Disclosure: this doc expresses how I think and feel today. I don’t want to convince anyone about anything, neither judge their lifes, feelings or points of views.
I’m only sharing it because after I quit my job many have asked me how I was and which were my plans, and in addition, it could also inspire others.
At the end of it I explain why I wrote it in English.
### This is the second part of the Journal, the first goes here ###
Part II – Le Voyage, la Destination
Here I want to better explain what’s the plan, le voyage. It covers three basic parts, the first two might take me the next months or year, the third one would probably take me 2 to 3 years.
What I have in mind now is to develop this space during about 6 months a year while the rest of the time I’ll be traveling and learning more about how to develop this place and my life.
Find a place
Honestly, I would like to just go to the forest and grab it as people did before. Just a good stream of water and a land as productive as it can be for food. The place would be independent from capitalism, politics and all the shit that pollutes our minds, but with todays state of the earth is almost impossible, so I may end buying something.
The place could be anywhere where I can say it’s as free and virgin from modernism and over development. I haven’t decided yet where, but most probably will be in South America, where I’m from and where I think this plan is affordable.
Move to the place
Bring E1* and start developing the foundations for a good space for living. Basically I’ll need to find and/or develop:
- Potable water
- Water
- Balanced food
- Shelter
- Electrical Energy
- Hot water
- Heat
- Internet
- WC
- Sewage
Of course all of these are not what I need immediately neither in that order, but most probably I’ll like to achieve them in the short term, I guess 6 months of work.
Shelter, sewage, hot water and heat will temporarily be solved with E1, but the plan is to extend them to a workshop, an independent kitchen and space where guests could stay to sleep.
I also think of this space as one that can give the opportunity to work more in an environment closer to nature, weather and the biodiversity. I think that it could be a great gate to inspire many to have a better life outside the cities, so I want to make it as open and friendly to people’s daily lives as I can.
Self sufficiency by 2022
The main idea is to better understand what I consume as a living being and to harm as less as I can my environment, at the end of the day, I think that’s the basic ground to have a more sustainable and balanced life.
Self sufficiency wont be totally complete, the idea is to make it for my daily life, which I think it covers three areas:
- Feeding
- Hygiene and cleaning
- Commuting and work
Feeding would mean to cultivate my food, yes, all of it. I would most probably be able to grow more of something while I need also other things, so I might end trading with local people, if possible, I would like to avoid money.
Hygiene and cleaning is also all of it, from my toothpaste to the soap and everything I need to avoid getting sick and unhealthy.
Communting and work is about anything I need to move myself and to work, that means walking, a bicycle and the tools, if they need electricity, then get that electricity by my own means.
All those cover most of my daily life and while self sufficiency would not be complete, it would at least be the majority of my life while I’m not traveling. I might still require gasoline and other resources to transport heavy things and build stuff, but as far as I can avoid it, I’m fine.
One clarification, the idea behind self sufficiency is not to do it just to prove scientifically how I can make it, because it may become quite inefficient and kind of a rabbit hole, and at the end of the day, all the knowledge and tools used to make it will not be created by me. The idea behind is to prove I can rely on myself, that it might take more time and resources, but on one hand, this is the only way I think I can truly know what I’m putting into my body, and on the other, I think it’s what makes us more independent and conscious about how difficult and important are many things that we take by given.
Why 2022? Well because by that time I would have turned 40, fucking f-o-r-t-y years old, and I thought that’s enough time for having been living like now. Of course i also think it’s feasible in about 3 years from today.
Concluding
Well if you have reach this far reading I think you might have your concerns, arguments and questions.
First of all, this is just an experiment, as many ones we endeavor in life, actually, life is just another bigger one. Many things might go wrong or might fail, from finding a place, achieving self sufficiency, or just getting tired, lonely or interested in other things, actually, that last one is probably the biggest challenge.
Second, how I’m going to finance all this or how does it answers the economic question. Well for now, I’m eating my savings, but I guess that if by some moment I can rely on my own food and I can be making enough money to buy some basic stuff, I think I’m fine. Traveling might be expensive, but anyone who has traveled when young by its own has proved that you don’t need much, and I did that not long ago.
Third, what about loved ones, family, are you making this alone? The idea is to commit for this by myself, it’s my own project and I don’t need to convince or motivate anyone else, although I’m open to join with friends and people who are in the same plan and state of mind. In addition, I don’t think I’ll be alone all year, I can have guests while also go to visit them, and although the family plan is always open, it’s not for now in my roadmap.
Concluding, I think that as long as I can keep my body, mind and soul on the project, I should be getting healthier, calmed and more focused while also having an even mind, then the journey (le voyage) will be the destination.
Part III will probably come once i’m installed in the new land.
E1: refers to Emancipation 1, the motorhome I bought in 2016 and I moved to live in 2017.
Why in English?
English is the language imposed by the empire that dominates the world by the time I was born, with all the good and bad things it haves to live under an empire, in other moments it would have been latin, arabic or mandarin.
I’m writing this doc in English cause I want to let as many people be able to understand it, disregarding their background and culture they had. I’m aware that for my friends who know me in my mother tongue might not sound the same, but I prefer that over being misunderstood by many others over the translation.
Thank to all the friends who read this doc in advance and gave feedback. Also and specially to all those who serve for inspiration to make it happen.