The Impetus

A few months back, a story and video appeared on Yahoo! that Jennifer and I saw which immediately, and literally changed the course of our lives. The article was about a man named Jay Shafer who had written a book called, "The Small House Book" that chronicles his journey toward a simpler life  - which started by purchasing and living in a small Airstream travel trailer. He later built a tiny home on a trailer which led to building tiny homes for others and his company, "Tumbleweed Tiny House Company" was born.

We bought the book [highly recommended reading] and learned that Jay's philosophies made a lot of sense and it really woke us up to how we have become a country steeped in over-consumption. 

" For most Americans, big houses have come to symbolize the good life; but, all symbolism aside, the life these places actually foster is more typically one of drudgery. Mortgage payments can appropriate thirty to forty percent of a household’s income not counting taxes, insurance, or maintenance expenses. When every spare penny is going towards house payments, there is nothing left over for investments, travel, continued education, more time with the kids, or even so much as a minute to relax and enjoy life. At this rate, an oversized house can start to look more like a debtor’s prison than a home." - Jay Shafer

When I read that, my life was changed. I realized that we were prisoners to our mortgage and at this rate, we'd never get ahead or be able to save for retirement.

Looking around our house we realized that we had all this stuff which we never really used. Jennifer and I started having discussions and found we had a mutual desire to strip things way back and begin a new, simpler way of living

I started thinking about the concept of "The American Dream" and how it doesn't really exist anymore. In the 50's, families could own homes comfortably on one income. Now for most couples, it takes two incomes and that often is hardly enough.

While researching online about "simpler living", we found there are many other people out there like us [a movement if you will] who are longing to get out from under heavy mortgages, grow their own food, employing solar for electrical needs and just generally get off the grid and become more free and self-sustaining. It made me think about my grandfathers and how they raised their families on farms, plowing the fields with mule teams and how I myself want to leave the craziness of corporate gigs, work the earth, commune with others and have critters around me. I dream of having my own draft horse team some day.

This is a photo of my mother's father, John Whittenburg. Farmer, carpenter, artist and craftsman.

Our Airstream is going to take us to that place! I already feel my blood pressure lowering . . . :-)

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