posted 11 years ago
My husband and I just moved into our first rental house in the Prescott area of Northern Arizona and we are really lucky because it comes with an acre of land, a barn and a landlord that doesn't care as long as we don't burn the house down. And because my mom rented my house before me, there is a garden bed already in place and a big ole pile of manure already half composted. We're really lucky to have such a great place.
A year ago we started working at a camp that teaches kids natural science, adventure activities, and environmental responsibility. In learning the classes so we could teach the kids, our eyes were opened to the massive waste and complete lack of responsibility that is rampant in our society today. I have always known, from a lifetime of camping and wilderness experience, just how bad things were on land, but I was exposed to the horrific things going on in our oceans. After really learning about what is happening to the wilderness that I love more intimately, I dug in. I am a researcher and I love getting in there and learning about new passions and ideas. In everything I became really passionate about learning to live without creating any waste. We were already minimalists but now it's grown into something brand new now. We also are really committed to not having any plastic in our kitchen at all and as little as possible in the rest of the house and we've gotten rid of our microwave all for conservation and health reasons. We're also looking at growing, raising and making as much of what we need ourselves. I am such a tomboy and love backpacking, hiking and hunting, though I don't get to do as much of any of it as I'd like. We've moved so much in the last few years that I haven't been able to hunt like normal and I don't have any equipment for the bow hunting that I love to do. I'm learning new skills instead since we don't have much money right now, so I'm getting into woodcarving and trap setting, even a little bow making. We are getting chickens soon and at the end of winter, we're hoping to get some goats.
I'm basically looking to live almost 100% little house on the prairie/off the grid style. I say almost because we are the opposite of technophobes and we really are attached to indoor plumbing. Other than that bring on the rustic life!!
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