The Master Plan

Pretty much every single one of you are probably wondering why I am doing such a drastic change in life style. Everyone wonders what the grass is like, but most people are smart enough to stay on their side of the fence and try to figure their life out with what they have. This is not the case for "Big" Dave.

There is an genius motive to my madness. Basically, my ultimate goal in life is to have a working farm or homestead that I own and operate. While living that adventure, (since farming doesn't pay bills), I would need an alternate source of income. Here comes the bed and breakfast or retreat center idea.

Invite people out to my land, to get away from the city. They can have their own mini adventure, where they can wake up in the morning, collect some eggs, milk a goat, drink coffee on the deck as they watch the sunrise, do some YOGA, relax and read a book for a while, go out in the garden and pick out what they want for an afternoon salad. Take a stroll through the nature trails that I will have in place. Meditate in the meditation garden. Pet some farm animals and get back to nature! To me, that sounds like an awesome vacation! If I knew of a place where I could do that for a week, I would probably go and spend some good money to have that experience.

The best part about that plan is that not only do people pay you to have that experience, but while they are there, they will be helping with the "chores"  of the farm, (and they will be doing it with smiles on their faces, because it is out of the ordinary for them).

Lets talk retirement for myself. I have paid off the farm, im getting older and don't want to work to much anymore... Its easy, I stop letting people come over to my retreat center, by that time, the farm is fully self sufficient, and I can live off the land and die happy and peaceful at an old age of 94! (sounds great in theory huh?)

Maybe im crazy for thinking this, but I feel this is what more and more people are wanting these days. We have inundated ourselves with convenience and technology so much, that I feel a trend coming where people will want vacations away from the development of society... which is already been proven with the rather large and very much growing green movement. This is great and all, but before I drop hundreds of thousands of borrowed dollars in starting a farm with no experience whatsoever... it might be smart to have a practice run.

Here is where my current adventure starts. My very good friends are starting up a farm for themselves as a retirement dream. Like me, they are starting from the ground up, the property consists of a large wood cabin, and a 20x50 insulated workshop on 10 acres of land. They were awesome enough to invite me out to the property to live for a while and help them start their farm. Like me, they have very little to no experience! What a win win situation.

Economically speaking, this move will probably be a disaster! Before I head out, my goals were to be completely debt free, which I have accomplished (WAAHHOOO!!!) Except for my college loans (grrrrrr).... But even with paying extra on them every month, it comes to $300. Add car insurance, cell phone bill and a $100 bucks for gas, and I'm at around $550 worth of monthly expenses. I don't care where you are at in America, you should be able to somehow make at least $1000 a month take home... for the time being, that will be more than enough to get by. Retire? No, but get by, yes. So, while I am out there, I LEARN... every day, learn how to dig, cut, sow, make, build, demolish and reap. Obviously, we all know how to do all of those things, but my goal is to figure out how to do them the easiest and best way imaginable. Will I finish this dream penniless? Probably. But the experience in it will be the reward. 

So, whats next? Who really knows at the end of the day, I am no psychic. But for now, I am starting on this adventure one day at a time. Yesterday, I packed up my first two boxes. A Box of my favorite books, and a box of extra shoes and hats... seems like a small step, but its the first step necessary to get my butt out of societies hair for a while and connect back with nature myself. Till next time...