After years of talking, my husband and I have decided to follow our hearts and take the big leap. We're going back to nature! We have 40-acres in northern Michigan, and we're going to move there. The idea of living off the land has always appealed to us, and we've decided it's important to raise our kids in a setting that emphasizes family and hard work, not materialism and growing up as fast as possible.
We have a three-year goal of moving to our property up north. This will allow my daughter to graduate from high school and go off to college. Three years from now is also the time we'd need to get our son into school. There is a school near the property, but we don't know yet if we'll send him there (my husband's vote) or homeschool (my vote). My in-laws are going to move up there next year, and we'll all work together to get the property ready. We've got to put cabins up there, save up for the generator, put in a well, buy the propane-fueled appliances we need, like a refridgerator and the shower, get some land ready for planting, get some land ready for animals, etc... My brother and his family want to move up there as well.
We've been up there in the winter, so we've experienced what it's like to be snowed in. We hope that hard work will keep us to tired to get cabin fever.
I'm going to get a seasonal tourism job (I know I won't have a problem with that) and my husband will get a part-time job nearby. We're trading in our big SUV for a small, dependable car that gets good gas mileage (for going to town) and a pickup (for getting around the property). John's parents are selling their house, and they'll use that money to pay for most of the work that needs to be done.
It sounds like a crazy commune, right? But it won't be, I swear. :) We're going to operate kind of like a business, and decisions will be made by the group. Our focus is going to be self-sufficiency and family. We figure if it doesn't work out, we can always move back.
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Comments: 47
Have you ever read the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.) by Barbara Kingsolver, - would be a great one to read as you are planning all of this!
Good luck with your plans!
Seriously, you will have to do a documentary or book about this. Maybe pitch the idea to pbs or another network.
The group: We Comment Back
We used to rent a cabin in the Poconos every winter. I used to stay all week while everyone went home because they had to work. I had my daughter with me and she was my full time job at that time. Everyone would be like, aren't you afraid???
I would be like afraid of what? That I will be mugged by a deer? I love big open spaces without the neighbors front door attached to mine.
And I live in a twin home. Thank God it is not a row house. I would really go batty then! Have a great day.
It will be a good choice for you. I know, however, that your heart is hurting for the daughter going off to college. Hearts adjust :) I hope she gets to come home and visit often.
one investment you may want to make is the 4 or 5 CD set of all the back issues of Mother Earth News on CD... The magazine kinda went sour in the late 80's-early 90's BUT there are still nuggets in each issue AND you should be able to search the indexing.
Mine is on order.
good luck, and a personal suggestion.. you folks will be isolated enough, send the kids to the local school. kids NEED the social interaction to understand HOW to deal with the world.
Just a suggestion I'm sure you've already considered. Small economical cars are great in the spring, summer and fall, but seriously consider the truck being a 4x4...lol! Or, at least have one in the family and maybe a couple of used snowmobiles to help around the farm in the winter since snow can get awful deep.
I have a few opinions about home schooling though but you didn't ask that! It could be a great experience and I say go for it and wish you lots of luck!!! Salud.
Not quite 'back to nature' as you are, but we would like to move either to Traverse City (ya, I know its now a Metropolis) or maybe Petoskey, or near East Tawas (we have lots of family there).
I have always wanted to move up north.
My wife just got the boot after 18yrs. at a local hospital.
We have 6 mos. severance to make a move.
Good luck with your amazing adventure, I am sure it will be fine!
Suggestion. Go solar in whatever way you can. It helps. Don't have to invest in something outrageous.
And, I'd go with the homescooling. Public schools do NOT teach children how the real world is, or how to deal with it. A little socializing is fine, but find your social interaction with people/families in the community. There's plenty of socializing to be had, outside of the public school system.