Tag: quiet

It looks idyllic, doesn’t it?

Our RV spot

From the first moment we arrived at our new camp spot, I felt at home. Like I could really breathe here.

It has been one month now, since we moved to family property in north Florida. And we have been living off the grid, (that is no electric power pole, no city water or sewer, no landline phone, and no cable).

In this article, I’ll specifically focus on our Energy needs.

First, we powered our RV (a 36 foot 5th wheel), by running a gasoline fueled generator.

A week or so later, we bought 12 gel golf cart type batteries. By adding a large bank of batteries, we would run our generator a few hours a day—typically, 4 or 5 hours depending upon what we plugged into the outlets, or if we cooked on the stove, or used the microwave.

We quit using our hot water heater, large refrigerator, and air conditioner the first day. They were simply power hogs, and we could immediately see how inefficient they were.

We’ve ordered our 12 solar panels, so that will be the next step. And if all goes well, this setup could last us several years. It will pay for itself within a year or two (more or less). Not in energy cost savings, but because we aren’t paying lot rent to a campground or park.

It’s been a bit of an adjustment to live a sustainable and simple life in Florida, where the temperatures in February can vary greatly during one day.

Hermit-land

I wanted to move to this place for more than a year. And right before we took the leap to move, my friend Lauren told me I might grow from being a hermit (or spending some time alone, as I like to think of it). Thus, as I sit to write this, I think I’ll call this place my hermit-land. It even has its own share of ferns, moss, and faerie-like homes, which amuse me.

I’ll share some of my top reasons next, for moving here. Though, since relocating, I’ve discovered several more reasons. And these are not in any particular order:

• Never lived in north Florida
• Yearned to be with family
• Desired to commune with nature
• Wanted more room to walk
• Ached for peace, quiet, and serenity
• Longed to plant a garden (again)
• Wanted to learn how to manage my own Energy
• Do more with less
• Read more
• Play more music
• Discover new places
• Be closer to the Florida line for ease of travel
• To fulfill my dad’s dream
• But didn’t want to own property again
• And didn’t want to pay lot rent

Easing into it

Learning how to managing one’s own Energy can be challenging, especially for us older folks. So, my son decided to show us how to live off grid, by having us plug into and run a generator for power during the first two weeks. We had some cold nights, and tripped a breaker when we turned on our electric fireplace.

We ran several checks to determine what we could run efficiently. And we made the necessary changes.

I chose not to run the hot water heater, because I had adjusted to lukewarm and cold showers (Thanks to Wim Hof’s teachings), and my son provided hot showers on property in a nice standalone bath house. Plus, I could warm a bit of water on the stove for washing dishes once a day, as needed. No need to keep multiple gallons of water hot all day and night long.

We chose not to use our big refrigerator (that had came standard in our 5th wheel). We borrowed an apartment sized fridge from my son and it suited our needs—especially after our food stock changed.

A few weeks after we moved, we began hearing of the Wuhan China (later termed, COVID-19), virus, so we had additional restrictions placed upon how much we could explore. For instance, we had discovered a few good restaurants, but they closed down, or only served take out orders. And our idea of checking out the parks and springs had to be put on hold too. We have been able to walk the property and adjust to our new daily routine, albeit not as easily as we might have hoped.

Some of what I love the most about living at our new spot, is being able to hang out with my son, cook, and enjoy the evening fires. Oh, and the stargazing!

We’ve gotten a little too much nature at times, such as being bitten by various bugs. And we’ve experienced strained muscles from lifting jugs of gas, plus a good deal of sweating during mid-afternoon heat (though we’re parked in the shade).

Note: we’ve not been running our air conditioner, though we could for awhile if it is the only thing plugged into the generator. And I have actually been feeling BETTER! I attribute it to less stress, less noise, and breathing natural air!

Learn how to live simply

My son runs the Dude Off Grid Facebook group, where you can see videos and more, and learn how you can live off grid too.

Cut costs, get out of debt, and help the planet! Sure seems like a win-win situation to me!

I don’t think there’s anything more fulfilling than learning how to Take It Upon Yourself to learn and do things for yourself. So much self worth and self esteem comes from that. Bravo son! And thank YOU for reading.

❤️🦋🌀

UPDATE: We moved to the St. Petersburg/Bradenton, Florida area July 2021, first staying in the Gulfport area of St. Pete for the month of July and then moving to Bradenton in August as we had many friends there from when we lived there before.

A bit about me, your Spiral Sister

I would love to speak at your bookstore, crystal shop, acupuncture / chiropractor office, or other holistic / natural fair or festival. I support healthy lifestyle businesses. For information on ALL of my books, visit my Amazon Author page.

An Amazon bestselling author of two co-authored books: Transform Your Life Book 2 Inspirational Stories and Expert Advice, Energy of Receiving, and author of the captivating Blue Eyes: Ethereal Messages of Connection as well as the incredibly helpful 2nd edition of Have Yourself a Wholly Vibrant Life: Reversing Asthma and Other Chronic Illness Naturally.

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