We had started this journey years ago, and didn’t even realize the path we were on until we were well down the road. When we started seeing the dream appear in front of us, it became apparent that God had sent us down this road before we even knew we needed to be on it. I really don’t feel that for our family, living off grid is a giant jump off the cliff. Its a little side step from the journey we have been on. Kind of like jumping over to the other road rut that has been there all along.
Our biggest hurdle, I think would be the electricity consumption. We really are trying to conserve, creating new habits. Everyone once in a while, mother nature creates little practice sessions. Ice storm, trees down, power goes out. Generator gets pulled out, we disconnect from the grid and realize that there are just things that we need to turn off. Our biggest power consumers are things like the 3 deep freezes and 2 refrigerators we use for all our preservation. Well that and our well house pump. Oh and the heat lamps for the animals so they don’t freeze in the cold…….well all the things in the shop that don’t get used during those times. So we are learning about other ways to power those conveniences.
Thank goodness when it comes time to going completely off grid, we will be in a better location that will have plenty of sun for solar, battery houses and backup generators for the winter when the sun decides to hide. We will also have steady source of wind power, which may power water sources at the barns. Its a work in progress, and we are dreaming and researching for what will work best for us. Thank goodness I have a hubby that knows how to weld and build all kinds of things. He finds peace in the time he spends outdoors. Mostly trapesing around in the woods, so we much have those at our new home also. But in the winter, when its cold outside, the shop is where he can be happiest. Building, tinkering, being a guy.
Off grid, he will have lots of time to do all those guy things, all the things that he was made to do. Masculine things. Hunt, fish, build, create…..