Why I quit the city to live alone in the wilderness (and why I love it)
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- Опубліковано 4 сер 2024
- (Episode 11) I'm the author of the WARM BODIES book series (yes, there was a movie) and I live with my cat, Bob, in a mostly off-grid shed in the central Washington wilderness. Here is a story about the emotional realities of living remote and rustic, and what drove me to leave the city in the first place. Exactly how crazy did I go? Let me show you some pretty scenery and try to answer the big three questions everyone always asks me about being a feral hermit. Shout out to @Jessie5817 for the topic suggestion!
All footage and music by me. (View on an HDR display for glorious color explosions!)
If you feel like supporting my expeditions and accessing 4 years of exclusive content, including all the music from these videos, Warm Bodies deleted chapters, and other relics, go here: / isaacmarion
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#wildernessliving #storytelling #solitude
00:00 Intro
00:35 Antsy Urban Youth
02:30 Road Trips, Simple Pleasures, Decision
03:29 Life in the Wilderness
04:52 The Bad Stuff
06:05 Don't Need to be Rich
06:58 My Fantasy Life, NOTHING
07:55 Social Camel
09:55 Being in Love
10:52 Gaudy Content Factory?
11:15 Threads to Find YOU
I felt bad about a few things I said in this video and just wanted to clarify...I do not hate people! Even people who aren't interested in meaningful interactions. "Dumb" people, "fake" people, whatever...I still appreciate their part in this play. The guy singing Linkin Park karaoke in the Elvis costume, I actually love that boldly playful silliness, that was just the best clip I could find to illustrate what I was talking about-which is not that I hate people or think I'm superior to them, but just that I get more fatigue than satisfaction from living in that hive culture. At the same time, I find it endearing that those people are out there trying their best with the bodies and brains and life experiences they've been given, trying to make something of this weird existence we've all been dumped into. I love people, even though I prefer to live far away from them. :)
I didn’t get that from you. You wouldn’t be on UA-cam sharing these things if you didn’t like people. Obviously there’s a very normal, human desire to connect. And a very normal, human desire to live free without…I dunno…expectations or something. Case in point: marriage…which can sometimes feel like loving, longing, wanting connection but also wanting your spouse to get out of your face or at least let’s have separate rooms or something. lol I’m not married, but I’m a twin and I feel like it’s the same thing…anyway, wanting to get away but still loving humanity…not a huge paradox. You’re good, bro 😄
We are all a work in progress ….. glad you’re not beating yourself up 😆…. Reflection is inevitable and being mindful the way forward . We are all multi faceted busy perfecting and polishing off each angle of self 💎.
I know what you are trying to say. I live alone because i want to. The less i see people the better. Of course i love and see my family every couple of months but days go by and it doesnt bother me one bit. Its a relief not to have to entertain others. Most of my friends are gone before and during covid. We are who we are and if others cant accept it that is their problem . Have a good day . Im really enjoying your interesting vids :)
There is a forced socialisation in society, I detest it with a passion, it stops us from having the time to create.
'... I just get more fatigue than satisfaction from living in that hive culture.' You finally put into words what my brain has been screaming at me all my life thanks
This person gets it. I'm happy knowing there's another human out there who simply gets it
*stoic getting-it nod from across the vast distance*
Ooh, I love the term "social camel." I've never heard social needs desribed that way, but it's perfect! Also, I could watch the footage of clouds all day long
Yeah, it really does feel like a tank that I need to fill up which then gradually depletes over time. And yes I love the clouds here so much. I just got a motorized rotating mount for my tripod so expect some mind blowing timelapses soon!
@@OuterEdgeOutpost excellent,I can’t wait!
I have said it before and I will say it again, "What a damn treat, thank you".
Maaan, your videos are amazing😊
I love that at the end of the day, this whole journey you've been on is about you coming back to yourself & being unapologetic about how you want to live. When all the noise & extraness of life gets eliminated it's easier to see how simply we can actually live. I feel like you're the perfect representative for all of this because you're great at explaining your desires & motivations which in turn helps those who have similar leanings to feel more empowered & less weird (because let's face it, this is an extrovert's world) & those who haven't thought about it so much to try on a new perspective & maybe make changes they never thought possible. Your philosophy on life & love may not be shared by everyone but it's inspiring to witness someone being so true to themselves.
Thank for that, I hadn't really thought of it that way but if my self expressions can help others understand themselves, that makes me very happy. You're right that it's an extrovert's world. The book Solitude by Anthony Storr has some great thoughts on this bias and the shocking notion that the meaning of life doesn't necessarily have to be found primarily in human relationships.
As a super extrovert, I concur. This comment and this video are so beautiful. Helps us all ponder what’s important whether we lean towards solitude or social. ❤✌️🤗
You're living the life I am planning to do someday. I just hope I'll have enough time to enjoy it for a long time.
For now I still have to go on being a doctor.
Thanks for sharing part of your life with us. You are so inspiring and your videos are great!
That's a million dollar view! New sub here ♥ Watson brought me ! 🐾
Thanks! The view here is everything. Inspires me every day.
I came here for the cat and stayed for the content. Your videos evoke a sense of peace in me. You do have a way with words (author duh!). You are also an excellent narrator and a story teller! Bob is awesome! Thank You for creating and putting this video out. It brought me joy!
Thanks so much! Making the videos gives me that same sense of peace. It's kind of a way of processing everything I'm experiencing out here. I'm really glad it has the same effect for others.
I lived in a similar sized solar powered cabin in the woods of Central Oregon, in the late 90's. I miss the simplicity; no cell phone, no 110v, no TV....It was REAL living..
I really do wonder what it would feel like to truly cut the cord in this era. Online life definitely takes the edge off the isolation. What was it like to be REALLY alone? Or did you have people around?
I was more alone when I moved into a teepee out on the Metolius river, simply because it was further to go to get back into town, which limeted the trip frequency. I bet you get some crazy wind on that ridge. Do you have a weather monitor? New to your channel BTW..@@OuterEdgeOutpost
Yeah, the wind is INSANE up here! I've had moments of genuine terror that my shed was going to collapse on me. I even get mini tornadoes cruising through once in a while-one of them picked up my entire work table covered in power tools and sent it flying across the yard!
It’s funny to covet a guy who has next to nothing. I want all that you do not have…but I also want Bob ❤
This video was great. Thanks for sharing
Hahaha that's such a fun compliment. I'm definitely discovering new pleasures in having little. Fewer moving parts mean fewer things can break...
As a younger man (under 25), I couldn't have enough friends or be around enough people. Everything had to be loud and fast. Then, I started to change and realized I didn't always want to be in an altered state of consciousness or around people. So I got on my motorcycle and headed for the mountains of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont every chance I could. I loved being in the open spaces or at home with a few close friends. I'm in my sixties now and very fortunate to have found a woman in my forties who shares my values and thinks being sober is cool. We love our friends of the four-legged kind or with wings and hope to be on a twenty-acre lot of land with a garage and a house attached in the next five years. Will it happen? Who knows, but for now, I'm living through your eyes. Keep the videos and stories coming along with the beautiful scenery. Give Bob a hug or two and thanks for sharing your life with us.
Sounds like a great life. I might try one of those "off grid dating" sites sometime and see what turns up. 😂
@@OuterEdgeOutpost Have you ever scoured a pebbled beech looking for the perfect pebble …. Only to go home with a bag full ? 🤣 …. “See what turns up !”
Be careful what you wish for 🤣🤣🤣
Greetings from across the pond 😊👍
Beach even lol 🥴
I live walking distance to the beaches in New Hampshire. In the off season my wife walks five-plus miles daily, and I get down there when I can. Summer forget it. The place and traffic are a zoo. We jump on the motorcycle and head for the mountains. @@loveisthekeythatwillsetyou4648
Hearing this video, it kind of feels like a feeling I've had for a while was put to words I couldn't find. I kind of hermit myself as best I can in the urban sprawl with 4 housemates, and for a lot of what feel like the same reasons. There's this immense joy in feeling like I'm actually understood somehow, and I want to thank you for sharing this, because even if by complete coincidence, you brought me a little bit of that joy.
It makes me really happy to hear that this could help someone in that way. I wish you luck surviving the urban sprawl!
I get you. I'm also on my way to my empty space. 😊
Tell me more about it! I love a good escape story.
Having a deadly illness from birth, knowing this from my 8, when the Dr told me this, surviving an abusing stepdad, I still tried to live the “scripted ideal” life. Being married and then left alone, losing my kids in the progress, getting a mortgage, work, a lung transplant and again be told you get an average 5years, I felt alone and pointless.
Finding your channel made me feel a bit less alone in the way how I feel and think in life.
Glad I found you! Pls keep posting
So glad I could help you a little. Hang in there, friend! You "keep posting" too, whatever posting means for you. :)
So well said, and thoughtfully articulated. 'Social camel' made me laugh! Hey, that's me! It's always nice for to hear about someone living a life that is so similar to my own. Respect. p.s. you're gonna love growing your own food!
I too came for the cat story but this video convinced me to sub. You're living my dream.
Man, I'm so happy I found your channel. Love the way you speak about topics that I found super intriguing. New subscriber here! Greetings from Spain/Ireland!
From Spain AND Ireland?? That's a very cool greeting! And welcome aboard to you! :)
Dude, I live alone in a dying tiny town in Nebraska. We have much in common. I wish you well.
It's sad to watch the town die. When I first moved here I had hopes of becoming a regular at some local dive and getting to know the local scene but Brewster seems to be dying rapidly, so many businesses have closed just since I got here. Maybe they're scared of me??
I love the way you articulating your words, it's both straightforward and imbued with a subtle charm
Thank you! That's pretty much exactly what I aim for. :)
I became a Patreon patron of yours just because of videos like this, so honest and endearing, so comforting and brave. Your voice is extremely pleasant and comforting, and your experience is interesting to me. If I can help you in a small way monthly, I am happy to do it. In the meantime, I look forward to your Patreon specials and your coming videos. I also love your kitty, Bob.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! Patreon support has been keeping me alive for 4 years now.
Resonates with you,I'm a hermit too, once you experience solitude, it's addicting a peaceful slow pace life✨
Sending you lots of positive vibes and happy thoughts from Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. I hope you are doing well and enjoying your chill, down to earth and calm lifestyle. Your cat is cute and the environment in which you live seems lovely. Stay happy, stay authentic. XOXO
Totally relatable to your experiences and perspectives about life! It's a huge relief for me to unburden myself all the unnecessary social responsibilities and be the way I wanted to be instead of expectedby others
I absolutely love all your videos! Thank you for sharing your journey and being raw and vulnerable. It's truly admirable, you are a rare bird! I love everything about this and everything else you've shared. I can totally relate on so many levels. It's very comforting hearing your stories. I'd love to do what you're doing 😊
I find your perspective, and the experiences you are sharing, very refreshing and relatable. The cats, wide open space, living simply, minimal interaction with society, these are all things I crave and enjoy as well. Thank you for sharing 💖
That was superbly satisfying. I just feel like a breathy sigh now. Aaaaahhhhh. Thanks!!
Oh boy. This was so great! You are so great. You’re a fabulous human and I’m glad you’re my brother. ❤❤❤❤
Thanks sis. 🥰
Keep doing you, I appreciate your open honesty, thoughts and commentary. Your channel is refreshing and I always look forward to see what you post next.
Thanks man, your username intrigued me (big Fallout fan) so I perused some of your offerings. Interesting eclectic selections! Couldn't quite tell which ones were you and which were reposts of others, but I'm listening to your soundcloud right now and vibing.
I love your videos they give me peace knowing that I'm not the only one❤👍
The only what? :)
I have been waiting patiently for this!! You have such an incredible perspective and a hilarious witty way at expressing it with anecdotes and video expressions! I absolutely love your channel the best.. I am so excited about this new upload,and will cherish every second! Thank you,🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 thank you for being for being you you!😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
Wow, thank you! I just watched you levitate a coconut! Your powers are astounding!
I discovered you and this beautifully constructed video for the long shots and Bob. The narrative and descriptive breakdown of life (as the majority are forced to partake) was so uncomfortably true.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much.
Hey Isaac!
Really happy I came across your channel. I love how honest and reflexive your videos are, and yet so funny and heartwarming to watch. I'm from Brazil and just love the landscape, especially in winter, very different from everything I have here.
Wish you all the best in your journey, and thanks for sharing it.❤
Hey Natascha, thank you! I'm glad to warm your heart. I am getting pretty weary of the winter landscape by now, maybe I should "come to Brazil". 😂
This is so f*cking perfect. Thanks so much for being you (I've lived that life for a short spell and sitting on a cold outhouse toilet in the middle of winter can be, ummmm, a bit startling). Pets to Bob.
A warm cloth seat cover makes ALL the difference! (I also have a heat lamp hanging overhead. Toasty!)
Just listening to your voice makes me feel calm from my inner chaos. Thank you
I didn't want to miss your video a second time. So I pounced on it as soon as it came out. 😁 I love your videos, I love the way you see things and tell them. Thank you so much.🙏
I guarantee this cut of the video to be 100% penis-free! (though some may call me a dick after this one...)
Love this video…it mostly sums up how I feel now that I am single (after the hubby passing) but unfortunately I’m still near small city life, but I am working on getting to a life of complete solitude and anxious to hear nothing but silence…I yearn for it since I have never had it til now (I’m 51yrs) thank you for sharing your journey 💗
I envy you so much for this place I could scream! My mum died a week ago and the only thing I can watch are your videos. They calm me down. So real and peaceful. Thank you.
I'm so sorry about your mum. I lost my dad in 2021 and it changed the whole universe. Glad my silly videos can bring you a little comfort.
The first time I played my oboe at home, my cat bit me in the toe. Wonder if many others have similar battle scars too.
Bob's dislike seems fairly mild. Worst I get is the ears-back of disdain.
Loved the video, Isaac. I have a place in downtown Seattle and a house at the ocean with a small wildlife preserve, that I continue to add more and more native habitat. As I get older, the beach property becomes stronger and stronger. Being back in the city reminds me of who I was, but am not anymore. I look forward to the day to let that part of me go and pursue a more hermit life, like yourself. I know exactly how you feel.
I would love to live near the ocean. I came very close to buying something in Ocean Shores before deciding to go inland instead. It still calls to me, though. If I ever decide that pure isolation isn't feeding me enough, I may end up in a small beach town somewhere.
Hi there... I just came across your channel and watched a few of your videos. My cat passed away about 5 years ago so I can understand some parts of your experience losing Watson. I'm very happy you reconnected with him and now have Bob. You're an interesting guy, Issac. Deep, introspective, genuine... I can dig it.
I'm sorry about your cat. Hope you've found new love in your life since then.
This is the life I would love, however, I want to be near my son. Just love nature and space! Thank you for sharing, Just beautiful where you are!
what a journey, thanks for sharing
So much of what you say about solitude, I really resonate with. I like to live my life on my own terms and dabble in humanity only occasionally via the internet (online friends) and gaming and creating art that I love just for the sake of it. I too have a cuddle kitty on my chest as I write this purring away lol. Live in the moment, do what makes u happy and don't applogize to anyone about it :D I love your videos and have thoroughly enjoyed your books. Cant wait to see the game you are working on the story for!
Sounds like the good life to me.
My cat on my lap enjoyed the visuals of this video as much as I did. She will also be eating me if I die alone, Thank you for the beautiful work and for the excellent CC that accompanies it.
We should start a club for people who are committed to feeding their cats one last time.
The excellent CC-you mean the subtitles? I've been wondering about those, whether the auto-generated ones are tolerable. I always go through the auto generation and check for errors, but it still comes out a bit clunky. No capitalization or punctuation, just a stream of consciousness. I would love to write them out in a more readable style, I'm just not sure how to do that and have it still line up with the video...
What I like about the cats is they’re practical: they won’t bite you (let alone eat you), if you’re alive and capable of providing them with food and shelter, and for that they seem to be genuinely grateful, but if you’re unable to meet their expectations (let alone die), well, they won’t cry over your cold body, but will make the most out of it instead, being the greatest opportunists on Earth, as they are.
The captions are part of what makes this personal. Incorrect , and not punctuated. It’s beautiful. I wish this video was longer. Thank you for sharing a piece of the peace.
Signed , Your fellow off-grid hermit. I lOVe you BoB🐾
Commenting before watching! Yay thank you 😊
Totally resonates with how I feel. I live not far from a city, but the area is wooded and it feels awesome. Do not work since last May and love it. Had too many toxic people, especially in the corporate world. Just enjoying life. 💖
Hey Isaac, Great video! I watch and listen to these multiple times a day while I work and plan my escape/retirement. I remember as a child watching a tv program called "Grizzly Adams" and to this day ( I am 58) I remember the theme song. "Deep inside the forest
Is a door into another land Here is our life and home, We are staying here forever In the beauty of this place all alone, We keep on hoping', Maybe There's a world where we don't have to run, And maybe There's a time we'll call our own
Livin' free in harmony and majesty...Take me home Take me home ! I escape a couple of times a year to be alone in nature with very little and my body and soul just breathe a sigh of relief. I'm with ya brother.
Haha yeah I grew up watching Grizzly Adams, though the memories are pretty hazy. Slowly becoming him day by day, beard by beard.
Thanks for sharing dude. In your own way you're giving we city folk at least a small taste of the remote life (even if it's only the highlights with none of the toil!)
We spend our lives trying to know who we are, what we are(at least some of us do) and then we die. And yes, people ARE exhausting. I enjoy listening to your oral history and seeing pictures of that splendid sky .And seeing the animals ,including of course Bob. Thank you and be well.
I wouldn’t mind living in the wilderness because I am an introvert and I don’t mind my own company, though I really miss having a best friend to and hang out with more than a partner or husband or whatever. I love being outdoors and this year I am attempting to grow my own food, I have started growing beetroot, carrots and radishes from seedlings from last year. I bought a small tomato greenhouse and I am growing tomatoes from seed, it is so easy only problem is the bugs munching on the greens, 🐛 🦋 you are very blessed living in a hot Country because you could grow so many varieties of fruits, I’m jelly! 🌱🍅🍑🍊🍎🍓🍍🍒🥑🍋🍉🍅🍇🥥🍏🥝🍐🥭🍈🫐🥗
I'm a massive fruit slut, I go on epic raids to the local farm stands here and come home with big bags of apples, pears, and peaches. It would be amazing to grow my own. I think apple trees would be easy here. Peaches might be trickier, but I want to explore the possibilities.
It is a cocktail ‘Fruity Slutt’!! 🤣🍹 I did try to grow fruit trees here though they didn’t grow too well still a twig after 3yrs, think I will move them to better soil. 🌱 I guess just find out what is native to your Homeland, I was thinking Dragon Fruit as it is a Cactus, maybe Gogi & Golden Berries they need a warmer Climate with lots of Sunlight! ☀️
Fruit Punch, Peach Schapps & Jagermeister, never tried it, sounds like a recipe for disaster.🍹 Think I will stick to the occasional Social Beer or a glass of Red Wine when in good company, or purely for Medicinal Purposes only. 🙂🍷🥗
Your videos either put me at ease and give me inspiration or give me an existential crisis. I oddly enjoy it nonetheless. Also, happy to see the deer about and that the coyotes haven't chased them off.
Inspiration and existential crisis are close neighbors and can overlap at any moment! 😂
I've been with you since Warm Bodies came out and I was stumbling through the beginning of my own first published novel. I immensely enjoy these videos. While I don't think I could live as off-grid as you do (health reasons, zero skills with handy stuff, too many pets), I desperately want to live in an isolated area surrounded by wilderness with society within driving distance for when I need it. We sort of had that in a rental here in Humboldt County-a really old cabin held together by rusted nails and prayers-without immediate neighbors and surrounded by redwoods. Cold, rainy, foggy. Frequently got into arguments with the black bears who came around. It was beautiful and peaceful. (Then the pandemic hit, landlords are awful, income tanked, etc. etc...)
So thank you for making these and letting me live vicariously through you. I appreciate the realistic look at the good and the bad.
I guess it depends on what you mean by "society within driving difference" but I feel like what you want is pretty attainable at many different income levels...curious if you've looked into it at all since Humboldt? I believe that area is still pretty expensive for how isolated it is. Pretty much everything west of the Cascades exists in its own bizarre economy where every scrap of rainy, muddy land is priced to the heavens. If you have a way to make money remotely, you have soooo many options further east. I know it's hard and complicated, I just have a strong desire to see anyone who craves this kind of life be able to live it!
You have a great sense of humor😄
For example, this morning I felt bad and had a headache and I lay in bed all day. But after I watched your video, I laughed a few times and reflected a little, I must admit I began to feel much better. Thank you for that. How do you cope if you're sad or sick and there's no one around?🤔
That makes me happy to hear! Never imagined my videos could cure a headache! 😂 Well, if I'm sick, I just...continue being sick until I'm not sick anymore. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ All the basics of survival are within arm's reach of my bed so it just kinda works out. Only time I had outside help with that was when I got a particularly bad case of a covid and desperately needed something for the sore throat. Neighbor "air dropped" me a care package from a safe distance up the hill. :)
As for being sad, well, if it's really bad I go see people. I have one really good friend an hour drive from here.
Love your artistic view, the idea of living like you is honestly so foreign to me. My childhood mainly consists of me on my computer or some electronic, and I'm about to finish my computer science degree so I can be infront of a computer for the rest of it.
I'm directionless in life (don't want to think of working after graduating and starting the capitalist experience makes me anxious) but stuff like this inspires me, even if it changes nothing in my life and what I'll do with it, it's nice to reaffirm there's others out there like you. Like I'd love to just 'be', and whenever I get an excuse to just 'be', I love it. But its always fleeting, and its difficult to put myself in those situations because I naturely worry about my future. How am I going to get money? My friends are nice but I can't say I'm tight with them, a romantic relationship seems out of reach, with how people value status in society and tall/rich not being qualities of mine, and with interactions being online and society seeming to mainly dwell on those who are 'lesser' than, it just seems pointless, or even painful, to try socialising. The dichotomy is that I love meeting and talking to new people, because they tend to be nice when you first meet them 1-on-1.
The idea of camping solo when I have 0 life skills in every domain (trust me) and my fear of all breathing animals (other then my cat) is just another deterrant of this idea. And humans are social creatures so it is natural for me to live a more normal life, but society does not seem so forgiving.
Don't know where I'm going with this exactly, or what I expect from you, but I'm glad I found your channel nonetheless, your way of articulating your thoughts is truely unique, and the editing eloquently matches the pace of your thoughts.
For what it's worth, my experience is not as different from yours as you might think. I most definitely do not have the privilege of "just being." I worry about money a lot, because although my ultimate goal is to create a simple, cheap existence out here, it ironically takes a ton of money to establish that! And I think about my future too, because ultimately I want to create a stable platform for myself as an artist that will allow me to make things I'm passionate about and be able to release them to an appreciative audience without worrying that each thing I release might be the last one before I have to go back to a life of drudgery.
It's true I am more content with solitude than a lot of people are, so I can survive and thrive in remote environments like this, but I do sometimes feel the yearning and want to return to the human campfire for a while, go explore the world a bit, and it's challenging to balance that desire with a lifestyle that pretty much eliminates the opportunities. Maybe I'll try that off grid dating site? 😂
Basically what I'm saying is it's all very complicated and messy, even at my age with a lot of time to sort things out. I think you have to just keep trying new experiences and observing what you like and don't like and little by little you start to narrow down a situation that might work for you. There is a wide spectrum of connection/isolation lifestyles, from being completely off grid in remote wilderness to living in a nice rural small town with a close knit community to the typical urban rat nest life. :) Eventually you find your own balance.
@@OuterEdgeOutpost
The snow is gone and spring is here. Looks beautiful
I thought so too and just packed up all my snow gear for the year...and last night another 2 inches dumped on me. 😂
I discovered you through the lost cat story, have been watching ever since.
it seems to me many people (including myself) dream of this life, but would never have the guts to go through with it.
That gives me an idea. I think at some point I need to make a video about exactly how difficult and expensive it was for me to get this life started vs ways I can see now to make it easier and cheaper. I feel like a lot of people think they could never do this but it might not be as hard as they think.
@@OuterEdgeOutpost that’s really interesting, there’s also the fact that many people are not handy and wouldn’t know how to be self sufficient + security issues, especially for women.
The handy stuff isn't really a requirement. If had a little more money and wanted to skip all that, I would just buy a finished mobile home, have it trucked out here, and start living! And I'm far from self-sufficient. All my food still comes from the store, though I do hope to change that eventually. The security of course depends on the area, but where I am is FAR safer than any urban apartment. Just a scattering of distant neighbors who all know each other and watch out for each other. Crime is basically not a thing in remote rural areas. If you get a little closer to town you might have more troubles with addicts and thieves, etc, but I think statistically crime is still FAR lower in these regions than in cities. Just food for thought!
Congratulations on knowing who you are & going for the lifestyle you want....and you didnt wait until age 60. Beautiful home & smile.
Thank you! Yeah I think I discovered this at just the right age. Had my time to enjoy my wild youth, then find a new path right as I enter the middle stage of life.
It's an amazing experiment. There's a book series you might like--the Monk & Robot series by Becky Chambers. There's a passage I love in which the robot talks to the monk (who feels a heavy obligation to the world) about simply existing. Doing what we love.
"What's the purpose of a robot, SIbling Dex?" Mosscap tapped it's chest; the sound echoed lightly. "What's the purpose of me?"
"You're here to learn about people."
"That's something I'm doing. That's not my reason for being. When I am done with this, I will do other things. I do not have a purpose any more than a mouse or a slug or a thornbush does. Why do you have to have one in order to feel content?"
Watching your vid, I also thought of the Hafiz quotation: "I felt in need of a great pilgrimage, so I sat still for three days."
What you're doing is weird and wonderful and I think you help us by making the theoretical box of our existence bigger. : )
Love that. "Purpose" was definitely something I obsessed over in my youth. I demanded one not only for myself but for the UNIVERSE. 😂 A lot of that probably came from my religious upbringing, but letting go of it has been a huge weight off my shoulders.
I get that. I have a religious background as well. Christian college even (girls had to wear dresses, chaperoned dating...eek). Then I started asking questions and did not get satisfying answers. Life is more *expansive* now. (And less scary. A vengeful (judgy) *god* isn't fun...) Church was a comfort and a sanctuary, but I have more peace now. Peace is good. : )
I totally get it. Amazing that you actually did it.
Wish I had the means to do the same.
Hello Isaac
your thoughts are fascinating.
Simple and fascinating.
And they are exactly that what makes me thoughtful and they calm down my spirit.
It’s good to know that I‘m not the only one with the feeling that my life is richer since I decided to live for my own without these energy absorbing people around me. Thank you! 😊
Don’t know if my kind to express my feelings is right because this is not my mother‘s tongue/language.
Love ❤ and greetings 🙋🏼♀️ from Germany 🇩🇪
I'm glad to hear that! I do feel relatively calm these days. I find that the less stuff I try to acquire or accomplish, the fewer things there are to go wrong, which makes it easier to arrive at a life that feels generally ok. :)
@@OuterEdgeOutpost
Arriving at life that’s generally feels okay - yes! 🙌🏻 That‘s the words I was looking for!!!
It’s difficult to express feelings in a foreign language … 😂
I envy your life! Good job! 🤗😍
I always feel stupid the few times I comment on a video, as if my opinion is worth something but... I think you have to be very honest with yourself and with what you really need to make the decision you made. If now you feel freer, more fulfilled and at peace, nothing else matters, no opinion from acquaintances or strangers, no label they want to put on you, you don't need anyone to understand it. You seem like a very authentic person to me and that is a rare treasure to find today.
When I first made the decision (leaving Seattle, moving to a cabin on a remote PNW island) I really didn't know if it would work. Wasn't confident in it at all and thought there was a 50/50 chance I would hate it and come crawling back to the city in a year. I just felt like I had to try something drastic because the old life was not working for me anymore. I was actually so surprised to discover how rarely I missed what I left behind!
I'm glad that finally the change was for the better and this situation works for you. I hope that little by little you get what you need and continue to be well.
‘R’ is still one of my favourite book characters ❤All 4 books still have a prominent place on my bookshelf.Have followed your journey from day 1 and totally understand wanting this way of life…
A surprisingly rare appearance from a Warm Bodies fan on this channel! And a completionist too! Glad to have you, Alison.
Social camel is perfect and I am one 🙌 I love spending time in my garden, marveling at the magic of nature. And while I’m a private person, I have publicly shared (a book) the most intensely personal aspects of a time in my life. Sharing your inner thoughts helps people look at their own lives through a different lens.
And the stars in your sky are brighter than any in Hollywood 🌟
Yeah, the sharing while in solitude is an interesting contradiction. But so many extreme hermits have been compelled to do it, like Henry Thoreau. I don't want to completely disconnect from humanity, I just wanted a little extra space...
Dang this video was great. Purrfect while I'm washing all my dishes. haha
I need to write a book so I can run off and go do what you're doing. It looks like you're living the life!
I think I am! But honestly it doesn't take writing a book...just any kind of job you can do on your computer!
You got a BEAUTIFUL LAND❤❤❤
Just a little glowing friend stopping by to enjoy a little bit of outpost poetry ❤
I see you, glowing way over there!
Wish you well! Your videos are interesting.Started for me with Watson which deeply mooved me.I feel a little sad that a man with your big hart have not find a true soulmate, but I understand that commitment too a family life is perhaps something you could not do.But with those values you have, I think you should have been a very great husband. I love the way you think about the shallow sociaty. You are a honest person ,much respect for that.
Good morning. A nice, interesting and very deep insight... I'm also in my 40s and feel in some ways like you. . . Maybe one day we will cross paths.
Hope so! My very first visitor out here when I first bought the land and was just camping on it in a tent was a young couple road tripping in an RV. I'd never met them before but they stopped by and hung out for a while, it was wonderful.
The finest to you and cat .I so get it much love and respects 💕🌎❤️💙
I love your videos … we love to live in the woods in the middle of nature in Colorado. I feel the same about people jajajaj some 🤷♀️😹
Totally would live there, too. I once spent almost three months on a river. Best time of my life. Drifting alone in the middle of a 600m wide stream, in a kayak just above the waterline... Only the water, the wind and my thoughts. Beautiful.
Hell yeah. It's one of the major goals of my life right now to strip away as much noise and chaos as I can stand. I'm not even close to the goal yet as I still have a ton of stuff pinging at me out here but I feel like I'm getting closer. (P.S I rewatched this after your reddit comment and damn you're right, I was hardly in it at all! I'm going to start thinking a lot more about ways to make things more personal, maybe even some unique way to do live narration without feeling too cheesy just staring at the camera. It would also be a hell of a lot easier to make videos if I can just talk for a while without needing a constant source of relevant footage!)
@@OuterEdgeOutpost Those are all good points. :) Things could get more succesful and easier to make at the same time. Hardest part will be to get the transitions right between each scene then.
I am one of those people. I stayed until the end.
I, too, dream of empty space.
Isn't it strange that "nothing" feels hard to achieve? I guess if that was the only goal, you could throw everything away and become a wild forest creature, but what we really want is "nothing" + COMFORT, and that's a tricky combination...
Very nice.
I'm not from the Pacific Northwest but there's an isolation that is very hard to describe and I feel like you did that. It's very strange. I appreciate you in capturing that.
Where I'm from on the East Coast. It feels very settled but there's something about the West that's just not quite there yet
The northwest does have a certain wildness to it, even in the populated areas. But what I've seen of the rural parts of the east cost is pretty compelling as well. For reasons I don't understand, upstate NY has so many gorgeous land lots and sometimes amazing houses for SO CHEAP. I haven't explored that region but it's so intriguing, these ancient mansions in the middle of nowhere for like 60k...
I saved this video to watch when I was in the best mood for it. It was worth the wait (had to wait until i could focus). I love the term "social camel". Sometimes thats how i feel. Personally, i rewlly enjoy superficial & initial social interactions because i know whats expected of me, & i have that to give. I don't have what it takes to continue on relationships of any kind, that takes skills & understanding i don't possess. I'm a lifelong spinster (no relationships over 6 months) & gave up altogether 11 years ago. I really enjoy my solitude. I wish i could live it in stable housing like you. Alas I'll be a lifelong renter. Your video quieted the thoughts i have that sometimes pop up, that im not living any sort of life if im living it alone. My job is fulfilling, i work one on one with disabled & elderly people, so i can tick that off the list of important things one must do (give back to the community). The rest of my life I'd like to spend in quiet solitude with little bursts of low risk socialisation. That's a-okay. Thats just me 😀 it's so heartening to find someone else that loves their own company during a global loneliness pandemic lol. I can get lonely, but its fleeting & situational - like when im sick & wish there was someone to make me a cup of tea. Day to day though, loneliness is not my state of being. I consider myself lucky! I think you are too.
I'm reading a book right now called Solitude: A Return to the Self, and it's a psychological examination of people who enjoy being alone, making the argument that modern society puts way too much emphasis on social relationships and falsely assumes that they are the only possible source of fulfillment in life. It's pretty much the only book I've ever seen that validates the way I live. 😂
@@OuterEdgeOutpost I am going right now to google that book & buy it! The only other validation I've had of my lifestyle is that my psychologist said "that's just not for you, ignore all that" when I was talking about the inundation of advice on social media over the last four years telling us we NEED to have a lot of social activity, friends, family etc to be well rounded & stable people. It created a huge inner turmoil for me. It was nice that someone in the know said "nah, that doesn't apply to everyone or you, ignore it" 😆 I needed to hear that! And now I'm going to read that book, I'm glad you mentioned it!
I feel like I’ve found my people! I am the only person I know who likes solitude as much as I do. I never get bored, or lonely. I work part time from home so I don’t have to interact with others. I have my cat who is my best friend. I have a couple of brothers and their wives, one who I see every few weeks, one who I see occasionally. I have chronic pain so that’s a full time job to manage. I support different charities and organisations financially since I can’t do it physically. I have had long tern relationships in the past that weren’t all that fulfilling and that I no longer feel I need, so I’ve been on my own for 15 years now (I’m 53). And I’m content. I’m all good. And I don’t care that others find it odd 🤷♀️😁
What I like about the cats is they’re practical: they won’t bite you (let alone eat you), if you’re alive and capable of providing them with food and shelter, and for that they seem to be genuinely grateful, but if you’re unable to meet their expectations any longer (let alone die), well, they won’t cry over your body, but will make the most out of it instead, being the greatest opportunists on Earth as they are.
It's interesting because dogs are actually the same way. Even though they're famously loyal and attached to their masters, there are many documented cases of dogs barely waiting a few minutes after death to start chomping down. Seems like animals are just VERY clear on the difference between a living being and the body they inhabit. The moment you exit your vehicle, it's nothing but free meat.
I sometimes imagine my cats,Bear and Christian ,having to do that.Gross but practical.😄😺😄😺
I appreciate these videos. I always imagined living like you would be great but I now realize I require community. I enjoy the reciprocal nourishment of community and value it now more than ever.
Also. Lol! Your drug analogies are great. May your 4th (if it lands in your life this incarnation) be like weed: expansive yet grounding. Easeful, open, experience enhancing, and ultimately safe and restful.
A weed romance sounds about right for me. Though I'm also open to a mushroom trip!
Great perspective and comfort. Are you considering adding on to your home? Nature is beautiful.
No, this shed was never intended to be my home, it was intended to be a guest room/storage shed for the home I would build on the site down below. My original building plans fall apart due to skyrocketing construction costs, so right now I'm leaning towards another prefab shed like this one, except much bigger so I can have space for all my projects and, you know, a bathroom. :)
@@OuterEdgeOutpost great idea. Looking forward to the video's of your projects.
You remind me so much of the actor John Corbett on Northern Exposure, a tv series from the early 90's. Similar face. That is a complement. Remind me of him when he was young, your age ish. I think he has a reputation as a decent guy. I think. Not sure, but I think so. Just kind of Midwestern kind of cool, easy guy. Hope all that isolation you are doing is faring well with you and your kitty.
THIS. I was thinking he was basically Chris, the artist, living in his trailer in the wilderness.
@@presentfuture7563 I had to google it, but I think that was his name.
@@ritasmith9553 Yes it is. I'm a huge fan of the show (actually in the middle of season 5 now that it's finally streaming). Chris Stevens (Chris-In-The-Morning), aka John Corbett.
I’ve been having the urge to run away from New York City for so long, but I don’t have like some of these essential skills like learning how to drive I was born and raised here, and I’m quite tired of the hustle and bustle, and when I went to a festival out in Nevada desert I stayed after the event for an extra day and I fell in love with the expansiveness that is the desert and nothingness and getting comfortable with the breath that you get from that landscape out there. I am doing my best to try to cut ties with the city it’s really not showing me reasons to stay anymoreexcept for my friends who I love deeply but I’m trying to figure out how to make this art thing work while also seeing other ways to live and seeing this video, I could do it but I think it would get to me so maybe in another 20 years
There are lots of different flavors of "this." You don't have to be extremely remote or completely disconnected. Nor do you have to learn a bunch of DIY skills and build an outhouse. :) A lot of people on my plateau just rolled a little trailer out here and started living. I think you can approach it in a lot of different ways, probably the main consistent obstacle is just the startup costs-buying the land and the structure/vehicle you live in. But if you wanted to do it with other people, that opens up your options a lot. Also, compared to driving in NYC, country driving is barely even a skill. You just turn the while and push the pedal. Barely even need road rules out here because you're the only car on the road. 😂
Just some encouraging thoughts for you! I hope you find a way to follow your instinct.
Living a secluded life as an author is like putting a fish in the water. Not much distraction. My POV. 🤩
Cat’s like Baby Mozart! 😴💤
You ever think that maybe the subconscious reason for you seeking out life in the wilderness is to see if you could survive the ‘wasteland’ like one of your characters? the fact that you took the leap, built the house, the outhouse, and manage to make a living all the while are testaments to you measuring up, in my opinion. good on you :)
There was definitely something in me at the time that wanted to strip everything away and see where I ended up. I had visions of just lying down in the desert dust and starting over with nothing. Not exactly how it turned out, since I emerged from that bleak mindset somewhat by the time I got this place and started thinking about the new life I wanted to build, but that raw feeling is still in there somewhere.
When I was younger and healthier, I loved city life. I was a busy bee in that hive. Now living with chronic pain and being that bit older…. Living the way I used to is literally my worst nightmare. I live in a country town now. I have my brother and sister in law near by. I see them every week or so… and I have my cat. That’s all I want. It’s all I have band width for.
An overseas acquaintance from my travelling days decide to invite themselves over to my country and my home… for a MONTH! I can confidently say it was one of the worst months of my life!! They’ve been gone almost two weeks now and my urge to go even more remote is very high right now. I will never let that situation happen again. I just don’t want people around me that much.
And I also love people. I can be the life of the party when I want or need to be…. I just don’t want or need to be any more. People think I’m odd, I know it… but I refuse to change just for them if it doesn’t make me happy. I never get lonely. I never get bored. I’m content. I have everything I need. It’s enough.
You are very lucky to have this lifestyle, I can only wish to escape mine. I find people to be the worst, programmable creatures as you mentioned,
humans brought a lot of misery and distress to this world, sometimes I wish for an apocalyptic event to endure revenge on (most) them.
keep the faith.
I miiiight have done a whole TEDx talk about wishing for an apocalyptic event...😬
@@OuterEdgeOutpost found it ! thanks
It was a long time ago and I can't bear to listen to it anymore so I don't know if I still stand by anything I said...but it was certainly a moment in time!
I live in Australia near the beach near the city m 16 years old I always have wondered about nature and seen the stars at night. I think the only thing that sucks is I don’t get to see much of it because I’m pretty close to the city but yet again I wouldn’t have massive problems like that where you need to drive a long time for food and a bunch of stuff.
The food and all that isn't really a big problem, you just buy a LOT when you go shopping so you don't have to go back as often. :) Most everything is still available if I really want it. There's a town with a fun bar, a movie theater, etc, an hour away. It's all still available, it just isn't close enough to do it on reflex without really wanting to, which is actually a good thing for me. Makes me more intentional about how I spend my time.
Is the trailer I see in the vid usable? Or was it there when you got there maybe? What’s inside of it? Thanks for sharing Isaac!
It was left here by the previous owners of the land. It's technically habitable but...really gross. Infested with mice and spiders and wasps. All the wood paneling is flaking off, all the upholstery is moldy, and none of the plumbing or electrical works. It COULD be renovated but it would be a huge project and it's just not something I want to invest in. I'm currently using it as extended storage for bulky seasonal gear. Hoping to get rid of it this summer before it becomes the Yellow Jacket Homeworld again...
@@OuterEdgeOutpostyellowjackets. Saw a person use small amount of gasoline in large bucket. Held bucket against wasp nests and scrape, they all die at once. Goodluck with those assholes 🐝
The problem is FINDING the nests. Most of them are underground and my landscape is an endless plain of mostly bare earth just begging for wasps to dig in it. I did find one or two in the trailer, but it's a small fraction of the problem.
Enjoyed your video. You might like the book "A book of Silence" by Sara Maitland
If age somehow still infers some capacity of wisdom, then i might qualify at 68. Thruout my life ive preferred to have a just a few good friends....otherwise, everything becomes quite shallow. I would never ask "why" you are choosing to live "out there" but i will ask myself why i haven't done the same...its still on my "list", and hopefully not the "bucket type". May God bless you greatly. Mike in Texas
Very true. I've definitely found that the wider the circle expands, the thinner and paler it gets. The idea that everyone needs a big, active crowd of close friends is very odd, maybe a remnant of high school culture.
How much of an impact does having Bob around have on your well-being while being so far removed from general society? Would the solitude be manageable without a feline companion?
No way I would do this without an animal in the house. That's bare minimum companionship. Pets and to some extent online friends take a lot of the edge off the isolation.
I'm not as completely isolated, but the longer I've lived in this little County where cows out number the people 10 to 1 the more I grow to dread the city. If I can avoid em I will, and even when I go home to Sioux Falls I won't leave my Grandparents house unless they do. It's exhausting and grating like getting electrocuted. I absolutely get the solitude.
Something I was thinking about that didn't quite make the rant in the video: the larger your social circle, the lower the overall quality. I think shrinking it down concentrates the good stuff. It's not that I want to be entirely alone forever, but I venture out so rarely, I can't afford the upkeep on a large social circle. Two or three people who really get me is all I need anymore. (Though of course, the diffuse cloud of cool internet friends I've gathered does supplement that in some way as yet undefined...)
@OuterEdgeOutpost yes in this time my friend circle has shrunk down to about 3, and one of them lives back home. It'd exhausting having more then that.
Nice. Worth the wait for sure. I still would like to know if you've seen any ufos in that big sky. Maybe knock twice for yes or once for no.
I actually did see something crazy once. A huge, very bright, GREEN object streaked across the sky near the horizon. PROBABLY just a meteor of some kind, but I never knew they could be GREEN....
@@OuterEdgeOutpostmaybe extraterrestrial theme could be your next novel, call it 'Space Bodies' lol
My calling in life doesn't allow me to be off grid .It sure would be nice for a month or so to be
in nature and not speak.I am blessed that I live in a beach town and can commune with the ocean and nature everyday .😸
Beach life is a close contender. When I first left the city, I came very close to getting a cabin on the coast before deciding to go inland instead. You probably also get a more balanced experience, having that small town community to enjoy. I would probably enjoy that life as well as what I'm doing out here.
Reverse engineering( The Great Unwrapping) ….. the journey of finding self at point zero . Welcome home 😊
Only go to the static in the city for supplies. Happier at home in a rural area Quiet Peaceful
To be honest I do find myself detaching more and more from the city buzz every year. I originally imagined it being a 50/50 double life, but I quickly discovered that wasn't what I really wanted.