Living Self-Sustainably

We have always tried to live as naturally as possible but we finally took the plunge to complete self sustainability in 2019. After meeting in 2009 we harvested wild game for meat, had a small garden, foraged for wild fruit and kept our own bees(since 2015), yet never fully committed to 100% self sustainable living.

In 2019 we decided to take that plunge. It was an extremely demanding, rewarding, tiring, and invigorating way of life. We lived fully self sustainable for four years and we learned so much about ourselves in those for years. While rewarding, it was also an extremely limiting way of life than what we were used to living. Up until 2019 we lived nomadically in a way. We spent half our time living in the rocky mountains and the other half beside the ocean. We came and went as we pleased. Taking advantage of what amazing things each place had to offer. The tropics, an abundance of wild fruit, fish and sunshine. The mountains, wild game, trout and even wild vegetables and herbs.

We began growing our garden in the tropics, expanding enough to grow everything we could possibly need. We devoted our time and energy to the way of life.

We kept chickens and quail for eggs, dairy goats for milk. Grew kale, chard, beets, corn, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, turnip greens, kohlrabi, sweet potatoes, ginger, cucumbers bananas, mangos, avocados, citrus, passion fruit, lychees, longans, figs, papaya, dragon fruit an abundance of herbs, and so much more. We were on well water and continued hunting and fishing for our meat. With all of these things combined we had no need to grocery shop and we lived this way for four years. Though rewarding, the amount of stress that comes along with the lifestyle is immense and it began wearing us down. We found ourselves mourning the way we had always lived, on the go and adventurous, moving with the seasons and enjoying what was already there rather than forcing it into submission.

Just before 2023 we decided that chapter of our lives was ready to put to sleep. It was time to rest our bodies, our minds and focus on ourselves once again. We owed it to ourselves.

Even though we are no longer living self sustainably we will continue to make conscious decisions on where our food is coming from. We will still continue to eat wild meats, forage for seasonal produce, pick from our trees and keep a small garden. We are all fortunate enough to live in a time where food is just a click away but that doesn't mean we should forget where our food comes from. We cant be blissfully ignorant to the fact that an animals life was taken if we choose to eat meat. That our produce is being sprayed with harmful chemicals. We each have to make the conscious decision to do better, for ourselves, our children and our planet. "Remember, you vote with your wallet, your dollar bill is your ballot, alone its just a whisper but together you cant stop it!"