Homesteading

An alternative to my intentional community idea would be homesteading. I'd, of course, still want at least one other person to go out with me. Maybe Oregon or Washington woods somewhere? Far enough away from urban sprawl that we'd hopefully not have to deal with encroachment in the near future, but close enough to make a trip for supplies once a month or so. I would prefer to be near a small liberal-ish town or to have a few others share our land for some variety in socializing, but I realize that every qualification I put on my dream makes it less likely and less feasible. So, I continue to dream, and try to be realistic at the same time!

Ahhh... Building my own house, passive solar equipped, wood stove, green house, garden, composting toilet, water collection system, maybe built into the ground partially, southern exposure, trees, a little outdoor, enclosed "cat pen" for safe outside adventures for the feline friends who I'd never have the heart to leave behind, etc, etc...! I'm sold!

Excerpt of a discussion

I've copied an online discussion of the book(s) by Daniel Quinn in the Ishmael series. I was asked my opinions and what I did/did not agree with in the book. Here it is...

I've read all 3 books in the Ishmael series. They make some great points about our society, our 'myths' we live by, totalitarian agriculture, salvationist religions, tribal ideas and communities, our education system, etc... I suppose one thing I take issue with is that the books suggest a change of vision as the solution for humanities' destruction of the planet. This would work, of course, but I don't really have hope that this is possible. I think what we "should" do as individuals is what we can in our lifetimes to be sustainable/responsible within our societies, or to separate ourselves from them as much as possible.

As far as hope for the future is concerned, I do think humans will have to destroy ourselves or come very close to destruction before we would be motivated to change our philosophies about the ways we live (i.e. believing we have the right/responsibility to change and control nature and that we are above the natural order). Does this answer your question? What are/were your takes on the book(s)? -Amara

A word about my struggling business...

This has little to do with an intentional community, other than the fact that if I'm successful at my massage business, I'm more likely to be able to follow my dreams. The word is that the more people that click on links to my website from other sites, the more I will pop up on searches for search engines. So, will you all click on the link, even if you've seen the site, and even if you don't live in Portland?! Thank you so much! Have a wonderful day!

Click Below!

Click Here for my website.

A Direction to Aim

Following any feelings of doom and gloom, my brain starts to work on next steps and plausible solution. So, here's the theory.... If I aim in the direction I want to go, I will meet people who feel the same way and learn things I will need to know along the way. In short, I will manifest my desired future in my life. Do I expect it to look identical to the vision in my head at this moment? If our ideas and expectations didn't evolve, wouldn't that mean we have closed ourselves to learning new things? I hope to learn until the day I die.

Paying off my current debt is a good start to being able to afford to buy my yurt, some land, and begin my farming. So I will attempt to make more money and save, save, save in an effort to follow my dreams. This feels a bit like immersion even more in the corrupt system in order to be able to separate myself from that very system. But, I don't see a way around this and I'm willing to accept it as a necessary "evil".

Also, and this is where I will meet those like-minded people, I will volunteer with an environmental clean-up or green energy effort, take environmental ed. classes and "survival" courses where I'm able (keeping in mind the previous goal of paying off debt).

Then there's my garden! I have a yard now, space, and raised beds I began work on this fall. So, I practice growing as much food as I can, in this northwest climate. Yummy!

So, there's a plan of action which will get my closer to my goal of an intentional community while using my time in the interim for preparation.

I'm tired

Honestly, I thought more people would be thinking the things I am and want to discuss them here. Honestly, I don't believe we are living the way nature intended. Honestly, I don't want to go off and live alone in order to get away from it all. Honestly, I'm tired.

How do I find what I'm looking for? Where is my intentional community, my tribe? Where do I go from here? I can't stay motivated on these things with no one to share in my journey, to inspire and encourage me. Would I be more likely to meet the person/ people I'm talking about in a small town/ community? Then what?! Wait another few years before real life begins?!

I can live with this life. It's not that I'm unhappy. There are good things happening. If I only knew that this was it, that I should move forward within the parameters of the life I have right now, I could give up on all of the other passions and dreams perpetually brewing just under the surface of my mind.

Anyone want to move away from the bustling masses into a yurt with me?