When I first contemplated starting a blog about our adventures living off the beaten path, I considered calling it Stories From Almost Off The Grid.
To be honest, we didn’t originally choose a lifestyle of independence.
We kind of fell into it.
After we sold our house and hit the road looking for property, our priorities were nature and seclusion – not necessarily living off-grid. The stories naturally followed, however, and I started my blog with that theme.
I once posted on Facebook that we lived off-the-grid and the town troll suggested that I couldn’t be considered off-grid because I had the Internet. Another person once suggested the same applies because I have a phone.
Ridiculous.
One could argue till the end-of-time as to what qualifies as “true” off-the-grid status. It varies for everyone.
Our family happens to live this way for a lot of reasons but I feel the adaptations we’ve made and the hardships we’ve overcome help to define what it is to live off-grid. When we bought undeveloped land we had to change our paradigm and we had to get busy.
We installed a solar power system and dug a spring through breccia and bedrock with our own hands. We planted a garden and learned to install and repair our own appliances. Having to provide for ourselves taught us how to be more resourceful.
We like not having to pay someone else for our power although only through the summer (until we tweak our solar power system). My husband wants ducks and geese for their eggs. We want our own dog – not the neighbor’s. We’re planning on farming truffles but to pull it off we’re having to think outside the box because it’s too cold here.
We have been inspired.
At the end of the day, this idea of living independently has caught on with us regardless of how we came into it. I believe that however or why a person comes to live off the beaten path isn’t so much the point – it’s the experience.
Besides, you can’t make this shit up. The stuff that has happened to us since we left the suburbs makes for one hell of a story.
Stories From Off The Grid. 
I think that so many people are wanting to live more independently; off grid is a wonderful notion and idea! I try to adjust a few things every month to make that life more possible for me and I thank you for sharing!
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Thank you for your comment. The one thing we love the most is the solar power system. We can run our electric refrigerator (an electricity hog), our washing machine (yes, we have one), and everything else off of sunlight during the summer. You’re supposed to be able to run solar in the winter too but I think we need more panels. Free is awesome! Funny thing, though, off-grid still means using technology. 🙂
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