The Difficult Path to The Simple Life
From city girl to simple life
I grew up in the city. Life was fast, competition was fierce and downtime was considered a luxury. Meals were often eaten on the go as I rushed from appointment to appointment; From the train to work; From home to school and back again. Always rushing.
Always stuck in never-ending traffic, or alone in a crowd on the train as everybody averted their eyes from each other and looked down at their phones. Always scurrying around with everyone else stuck in the rat race, just trying to get through the day. Get through Life.
Iโd look up sometimes and see nothing but grey; Grey concrete shooting high into the sky on a backdrop of grey skies. And I lived in one of the greenest cities in the world! Still, it never felt natural to me, and I often found myself stressed, overwhelmed, anxious and depressed.
I know there are lots of people who do love living in the city, surrounded by stimuli; Things to do, places to go, limitless options for dining out, a never-ending selection of entertainment, businesses open 24/7, bright lights, loud noises and crowds of people everywhere. The city teems with life, and some people thrive on that. I have many friends who do. They get their energy from the constant buzz of city life. I think itโs awesome for them! But itโs not for me.
Loving life in the slow lane
I like living a quieter, slower, frankly more boring life. I hate feeling rushed, stressed or pressured to keep up with everybody else. I’m energized by being in nature, gardening, reading, writing, solitude, having deep philosophical conversations with my closest family and friends, and spending time simply enjoying life in the moment. I once read that time is a currency, and that we all have a finite amount. I truly believe this, and I donโt want to waste mine.
So we moved away from the city to the outskirts of a smaller town. Itโs still quite large, but nothing like the big city. Thereโs lots of land still out here. Thereโs nature everywhere and room to breathe. Many businesses still close on Sundays and most dining options shut their doors at 8 pm. People look each other in the eyes here and most still say hello or offer a friendly smile. Thereโs less pressure to run the rat race because thereโs really no rat race to run.
Sure, itโs still busy here. We live off the main highway and as I write this Iโm listening to sounds of rush hour traffic right outside our front door. But at night, the road is quiet and the traffic is replaced by the sound of crickets or frogs or owls or nothing, depending on the time of year. And you can see the stars when you look up on a clear night. Thereโs no light pollution to interfere. Itโs heavenly.
We live on enough land now to grow a good-sized garden, we currently donโt pay rent where we live in exchange for taking care of the house, and Iโm realizing my dreams of pursuing a simpler life where I get to stay home most days, spend quality time with my family, follow my passion for homesteading and write about it here to boot. I really couldnโt ask for a life better suited to me and my husband. But I still struggle to embrace simple living fully and completely, the way I really want to.
You can take the girl out of the city, but…
Last year when I was about 6 months pregnant with my daughter, I was working full time at a school where I had a conversation with another teacher. I told him I was also working part time at another job, substituting at other schools on the days this school was closed, starting a candle-making business from home and growing my first big veggie garden, all while being due to give birth in the middle of summer. As I told him all this, he looked at me, perplexed. Then he asked me, โwhy are you so busy?โ
โI donโt know,โ I replied. โI feel like I need to be. I like to keep busy.โ
โDo you think it’s because you used to live in the city?โ He asked.
I thought about that for a moment, and let his words sink in. Finally I responded, โmaybe.โ
My husband and I on a hike on our due date. Even at 9 months pregnant I found it hard to sit still.
Learning to let go of the need to keep up with the pace of a faster life has been a challenge for me. Donโt get me wrong; To most people looking from the outside, it might seem like I donโt have a lot going on. But Iโm always busy with some project, task, commitment or self-imposed deadline I’m working toward.
Iโm very goal-oriented and I care about being successful. But what Iโve been learning lately is that my version of success doesnโt need to look like other peopleโs. I still struggle with feeling like I need to prove myself to others; To please them and be what they expect me to be, rather than who I really am. To feel accepted. To fit in.
I don’t think many of my friends and family members really understand this lifestyle that has captivated me, and I still get the feeling some people think it’s a way for me to justify laziness and get out of working for a living, which could not be further from the truth. I just want the work that I do to be worth more than a steady paycheque and a good benefits plan. And I don’t want to rely on a pension to provide for me in my old age. I want to rely on my own skills, knowledge and land.
But I still feel pressured to prove my success through the money I earn, the title I have and the things I own, because that’s how so many other people define and understand success. A stay-at-home mom with a few bucks in the bank and dirt under her fingernails is hardly the poster child for a successful woman in the 21st century. But that’s what makes me happy. And I believe being happy in today’s world is the greatest success anyone can achieve.
Success is all relative
My version of success is not about earning enough money to pay for a fancy lifestyle. Rather, itโs about living a simpler lifestyle so that I donโt have to earn as much money to support it. Itโs not about having some big fancy title or status. Instead, itโs about living a life thatโs true to who I am and what I believe. Itโs not about accumulating things. Iโd rather accumulate moments spent with my family, in the garden admiring the miracle of life, in the kitchen cooking, at home creating and doing what I love.
I decided to write on this topic this week because Iโve been feeling out of sorts for the past few days. Iโve been struggling to find where I fit. Do my friends and family think Iโm strange for pursuing this dream? Do they take it seriously or think itโs just a phase? Often I donโt talk to them about it because they canโt relate to where Iโm coming from. I hardly told anyone I was starting this blog before I launched it simply because I feared they would ask โwhatโs it about,โ and Iโd have to explain it to them, feeling weird and uncomfortable and utterly โdifferentโ as I did. After all, let’s face it: this isn’t the typical 21st-century millennial dream.
On the other hand, I feel like a fraud sometimes because of my inexperience living this lifestyle. Iโve connected with some amazing people online who are self-proclaimed homesteaders, preppers, farmers, gardeners and natural-living experts. Many of them have years or even a lifetime of experience doing what Iโm teaching myself to do one step at a time. Iโm proud to feel like Iโm becoming a part of this community, but I often feel inadequate and even unqualified to give advice, like I do here, on this blogโฆ
Learning to trust my journey
Iโve had to remind myself lately that life is a journey, and to trust that journey. To love where you are on your path and know thatโs exactly where you should be. Right now Iโm in a transition phase. Iโm still learning to slow down, to let things go, and to allow myself a little grace.
I donโt need anything fancy. But I do need to feel as if Iโm living my life honestly and being true to myself. For me, that means breaking free from the rat race, and living a life removed from the stress and the pressures of the modern world.
A simple, slow, quiet life where I grow some of the food that we eat, make what I can with my own two hands, follow my passions, and spend as much time as possible enjoying every moment with the ones I love.
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But in recent years mushrooms have started gaining momentum as both medicine and superfoods, and with more and more people looking for natural alternatives to conventional (and often harmful) prescription drugs, psychedelic mushrooms are even being legalized and used in small (micro) doses to treat mental health issues with promising results.
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When I first started growing my own food at home, the gardening world seemed pretty black and white to me: plants grow in the dirt, outdoors, in the spring and summer. Thatโs what us city kids always learned in school anyway.โฃ
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Sprouts are considered to be a superfood because of how nutrient dense they are and when we eat them, we get the health benefits of all of those nutrients in our own bodies.โฃ
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If you live in a climate that remains colder half the year or more, sprouts can be an excellent way to get the benefits of gardening even when it's not "gardening season". โฃ
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Living a slow, simple life isnโt easy in this fast-paced world.
No matter how much I preach it to everyone else, I still struggle with the guilt, shame and โnot enough-nessโ that I feel every time I choose rest, relaxation, stillness, disconnectedness or being โunproductiveโ when I feel I SHOULD be working, hustling, moving, checking emails and being โproductiveโ (which is almost always).
We all know that our culture praises productivity and busy-ness, and most of us know itโs a scam that keeps us stressed, burnt out and focused on the wrong things in life. Ultimately many of us end up feeling unfulfilled even though weโre spinning our wheels every day working to keep up with the demands of the world and our never-ending to-do list. Most of us would rather be resting, relaxing, spending quality time with our loved ones and doing things that light us up rather than simply keep us busy. But itโs hard to break free from the societal pressure to do more, produce more, earn more, acquire more and ultimately BE more.
So while I still struggle with this daily, and I donโt have any easy answers for how to overcome this, I wanted to share that today Iโm choosing slow; Today Iโm choosing to be present in the here and now rather than worrying about yesterday or tomorrow; Today Iโm choosing snuggles with my baby boy over emails and deadlines, and while I still feel that guilt rising up inside me, Iโm making a conscious effort to remind myself that the world wonโt end because I chose to slow down today, and at the end of my life I wonโt regret taking this time with my son, but I might regret NOT slowing down to enjoy it.
I encourage you to apply the same thought process to your own life and give yourself permission to slow down and enjoy the gift of time youโve been given today. After all, you never know when it might be your last day. And if it were your last, how would you wish youโd spent it?
In the dark, bitter cold days of midwinter when weโve been deprived of quality time in the sunshine and the trees are all bare, it can be easy for almost anyone to feel depressed and to overlook the tiny miracles that are happening all around us.โฃ
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Signs of life abound, even in the dead of winter! โฃ
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Connect with nature and enjoy the little things to help beat the winter blues. Go for a walk in the woods or the park and really pay attention to the natural world around you. Watch the songbirds flitting back and forth, gathering winter berries. Look for signs of greenery and new growth; Maybe even some snowdrops or crocuses have begun to emerge from the ground where you live. โฃ
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Spring is coming!
While most people run to the store every time they need something, you and I are not most people. Oh no friendโฆ We are modern homesteaders.โฃ
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Weโre a special breed, and one thing that sets us apart is that we are always thinking about preparing for the future and about stocking up when the things are abundant (and cheap!) which they aren't so much right now. โฃ
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When it comes to citrus fruits, if you live in a place where you can grow them yourself, then youโll probably have more than you can handle fresh when theyโre in season. Knowing how to preserve them will help ensure nothing gets wasted.โฃ
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Whether you're a seasoned homesteader or this is your first season preserving, I've got a hearty list of ideas of how to get the most out of your citrus fruits for the year to come! Visit the full list here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-ways-use-preserve-citrus-fruits/ or check out the link in my bio. โฃ
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What do you usually do with your extra citrus fruits? Have you tried any of these preservation methods?โฃ
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Let me know in the comments below!
Checking in on all my #homesteadpantrychallenge participants today :) โฃ
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During the pantry challenge I always find it pretty easy to make my way through the canned items. A side dish here, a breakfast there, but what about bulk items that we have on hand like bags of sugar and flour?โฃ
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Well have no fear, this bread recipe is a game-changer! Not only does it only require 3 simple ingredients (plus water), it can be whipped up in a bowl using an ordinary kitchen spoon and it comes out perfect every time. It will help you make your way through that 5lb bag of flour just sitting on the shelf, and it only takes a couple minutes to prepare. โฃ
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This is a really nice bread to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar or as part of a spread or cheese board. For the full recipe click here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/easy-no-knead-homemade-bread/ or visit the link in my bio. โฃ
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Let me know how it turns out and if you decide to add any herbs or other toppings to spice it up, I want to hear about it!
Iโve tried my hand at many skills and tackled my share of adventurous projects over the years. Along my homesteading and journey Iโve tried everything from candle-making to cheesemaking, sourdough bread to fermented vegetables, canning and dehydrating to rendering lard and more. When it comes to home medicine, Iโve learned how to make may useful concoctions, from herbal teas, tinctures and syrups to poultices, salves, ciders and more. But encapsulating my own placenta after the birth of our son was definitely a first, and by far my most adventurous โkitchen projectโ and foray into home medicine so far.
I have to admit, I was a bit squeamish at first, but Iโm fascinated by this kind of stuff and love learning skills that allow me to take my health and well-being into my own hands. I also love challenging myself to try new things and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
A few of the possible benefits of consuming placenta after birth include:
โข Hormones in the placenta can improve mood and lessen symptoms of postpartum depression
โข Can reduce postpartum bleeding
โข Provides a natural source of iron and other micronutrients
โข Can help boost milk production
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First the placenta is steamed, then it is sliced thin and dehydrated before being ground up into a fine powder. The you add that powder into some capsules using an encapsulator and youโre done!
Iโve been taking 2 capsules 4x/day for the past week. Any real results are yet to be seen but I didnโt want to pass up the only chance Iโll probably get to try my hand at this home medicine project! I mean, you just never know when this skill might come in handy;)
So tell me, whatโs the most adventurous thing YOUโVE tried in the name of homesteading and/or natural health? Comment below and let me know!
Since the weather is often cold, dark and gloomy, there arenโt as many fun, free things to do outdoors, so itโs easy to blow your budget on other things that will help you beat cabin fever like eating out, going to the movies and even going shopping just for something to do.โฃ
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But the flip side to this is that, once January hits, many people are motivated by the fresh start the new year brings and are ready to hunker down for a while and get their finances on track after the holidays. So in many ways that makes winter the perfect time of year to adopt some frugal habits. โฃ
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Our#homesteadpantrychallenge is in full-swing and now that our little one has arrived, simple and frugal pantry meals are a necessity to ensure we are getting adequate rest and not overdoing it during these newborn days. โฃ
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When I'm staring at the pantry wondering what to make, I love referring back to this list for a little bit of inspiration for either bringing back an old recipe, or creating a new one. โฃ
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๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ: โฃ
Breakfastsโฃ
Soupsโฃ
Homemade Breadsโฃ
Main Dishesโฃ
Snacks & Sidesโฃ
Sweets & Treatsโฃ
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So whether youโre trying to save a little extra money on your grocery bill, or prioritizing rest this season these 35 frugal recipes will help you get good, wholesome, delicious homemade food on the table every day, which means you have one less thing to stress about. โฃ
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Check out the full list at https://thehouseandhomestead.com/frugal-recipes-roundup/ or visit the link in my bio. โฃ
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Eat well friends:)
I hope you had a wonderful and restful end of holidays, and are also feeling ready to get back on track with your daily schedule here in the new year. It can sometimes feel like a lot to get going, but those "regular days" help us to regulate our rhythms, and in turn help us slowly, gear up for the Spring season ahead. โฃ
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In our Winter Issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, my friend and fellow homesteader, Ashley Constance of @alittleselfreliant wrote "Breaking Your Cabin Fever" a list of ideas for staying productive over the winter months. โฃ
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If you're feeling a bit restless and up to it, this list of ideas is a perfect way to get back into a daily routine. โฃ
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From making and creating, to preparing, planning and organizing you'll be feeling ready for Spring in no time. โฃ
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To see the full list, subscribe to Modern Homesteading Magazine here at https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com/subscribe/ or visit the link in my bio.
Homesteading is a year-round lifestyle, andโฃ
for whatever reason, homesteading is most often thought of as a three-season โactivity.โ โฃ
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1. ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ด ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ. โฃ
2. ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ด๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ.โฃ
3. ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ถ๐ด ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ญ. โฃ
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So much of homesteading centers around preparing for winter. But what happens when winter finally arrives?โฃ
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Sure, we could just hunker down and relax, enjoy the fruits of our labour and rest until spring returns and the really busy seasons begin again. But the very nature of most homesteaders is that we tend to enjoy keeping busy. In other words, we tend to go a bit stir crazy sitting around on the couch for too long.โฃ
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Now, let me just make this clear before we continue: I think itโs VERY important to take time to rest whenever possible so that you can feel rejuvenated and be more productive when you really need to be, but if youโre looking for some (mostly relaxing) homesteading activities that you can do throughout the winter months to help keep you occupied, Iโve got a few suggestions for you:) โฃ
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My full list of winter homesteading activities can be found here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/winter-homesteading-activities/ โฃ
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Happy homesteading!
Great blog post! I want to encourage you to stick with what your heart is telling you. You obviously love what you are doing based on the pictures of yourself in your element. Love your husband and your little one and evaluate each day you spend on your little piece of land by asking yourself, “Did I do today what I wanted to accomplish?” If so, keep smiling and keep plugging along!
Thank you for the encouraging words! I’m so glad that I found my passion as I know there are some people who never even discover what they really love doing because they are too busy “running the rat race” to even stop and think about it! And of course there are many more who have passions that they never pursue (or at least not to the extent that they would like to) because of others’ expectations of them. I know, even when I feel I am not living up to others’ standards, that I am doing exactly what my heart is telling me to do. If I died tomorrow, I would be able to say I lived a life true to myself, followed my dreams and put my heart into everything that I did. And that is priceless. Thanks for reading!
And Blessed we are to spend those moments along with you.. It is wonderful to see someones life taking it’s true path..
Thanks Lyndy! So awesome having you guys just across the yard. And your chickens! I mention them and their eggs often:)
A girl after my own heart! I wish women could have stayed home with their children(and I don’t mean to drive them places and always be on the go) taught them cooking, cleaning, gardening etc. And you certainly have a knack for writing as well-just be you, relax(and work hard at the same time)-therapy. A big thumbs up Anna!!
Thanks Glenda! I love being at home with Evelyn. As every mother knows, some days are trying and I even get envious that Ryan gets to go to work all day and talk to adults while I stay home and deal with crying and dirty diapers. But getting to spend time with my daughter every day, to be present for all of her milestones and to bring her into the kitchen and out to the garden with me is a priceless gift that I don’t intend to waste. I’m excited to raise her like children used to be raised: being a part of where her food comes from, contributing to our family by helping out around the home and learning the skills necessary to become a confident, self-reliant adult with a strong work ethic and moral compass. That’s my dream for my kids. I don’t care how much money they make or what their “status” is. All I care about is that they are happy, healthy and have all the tools they need to take care of themselves and their own families one day, and pursue their own passions with my full support.
Great post. I think this is something we all struggle with. It is what is expected of us. Kudos to you for working toward your dream. I too am working toward my dream of just living in the moment.
Kudos to you for working towards yours too mom:) Remember to slow down and enjoy it before it’s too late.