I have enjoyed my share of beautiful homes in a city. It feels good to have a secure place to call my own. I get some privacy, protection from the elements, a place to keep my belongings. I enjoy being able to get anything I want super fast. Often, I even got a bit of land with the deal.

But is it my land? I can't take any of it with me. I pay rising taxes for it. Often there are strict rules about what I can and can't do: Homeowners associations, county codes, neighborhood watch, police, etc. So what do I really have the rights to?

I can “own” a condo in the middle of city, while basically gaining no actual rights to anything, other than the right to stay there and pay taxes on it for some period of time. A good “investment” I suppose

Or...

I can “own” 100 acres, build a house, drill a well, put in solar and wind energy with batteries... There is land all over the place for dirt cheap. And in some places, they will even let you use the land however you want, build to your own standards, live in a travel trailer, have zero fences, keep free animals, whatever. Imagine that, property that you can “own” and actually use the way you see fit.

Of course, that is two ends to the spectrum and there are opportunities everywhere in between.

For me the question is less, what am I buying, and more, how do I want to live?

There are of course big trade-offs to roughing it. Perhaps the land is off-grid, no sewer, water, septic, electricity, no mail, difficult to reach, lacking community, no phone service,(trade-offs or perks?).

As humans we seem to enjoy solving problems and finding solutions. Wouldn't it be nice to conquer our own challenges? Keep our energy for ourselves as opposed to giving most away? When we learn to live simply, we remember to reconnect with the now and the beauty all around us, nature. So maybe giving up some distractions and doing some “hard” work for ourselves can be a blessing.

I feel that the most fulfilling life for me is the one where I spend my energy only with activities and connections that I am aligned with. These are the win-win connections, where I feel energized by them instead of depleted. Doing what I love to be doing. Being with whom I want to be with. Learning to live more simply, always sharpening my tools and skills. Never fully there but more self-sufficient every day.

Where do you want to fall on the spectrum?

Are you living the way you want to be?

If you want to make a change, what are waiting for?

What are the best parts of living where you live?

I love to hear from all of you