When most people think of off-grid living, they think of
fringe hippies, living in some remote desert, with an earth ship house, solar
panels, and dirty hair. I know that's what I thought of when I first started
researching off-grid living. But things have changed quite a bit since the
off-grid movement first began, and now, more than ever, getting unplugged,
getting outside and living more consciously and intentionally, is a choice that
mainstream Americans are making every day.
Even the word "off-grid" has changed. I don't know what it
means to you, but when I think about "getting off the grid," I think of more
than just throwing up some solar panels. I think about all the ways that I can
remove myself from environmental destruction, toxic chemicals in my food,
cancer-causing agents in my health practices, and yes, throwing up some solar
panels while I'm at it. Because getting off the grid means more than just the
power grid. It means getting off our dependence on consumption of oil and oil
based products. It means being more self sufficient in the way that we conduct
our everyday business, everything from food, medicine, banking, energy, waste
disposal and water.
And, there are many stages of dependence and even more ways
to creatively solve HOW a person chooses to unplug, to dis-engage, and to
create self reliance. For most of us, just getting outside for a few hours for
a hike, or perhaps getting the family out of town and into the mountains for a
camping trip, or spending a week with buddies hunting, is not just a luxury
anymore. It's a necessity. Our lives have become so filled with electronic
distractions, over stimulation, and the stress of modern living, that we
absolutely MUST reconnect with nature in some way just to unwind, and feel
sane.
However, I have found that most people who take the time to
get off-grid even for a few hours, quickly find themselves addicted to the
experience of being "off the grid" and settled down. I know for me, the more I'm
outside, the more I want to be outside. And this has led me to my own off-grid
journey. My goal: to be completely self sufficient, to live on my own little
piece of heaven, where my food is grown outside my kitchen window and my hands
smell of earth and hard work. I want to know that the food I eat, the clothes I
wear, the energy I consume, and the water I drink are sacred and renewable. I
want off this crazy toxic merry-go-round that is consuming more than our
natural resources: it's consuming my spirit along with it! This website, and my
life, are an attempt to take my pioneering spirit back.
I hope you will join me in creating your own off grid
moments, whether you are hiking, backpacking, camping, hunting, gardening,
playing or building.
Let's Go Off-Grid or Take a Hike!
~~ Jo Hannah
