New life, new site subtitle
November 14th, 2007You may have seen it coming; I think I have reached a tipping point in my life. I want out of the treadmill of (debt- and) wage-slavery. My career as a classical engineer for the aerospace industry will have to gradually give way to a new life as a farmer. Not the intensive-type farmer. Just the type of farming that can feed family and some neighbours and leave time for whatever things I feel must be done (like continuing with the well-paying engineering work while it remains so interesting, working for LibriVox, developing websites for community initiatives, blogging, reading, raising kids, cooking meals for guests, whatever makes life the best experience possible).
Additionally, the new way of life will probably be more robust in case when we get hit by one of the looming crises (oil, finance, climate). Funny that the lifestyle I want should also probably be the life I would have to adopt sooner or later anyway, like all those who fled cities and returned to homesteads during the great depression or WWII. If no crisis comes, so much the better.
I do not think the tone of the blog will change much, but I will sure write more about my farming endeavour and try to share some of my enthusiasm.
Go for it, Mandarine and family. What a wonderful endeavour! Are you cutting down your working hours now, or do you plan to do so in the future, once your farm’s established?
I will ask a reduction for January, going from 190 work days in a year to 170, thus officially reducing my job to a minority position (170/365 = 46%)
This is so exciting! Did you find this decision difficult? Many people dream about making a big change in their lives and never do. I’d love to hear more about it.
The most difficult part to decide was whether I should write it in here. In fact, I have known for a long time that I wanted to go in that direction, but now I have decided for a big shift in scale for next spring; I have only four months to prepare everything.
This sounds wonderful — I’m glad you are making this step, and I look forward to reading about it.
It’s more of a ramp-up than a definite step, but yes, I’ll be writing about it.
Ooh, I, for one, can’t wait to read all about it.
You will have to wait a little, because serious stuff will probably not start before spring. This winter will be preparatory work. Some of it will be dull. But I’ll be posting pictures for the chicken tractor I am building.
Congrats on the tipping point! I’m glad to hear you’ve gone with your inner voice and actively changing things to the life you want.
But what I REALLY want to know is…. what kind of chickens do you have that you need a tractor?
Doug
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tractor
http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/tractors.html
Congratulations! while I have to work for a while longer, I too have decided I need a fairly big change - that my current lifestyle continue. I’m hoping to make a similar change - well - without the farming…
The big difficulty with big changes is the part when you have to let go of one branch and coast to a hypothetical new branch. I have never had to do that (yet), and have managed the big changes without ever letting go before I have a firm grasp on the new thing.
Congratulations, Mandarine! I am sure you will find joy and much less stress in your new life style. I want a chicken tractor. Too bad our idiotic and short-sighted city fathers have made the keeping of chickens within city limits illegal. Especially since the price of eggs is rapidly reaching $2.00 a dozen.
Yet you are allowed to welcome tons of wild animals. Maybe you can choose wild ducks, pheasants or partridges and pretend they came by themselves?
I linked to this last night in my post. I am so excited by the slow move towards a more natural lifestyle that I see happening.
The next six months are bound to be darn interesting. And there may be more on the job front.
Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched….
congratulations for your blog anyway.
Benoit
I said may. In fact, I know there will be more on the job front, whichever way it turns out.