I've been watching people come and stay in the beautiful PNW for as long as I've been alive. Many of them invariably bring their stuff and move in. In the time frame I'm familiar with, all they could buy were those little block houses built after WW2 to accommodate our returning soldiers. It turned out that those houses were merely places to rest between adventures to explore the vast wilderness that existed. As people ventured further and further from the confines of the city they found land........lots and lots of land.......and they began building larger and larger homes. I think having a home is essential......a roof over your head, a warm bed, refrigerator, oven, running water. The McMansions I see going up around me truly boggle the mind. What are they going to do with all that square footage?
In my experiences, taking blocks of time and spending it as close to nature as possible, bringing only what I think will be necessary for survival, (fly rod ect -g-) I've found that the closer to nature I am the less appealing my urban life becomes. My treks into the wilderness have been brief but many and I'm always reluctant to leave, but thankful for all the luxuries mentioned above when I finally do arrive back home. We (my husband and I) have been on a five year quest to find a perfect compromise, and I think we've found the place. In that quest we found that appealing spaces where one can live next to or be part of nature with less stuff are few and far between.
I'm really glad you wrote your post, and for all the replies. They remind me of the many people I've met that gave it all up to live a simpler life free from living a lifetime accumulating stuff. My first question, when meeting these adventurous souls is always: do you miss your stuff? They always reply no......not for a minute. That the beauty of being unshackled made up for all the stuff they ever owned and they feel free.
When the time comes, I will reflect back upon this conversation and remember......we can't all live like the Eagle, but we can get real close if we try.
M |
