The Calling
How did you begin your homesteading journey? Did you grow up in the country and inherit the lifestyle? Or did you get hit with "the calling" in your city-life and decide to do a 180 with your situation?
For me, it was "the calling". I termed it this because, for me, it wasn't a choice, but a few things calling to me at just the right time in my life for me to listen. It made me change my entire way of life, and finally appreciate what is most important to me and my family.
I've read and listened to many people who have told their stories of how they started the homesteading lifestyle. Many experience a similar need for change and embark on an adventurous journey to become self-sufficient. The idea hits them like a force of nature, and the desire inside them grew into a passion.
My calling started with the idea and enthusiasm of growing a few tomatoes. But, if I'm being completely honest with you, I inherited a decent sized back yard a few years earlier. I needed a hobby and decided to start a garden. I had seen a friend grow her own food for years on 1/8 of what I had. So, I decided that I wanted to try it because it would get me outdoors where I felt like I needed to be. I was more than jealous that my friend had so much produce to share with me. And it was all so tasty!
Once I had decided I was going to try gardening, I started reading books and watching YouTube to figure out how to begin. After doing a little research, my focus shifted from simply having a garden, to making some extra cash with that garden. I had grandiose visions of starting a market farm on my 1/4 acre of land. Before I had even cultivated my first plant, I was envisioning mounds of produce, vast supplies of herbs, and an abundant garden that produced enough to feed my family and more.
If you are already a gardener or homesteader, then you may be chuckling to yourself at my silly notions. Gardening is not a simple task, and ideas of creating a market farm without ever growing a single plant are just crazy. Ok, so I went a little overboard with my enthusiasm, but I was so excited to explore the possibilities, that I aimed big with my dreams.
During my exploration into the world of gardening, I was exposed to many stories of homesteaders, living the simple life. They enjoyed their families and lifestyle in a way that I saw mine lacking.
I was sick of the routine of commuting 3 hours each day to and from work. Working so that I could pay for things I didn't really need. I was tired all the time from living an unhealthy lifestyle, and just sick of the monotony altogether. I had a mountain of debt and a lackluster for life. I would go about my weekly routine, feeling inside that I was wasting my life fulfilling unimportant accomplishments and milestones. That's when I heard "the calling".
It's hard to describe that moment when you realize you don't want to live like everyone else anymore. That instant when you never want to go grocery shopping again, and not just because you hate the actual chore. The moment when you would rather be outside all day living life, instead of reading about it on your computer. There were several things over the course of several months that called to my inner soul while I was reading about gardening, but there was also a single moment when I finally thought that the world had gone crazy and lost sight of what we were becoming. In that second, I decided to change my life and become a homesteader. It felt like somebody had opened a gate inside my soul, and an awakening started to happen.
I decided that I would rather spend my money more wisely, and conserve it for things I truly needed. I made a plan to stop spending money on anything that wasn't a necessity, and stop using my credit cards. I decided to pay off my debt and make a plan to live debt-free from now on.
That is not such an easy accomplishment in today's society. It's hard to go cold turkey with your credit cards, and in full disclosure, I still occasionally use my credit card for a large unexpected purchase or need. But, I am steadily working on that goal, and have paid off 3 credit cards in full since I made the decision. It's going to take me a few years, but if you have been tapped by "the calling", then you know it may take several years to accomplish your ultimate goals, but they are attainable by sheer willpower, if nothing else.
Just like that, money became unimportant to me. Time was my number one priority. I say time because it's how you spend the moments in your life that ultimately either satisfy you or leave you unfulfilled.
I decided that I wanted more time with my family, more time to do things I enjoyed, and less hassle from the outside world. I didn't want to spend my precious moments in life working so that I could buy more stuff. I wanted to make memories that mattered to me and my family. As I get older in life, I feel like time is speeding up. It feels like it's flowing by like a raging river. As it rages by, you see how fast it flows, but you also realize that your moments are limited in number. You have to make the moments in your life count.
There was also a second part to my "calling". That was a dark plunge into the modern food system. I am going to try to be as unbiased here as I can be, but if you are reading this, then you can probably agree that our modern food system has some complicated issues.
While researching how to grow things, I ultimately stumbled upon some frightening things about our current food system. So, while trying to learn how to grow some food, I was exposed to things I had never heard of before. Feed lots, pesticides, GMOs. Things that I feel should be on every news channel and in every paper, every day, across the country, but that's just my opinion.
Being employed in the healthcare industry provides me to access to medical literature that is not wide-spread. It is however scientific. Combine that with some reputable sources about our food system, and I don't think anyone with a brain can stand by and not want to change it.
I am not going to preach to you about our food system. I simply mention it because that's what ultimately kick-started my attitude to change. Once I knew these horrible things, I wanted out immediately. It's different if you don't know what's going on, but once you know, it's hard to continue your life in the same direction. I didn't agree with the practices and decided not to support that system.
That's not so easy in the city either. When you are entirely reliant on the current food system to supply your needs, it's hard to break free. Especially when you don't possess a single skill that allows you to produce your own food. Your only way out can be to teach yourself those skills, which takes time.
So this is how "the calling" led me to homesteading. I started a garden and learned just how difficult it can be to produce your own food, yet I enjoyed every minute of it. The successes, and failures, I enjoyed led me to venture on to own a flock of backyard chickens. I've since learned how to can and dehydrate my own yields, and how to live a little more simply.
One day I will entertain the thought of a market garden when I have packed up my city life and moved far into the country. That dream may have been a crazy idea when I started, but after a lot of hard work, I believe I can get there one day. It doesn't seem so crazy anymore.
I'm sure many others out there are experiencing the same effect right now. I hope I have stirred "the calling" in you as well. If you have a desire to become a little more self-sufficient, then go for it. It will change your life for the better, and make those moments count a little more often.
