A simple Google search will lead to many websites and people talking about living off-grid. They can range from “preppers” to people who want to live the simple life. For my family, it is the combination of the two. My husband is a prepper, and I want to get back in touch with nature.  He wants to live off-grid, and I want to live far enough away from the cities and towns. I want to live close to the forest, to the woods to reconnect with nature, but keep my internet and cellphone.

Preppers

Preppers believe something apocalyptic will happen. The event can be due to another world war or civil war. It can be the fall of the government, natural disasters, economic collapse, a release of a virus, government takeover, or alien invasion.

Are they crazy? Some are crazy, but most are not. They are everyday people who are preparing their families for any crisis. They train themselves and prepare themselves to survive. They make sure their families have enough food, water, and supplies to survive through a winter storm, hurricane, earthquake, or anything else that can happen. That does not sound crazy at all; it’s smart if you ask me.

Off-The-Grid (OTG) or Off-Gridders

Off-grid living can have a different meaning to different people. When I hear it, I think of no connection to the outside world. No utilities, no internet, and no phones.  Living off the land by hunting for food, raising for food, and growing food to survive, as our ancestors did. But…

Off-grid living is that, living off the grid. Not connected to any utilities. That means no more water bills or electric bills. Instead, you use solar panels, wind turbine, and/or water (rain, lakes, streams, rivers) to supply your home with energy.

There are On-Grid RE systems, which means you use your Mother Nature’s energy supply first, and when you need to, use the town’s energy.

What Hubby Wants

He would not mind if he got himself a reliable truck and a solar power travel trailer to live in and travel the United States until we found a spot to settle down. See all the sights, monuments, ghost hunting, and volunteer work at places like wolf conservation centers. Then we would live…

The Way I Want To Live

I want a tiny wooded-cabin home. Not too tiny. Big enough for two adults and three all-American cats, and MAYBE two big dogs. I want to have the house on a big, wilderness property. Close enough to the wilderness to get back in touch with nature, but near to town for internet and cell phones to work. With neighbors far away, where you need a good pair of binoculars to see what they are doing.

I would love to dig my hands into the soil and plant flowers, herbs, tomatoes, carrots and much more. I want to fall asleep to the sounds of the nighttime creatures and wake up to birds singing. I would like to walk in the woods and take pictures of all the beauty Mother Nature gives us.

Why? My husband and I went camping a few years back. First time for us. I went right to sleep to the howls of the coyotes.  Plus, my husband noticed how relaxed I got. He learned what I have tried to tell him about Mother Nature; I am a different person.

Biophilic Hypothesis

Biophilic Hypothesis, a term created by Edward O. Wilson, is a relationship between humans and other organisms. “The emotional bond expressed unconsciously through biophilia leads to a reverence for nature that incorporates awe and wonder, with this reverence creating a love for life and the complexity of nature” (Lumber, Richardson, Sheffield, 2). In other words, our environment influences our mental health. If your environment is poor and negative, it will reflect in your life.

Ecotherapy

According to Andy McGeeney and Lindsay Royan, in their book, With Nature in Mind: The Ecotherapy Manual for Mental Health Professionals, “Ecotherapy is about creating a deeper connection to nature and feeling better for it.”

Mental Health

Each doctor I see, I get a new or different diagnosis. The latest one, everything is connected to my PTSD.  My depression, my social anxiety, and my other ‘mental health’ issues. Ecotherapy, combined with my other therapy can help reduce my depression and anxiety. On top of that, I will get the much-needed vitamin D from the sun to help avoid bone diseases, help with “…support of metabolic functions, neuromuscular transmissions, and bone mineralization’s,” and help with endorphins, which helps in triggering positive feelings.

I get to experience the world, Mother Nature, as it is meant to be, with my senses. The nervousness of the cities, towns, people and rushing from here to there quiets down, and my anxiety and stress levels lower. I can think clearly and feel good about myself.

How would you like to live?

Photo Credit: Taken by T.L. Hicks at Hennepin Canal State Trail, Wyanet, Illinois.