Dreams of a Homestead
For a change, I want to write about something positive.
Although “homestead” may not be the right word, we are currently trying to find a better way of describing our dream place of living.
Myself and two of my closest friends are figuring out how we can save money and buy some land.
Not just a little acre, but maybe a hectare or two. A place where we can have enough space to grow organic nature friendly food to live on and maybe sell, have areas of land for restoring its natural state (aka rewilding) accessible to the public realm, as well as a community space where we can host all kinds of activities, from nature learning programs & workshops, all the way to hosting pole retreats, mindfulness & breath work getaways.
It is a dream that we’ve all been heavily thinking about for a while, taking step towards building our future.
I find it awfully depressing when I think about the state of our world. The idea of having a place where a piece of the land is safe from deforestation, safe from destruction and people are respected, loved and welcomed is something that brings me a little bit of hope and joy for the future.
We imagine growing our community with time, inviting like-minded humans to join us. We don’t just image us 3 to be the only people on this place. As we grow and build, we want to have those that are interested in permaculture, rewilding, wellbeing and nature in general to come join us on this ride.
We imagine that when we are setting the place up, we may want to invite volunteers for short and long term visits to help on our land. We would aim to have all our research and plans to be open source like Project Kamp do - if you haven’t seen these guys before, I would highly recommend giving them a try. You can also find other related things to watch on one of my previous blogs
A few weeks ago, I went back to my home country, Lithuania, and we went to visit a homestead who has set themselves up in a similar way, they live in a little clearing in the middle of the woods. They wanted to have a place of their own where the water in surrounding lakes and rivers is clean and their space is surrounded by woodland. It was awesome to help them pick berries and ask some questions. Although they reside on sandy soils, their grounds are quite productive. I also learnt that 64 acres is smaller than I anticipated - or maybe that there is a Lithuanian land measurement that doesn’t quite translate into English - still figuring this one out.
If you asked me what my ideal land looked like, I would tell you this: at least a hectare in size, a mixture of forest and open glades as well as a lake or river shore. I know … its a little optomistic, but I’m manifesting
I went to visit an area of Lithuania in which I fell in love with, its an area of Labanoro National park. Needless to say, it stole my heart.
It’s so beautiful, so abundant in diversity and so damn peaceful. The only downside is that you pay for this beauty with blood - to the mosquitoes. But, personally, I think its worth it. plus if you know how to make inviting homes to the right predators for your pest, not only do you have a healthier ecosystem, you also have less of the bite-y insects.
I mean how could you not fall in love with a place like this?
I imagine inviting people to come enjoy the summer and winter months. Drastically different from one another, there is something for everyone. Winter is thiccc snow cover, perfect for cosy fires & sauna times. And summer, 27 degrees beautiful forests, outdoor activities and wild swimming.
Image going on a retreat where you learn from some of your favorite movement teachers, where you can explore other disciplines such as mindfulness and breath work. have opportunities to go wild swimming in some of the most prestine lakes, learn about the natural world and foraging, as well community game times and sauna experiences. Also where most of the food you eat is grown and cooked on site. urgh yes please, don’t have to ask me twice.
The dream we one day want to make into a reality.
Of course, its not to say that the “homestead” life doesn’t come without its hardships. It’s definitely work and will not be so easy at times. But when you compare it with renting a single bedroom in London, where any place you go wants to go robs you of at least an hour of your time each way. yeah, I think I’d rather a life that’s fuller with meaning.
We’re still figuring out the details such as country, land ownership, foresight situations and income generating plans. All of the logistical stuff that we will figure out with time and good planning
In the meantime, it’s thing that drives to work and save. The thing that gives me hope on days where life on earth feels overwhelming and overcome with despair.
