Recently, I have stumbled upon the homestead side of Tik Tok and have found myself thinking “I could do that.”
To live in a cottage out in the middle of nowhere, growing my own food, raising chickens and maybe a couple of goats, foraging in the autumn and harvesting from my garden in the spring. No noisy neighbours, no smog or light pollution, no distractions. There would only be me and the world.
The appeal of not having to rely on others or to worry about modern problems is deeply thrilling to my overwhelmed and overworked brain. As someone who works a 9 am to 7 pm office job, I can confidently claim that if I were given the opportunity to up and leave it behind in favour of living off the land, I would take it in a heartbeat.
As I am already, I spend as much time as possible outdoors, and will often choose to spend my time pressing flowers, baking, and embroidering by candlelight. Anyone who knows me will say that I have always been a dreamer and romanticized the idea of a simple, conventionally maximalist lifestyle.
The modern-day world moves far too fast and loudly for my liking, so the longing to escape into the wilderness and become one with the plants and nature around me grows stronger every day I am stuck in this bustling city.
I was born and raised in Portland, so I am no stranger to sirens, gunfire, drunken yelling, and homeless camps outside my window. Especially in the last few years, this place has simply become too much for me to bear.
I don’t mind getting my hands dirty, and will often be found in the dirt weaving grapevines into wreaths or searching for bugs under stones after heavy rain. I am well aware that moving out into the middle of nowhere is hard work and can take years to reach the point of living comfortably. However, If I had a cat or two and lived within a reasonable distance of a town to shop and have human connection, I believe I would do just fine.
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