Strong, Independent Woman

Note from the Author:

To be completely honest, this is my sixth entry for the Members-Only Challenge. This contest has sparked something in me that I can hardly contain; which means I am also having trouble containing my thoughts. Every piece I write gets closer and closer to what I’m really trying to say, but it’s such a grand topic to cover in less than five thousand words. This time, though, I will focus my thoughts, feelings and desires, so that I can share with you the dream in my heart.

My passion is a lifelong goal –something I will work on until my very last breath.

My passion is creating a self-sustaining, sovereign community in the forest, made up of Holistic Homes and independent humans, as well as the Earth and the beings they care for. My passion in life is not something that can be described or observed; it is only when you feel it that you will begin to understand, and innerstand.

Since my deepest passion is something you will have to experience with me to truly understand, I will share another dream I have –the journey of how I will get to where I need to be.

As expressed in Revolutionary Community Design, a foundational element of Talking Trees’ Holistic Community is Sovereignty –taking self-responsibility, as independent beings. I’ve come to recognize the deeper meaning to the concept of “independence,” and in doing so I’ve realized that I am far from being independent. I rely on grocery stores for food, power companies for electricity, and even someone else to pay for that energy. I’m dependent on a well for water and gas stations to fuel my car; I even rely on my roommate for clean clothes. There are very few areas of my life that I am able to support on my own, and that is a terrifying thought.

I’ve been aware of these dependencies for some time, and I thought I’d been doing everything I could to release them. But I’m beginning to realize that I’ve just been taking baby steps. I’m going the right direction, for sure, but I should be running instead of crawling. Even with this wisdom in the back of my mind –for years– I’ve kept my steady pace, all the while hoping that something powerful would fall in my lap, and push me forward.

And it did.

Vocal Media’s Members-Only Challenge ignited a fire in me, and helped me realize a new dream. While I’ve been focusing on the grand goals I have for my future, I forgot about all the ways I can live that life now! I may not have a Holistic Home in the forest, at this very moment, but there are many other aspects of my dream life that I could be living, right now.

My passion is to become a strong, independent woman; and so my goal, for the remainder of 2021, is to test myself with self-reliance.

I’ve been dreaming of living in the forest, so I am going to go live in the forest; and I am going to challenge myself and test my own abilities. Of course, I am going to go about it responsibly –that’s what sovereignty is all about. I’m not blind to the fact that it will be hard, and that I will require help. But I’ve been relying on others for far too long, and now, I know better.

Support.

I’m sure I will need help building a structure, and setting up natural mechanisms for water, power and food; and I am beyond fortunate to have close friends that are very wise and willing to share their knowledge. It takes time for plants to grow food, so I’m sure I will be shopping; but I can also forage for wild, edible plants. I plan to dig a root cellar to store food, as well.

One of our biggest dependencies in this world is power; and while I’ve already experienced a life of providing my own energy, I’m longing to return to it. The land that I will be relying on does not have life-support systems (hydro/electricity) running through it, so I will be dependent on only myself for power. With the proper resources, I will set up a WOM (Water Organizing Module) and POM (Power Organizing Module), as outlined by Earthship Biotecture. This will allow me to collect energy through solar panels, as well as collect, treat and heat rainwater.

Shelter.

A root cellar will allow me to conserve my energy for other purposes, instead of powering a refrigerator; and I will build a simple structure that doesn’t require a lot of power to be comfortable. While my goal is to live in an Earthship-Inspired Holistic Home, which is heated and cooled passively, I can apply some of these concepts to a temporary structure.

With bales of straw around the North, East and West walls, and a 6mm poly/plastic (inoperable) window as the South wall, I will receive heat from the sun, and insulation from the mass of hay. I will also incorporate venting out the top of the building, to help maintain temperature. And I’m sure a woodstove would be a good idea, as well; especially if this structure will take me into the Fall and Winter months. Depending on the size of the structure, and ability to maintain comfortable temperatures, I may even be able to grow plants in my home.

My plan is to live in a tent while I’m building this structure; and while I’m excited and terrified at the thought of building my own little cabin, I am willing to take an easier route, if possible. As I have been living in a fifth wheel camping trailer for the last two years, I would be perfectly content if this journey brought me to another trailer, rather than a shed. Even though they’re not designed to be lived in the way I do, I see the immense benefit of trailers as temporary housing.

If I am able to acquire a trailer for myself, it will put my plans into hyper speed –as they come with the necessary furnishings and mechanisms for heating, cooling and plumbing. I would still like to collect rain water, however, and have it gravity-fed into the kitchen taps. The trailer I currently live in does not have running water (we even removed the bathroom to add a woodstove), so that is a comfort I am willing to continue sacrificing. I am already familiar with collecting and storing water for drinking, and am no stranger to heating small amounts on the stove for bathing.

As I’ve said, these trailers aren’t designed to be lived in constantly –and definitely not throughout Canadian Winters. My current trailer is feeling the wear and tear of being lived in for two years straight –the floors aren’t very strong, the plumbing froze and burst a few Winters ago, and the “push outs” now have to be physically pushed out. If I am able to acquire a trailer for myself, or move this one to my preferred location, I will do what I can to protect, and strengthen it –straw bales will surround the base of the trailer to block the wind and provide further insulation. I will also build a roof over top of my trailer, to protect it from rain, wind, ice and falling branches; and with metal as the roofing, I’ll be able to collect even more rain water!

Seeing.

I’ll stop for a moment, because this may seem a little crazy –especially for a 24-year-old who grew up in cities and suburbs. A few years ago, I had this same dream, and even I was laughing at myself in the background. Even as I tried to envision it, I couldn’t see a clear image of myself succeeding. But, oh how things change… While I’m still feeling a lot of fear, panic and anxiety at the thought of this new journey, I feel much more confident that I can do it. It’ll be difficult, I’m sure, but in the way that life is meant to be difficult.

So why would you support this journey, and follow along to hear what I have to say? You’ve made it this far, so there must be something within these words that excites you. Maybe you’ve thought of embarking on this journey, or you laughed at your sister when she said she’d try it. Maybe you can feel my vision for the future, and you want to see if I can really do it. Or maybe you’ve seen Into The Wild and you’re worried I’m going to poison myself while foraging. Whatever the reason is, you’re still reading my words, and I hope you’ll continue to hear my voice as I document my own into the wild journey.

Sharing.

While internet access may be another challenge, I’d like to make the commitment to share my journey with those who will listen. I aim to make regular videos, to help capture a better image of what I’m describing, and so that you can watch my dreams come true. Of course, I will continue to share through the written word, and I thank Vocal in advance for hosting me. With $22.5k, I can acquire the tools I need to keep myself alive; and Memberful can help me share the journey with you.

I know I’m not the only one to think of packing up their life to retreat into the forest, and I want to show everyone that it’s possible. For those of you who support this dream, and those of you who doubt it; for those that want this life for themselves, and those who will cheer us on… this is for you. Whether you believe I am taking control of my life, or flushing it down the eco-toilet, I hope you will stick around and witness my journey, as I become a Strong, Independent Woman.

My other submissions for Vocal Media's Members-Only Challenge:

• Follow Your Highest Excitement (Part 1)
• Making a Life, Not Earning a Living (Part 2)
• Revolutionary Community Design (Part 3)
• Changing the World
• Earthship-Inspired Holistic Homes