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Three Summers Off The Grid

What I learned, How I Grew, & Why You should try it.

By Sarah St.ErthPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 4 min read
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Three Summers Off The Grid
Photo by Abigail Ducote on Unsplash

The concept and practice of Off Grid Living, has long been a fascination and a goal of mine. It remains very high on my list of dreams and goals to accomplish. The ability to live comfortably and sustainably, with or without money, with or without the infrastructure of modernity, is a skill set we would all benefit from learning about.

You can read about the Earthship, my dream home and lifestyle here

Admittedly, although I had grown up with an outdoorsman for a Dad, and spent weeks every summer in tents, on the Wild West Coast; nothing could have prepared me for the very hard work, resilience, and creativity required to live in the wilderness with no electricity, running water, or neighbours.

It was one of the best experiences of my life. I would not trade the confidence, capability, or learning for anything.

My very first visit to my friends Off Grid Paradise, was in the winter of 2008. It was a ski in only deal, I was more than up for the adventure. We were to celebrate his 50th, in the cozy secluded cabin by the beautiful Skeena River.

We had sleds with rope to haul in our supplies, and a 5km ski to arrive at his abode, then a 1km ski in from the logging road. The Spirit of this place was palpable, powerful, ancient and stunning.

Needless to say, I returned in the summer, with my sons, to begin our Off Grid adventure. Half courageous, half reticent, to leap into the great unknowns of self sufficiency. I was determined to foster the appreciation of comfort in the simple pleasures of a fish caught, and cooked on a fire, the newfound skills of firewood chopping using a tire, to the care and attention to our surroundings, that such wilderness required. We grew as a family and we grew as individuals.

There is no way to live off grid and be sedintary, let alone bored. Our summers on the land, were full of work and play. We experienced a deepening of our already established connection with nature. This instills a feeling of home, no matter where you hang your hat.

Living in this astoundingly beautiful place taught me a greater reverence for every drop of water. Water that I carried, 10 gallons at a time, to fill our kettles, household, and garden reservoirs. This required two five gallon buckets with rope tied to the handle, and a brisk walk to a small wooden bridge that crossed a tributary of the mighty Skeena River. These I would lower into the creek, fill and lift the sometimes 20ft from the water to the bridge. Carrying them back to fill our various reservoirs. Each morning and each evening I made at least five trips to complete this task. It was paradigm shifting in terms of my use of water, and my respect and mindfulness of it as well. When you have to carry hundreds of pounds of water to complete your daily tasks of cleaning and cooking, you become much more discerning about how exactly you are using water. You become protective, and reverent. You realize the disconnect that has been created by just turning on the tap .

Living on a river, you also learn a healthy respect for the power of water, it goes where it wants, when it wants and failing to operate in accordance with its fluctuating laws is a deadly oversight. Living so closely with nature, will without a doubt teach you mindfulness.

Along with the household needs, we had three dogs, Three Pyrenees bitches, that between them birthed three litters, two that we helped raise and find homes for. Watching my son play with the pups on the banks of the Skeena, a golden gift that lives in my soul, forever.

Learning to forage was pure magic. Wild crafting food sources from the land I walked upon, a previously known but under accessed skill prior to this Off Grid lifestyle. Did you know that foraging fresh forest grown food packs an nutritional punch that cannot be compared to store bought food? Three or four berries, and you can hike for hours!

Huckleberry, blueberry, wild strawberries, and high bush cranberries are all delightful and bountifully available snacks as you go about your tasks. Preserves made from them, a heart warming and superfood level nutritional source through the winter.

The kitchen was a simple refurb of an old fifth wheel trailer, that was an addition onto the main cabin. I became proficient at outdoor cooking, using the facility only for cleanup and storage. I am proud to say, I can prepare beautiful artisan quality feasts, even without a modern kitchen. If you have never had fresh smoked salmon, you are missing out. You can’t buy it in stores, and all the work you do that has provided it, make the appreciation of this delicacy a massive part of its nutritional value.

Yes, reverence and connection to what you put in your body matters.

To say that living Off the Grid is empowering would be an understatement. It was awe inspiring, it brought hope, as well as a sense of sovereignty, and confidence to my sons and I, that is irreplaceable by any amount of money or fancy lifestyle.

Make no mistake, this is not a modern concept, humanity lived much closer to nature in the not so distant past. The Indigenous People all over the world know this, and I know in my heart and soul, why they are defending it with their lives.

To close, I will just say, that if the structures of modernity, were to suddenly become unavailable, for whatever reason, there is still a way to live blissfully, abundantly and happily.

Simple and True

humanity
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About the Creator

Sarah St.Erth

BC Born activist, Mother & Grandmother. Raised in Music and counter culture. My Pen name is an ode to my matrelineal lineage. Sign up for Vocal plus here

https://vocal.media/challenges/the-vocal-fiction-awards?via=sarah-wareing

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