal medicine
Preserving food, fermenting foods and drinks, healthy cooking
Gardening
Photography, and to a lesser extent, videography
I have considered Woofing/interning this summer to gain practical
experience but can't afford to do it long term without income. Plus it's not super feasable with a child.
Any advice/recommendations are welcome! And sorry for the rambling post...
~Serena