The initial thought started just a few years ago and was simple enough: "The kids will be out of school soon, so let's leave the city and live a quiet life after they graduate." The idea of a small home in the countryside, perhaps a tiny garden (nothing too fancy) and relaxing, was formed. And like many, we began to romanticize living a simple, quiet life.

As I said, the idea was simple enough. However, as time passed, the idea of moving to the country began to evolve.

And just like the initial idea, the evolution of it was simple enough as well. Move to the country, and start a small garden, became move to the country, start a small garden, and raise some chickens. And if we're adding chickens, we might also start looking at other animals! 

As the daydreaming continued, and as we began researching beginner farming, gardening, and homesteading for beginners, a new thought began to form. What if we could become more self-sufficient? We could grow and raise a good majority of our food! Because, as we all know, homegrown is just better! And with the kids being out of high school and most likely moving on with their dreams and paths (of course, "they're more than welcome to join us"), we'll most likely have more time and be able to grow a decent enough garden! Between that and the chickens, we can supplement much of our groceries! It'll be great!

So, we continued researching and came across several YouTube channels we fell in love with. They provided us with helpful information but also helped fuel our daydreams and encouraged our vision of what our next chapter in life might look like.

Then, 2020 happened—scenes of fighting in the streets. Lockdowns are happening nationwide. Businesses closed down, empty supermarket shelves, and (if we're being honest) a bit of panic from the public. All of which flooded social media and the mainstream news. Our confidence in the system we relied on to provide food and necessary supplies had been shattered.

In my life, I've never been faced with the amount of uncertainty introduced during that time. It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least.

And once again, the idea (as simple as it once was) evolved again. But this time, it became a bit more complex. You see, while everyone was affected, the people we had been learning from and following, the YouTubers we had been using for daydream fuel, were (in some instances) less affected. Their food source was intact. And the communities that some of them had built came together. And I saw something other than just a nice, quiet life for the first time. I saw something more than just food sustainability and self-sufficiency. I saw freedom.

Though these "homesteaders" were affected, they had systems that provided them with what was needed. Even with the chaos, some experienced abundance. Even with everything that was happening to everyone, everywhere, they had plenty. And even more so, they had freedom.

Freedom to continue living a life free from a system now shattered. And I wanted it. I wanted to be a part of something that I built and would provide that same freedom for my family for generations to come. But how? We live in the city. We're not financially well off by any stretch of the imagination. And though I was raised in the country, I need to learn how to run a self-sufficient farm! Sure, I know how to fish a bit, and I've hunted and been around a garden or two. I've helped on farms. But I need to learn how to garden. And then there's the canning, preserving the food, and many other skills that might be needed! Not to mention where even to start!

And that is when that complex idea became more evident.

I will learn what I don't know. I will try, fail, and eventually succeed. I will slowly gain the skills over time. While we're working towards obtaining our property, I will learn what I can, regardless of the limited space and resources. And most importantly, I will share our journey. I know I am not the only one looking to start this very same journey and looking to escape the "grind." Looking to build systems of freedom. I want to have what I saw in those we learned from—and understand that it won't happen overnight. And it won't necessarily be easy either, as it will require hard work and a full-on lifestyle change.

So we began learning to garden, learning to cook. And I picked up the camera. We want to show you that you can do this. You can learn skills to help you on your journey, whether learning to cook from scratch or can. You may have enough space to put in a garden and begin there. Or you only have a window seal, but you can grow some herbs. You can still do this.

We are still in the beginning stages of our new life. We're still a ways away from our "forever homestead." And still a ways away from that freedom I spoke of. But we're getting closer each day.

So thank you. Thank you to those who chose this life and chose to share your knowledge with the world. Whether via social media, books, or sharing that knowledge with your family and neighbors. To those who have messaged us on our platforms and provided us with your knowledge and insight. Thank you. Thank you to all of you who have supported us on our journey and have joined us in this adventure (and it is an adventure). For affirming that we are not alone in wanting to break from the "norm." Thank you.