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He was under the impression that I was aiming for subsistance style living - grow all your own food, raise animals, don't have any money. He already did that while growing up and has no desire to return to that. I'm not game for that either. No way am I raising animals. A large garden I'll do as I enjoy the hell out of that.
While there is an environmental benefit, and a spiritual benefit - I'm in this for economics. Eliminating housing and utility costs will give us more control over our lives. Period. Will we work for ourselves (in which case we will work for our customers) or work at another job? Yes we will. What being able to live off of a very low income will do is allow us to tell people/employers to go fuck themselves. It shifts the balance of power.
Because I am sick (as is Tracy) of giving your all, having your employer squeeze every last drop out of you, and then throwing you away or keeping you around for more bullshit as the whim takes them. I can't even fault employers for that. I understand exactly why they do this. Just because I understand it doesn't mean I want to play thier game anymore. As long as we have debt and bills to pay that equals more than 25% of our combined income - we are wage slaves.
After Tracy and I talked, we came to an agreement to give this a go. So we need to narrow down where we will live and look for employment there. Within 2 hours of a city, but out in the country. If Austin wasn't such a shitty town, it would fit the bill.
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I'm really glad that you and Tracy got on the same page. I believe strongly in, as Thorn Coyle says, "not submitting one's life force to anyone or anything." Much of employment demands that workers do. I also know that in my life the fact that Adam and I don't own a car has allowed us more flexibility - this is how we afford Bennett and the nicer, better made things for him (things which will last for the next baby).
I'm really excited for this Evil Master Plan (tm) and wish I was nearer to help!
And that I am willing to trade a great deal of stuff to gain more control over my own life. That it isn't the amount of money you make that brings comfort, but the amount of disposable income PLUS time to enjoy it. That's what finally won him over. That I wasn't pie-in-the-sky about this or doing it for idealist reasons.
And you'd be close enough for me to visit. Hell, I might even join you. But there's no way I could deal with the absolute cold further north.
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We settled on the Asheville area in western North Carolina. We love that city and the overall energy. It is a great environment to do the sorts of things we are trying to do (however, the environmental hippie aspect is just a happy by-product of our lifestyle change). Land in the mountains can be reasonably priced.
Good luck and I'll keep reading to keep up with you. Stay tuned to my blog for more updates on our project. We are starting building in June!!! Yay!
This is what I said in reply...
"Hmm I dunno. Imigration to Australia has always been much easier for white immigrants though. There are a lot of Americans and British in Australia. Might pay to do some research. With the dollar exchange rate you may well be more comfy down under."
Mankato might have the things you are looking for, without all the douche people that live in Austin, for example. :)
hmmm...it seems everyone wants you to be their neighbor. Isn't it nice to be so loved lady!
If you go for England, on t'other hand, someone's set up something called the 'Helios colony of artists' near me in the Cotswolds, which sounds like your sort of thing.
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* - I have no copypasta on this thing and beg to be excused poor memory of usernames.
'Helios colony of artists' - do they have a webpage set up? I'm mighty curious about them.
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