I'm done too after 20 years. I already moved on. First by still doing web and it stuff but for an non-profit. That meant cutting my revenues by 2. I deliberately chose a job in a smaller and cheaper city, so my way of life was not too much affected. As that non-profit could not afford me anymore because of Covid 19, I had time to reflect and recently decided to go further. I'm single without children (nor by choice, nor a problem, just my life as it went). It's easier. But having a spouse keeping his/her job with a regular revenue could also be quite helpful.
My new projet is to built a non-profit and seek funds to buy a large farm or a large piece of land. Preferably fields exploited for a long time through intensive exploitation (not bio, plenty of pesticides etc) e.g. some large place o heavily damaged nature. My goal is to repair the Nature within that property. Make it a natural paradise of biodiversity. The more diverse, the more resilient it becomes. Choose the right species so they'll be fine in 20, 30, 50 years from now with climate change.
This project require a team. I imagine tiny houses spread around so we can all have a private life too. But many things in common. I'd like the place to be a sort of lab, a hack-space where experiment new way of life and working. One part of the economic model will be a camping and a training center. First paying course: how to yourself a ecological tiny-house, thermically passive so no need for heating or AC. People will learn by doing so the end, there will be a new tiny house available on the property.
I still like tech. It'll just be low tech. Free software, Linux etc, so technology is an empowering tool, not a drug you are addicted to. A shop to repair and learn to repair computers, using only second-hand parts. This will be a paying course as well, for anybody interested. I imagine teenagers not that thrilled by their parents' camping idea but happy to learn and repair to build a pc.
This a long adventure. From bare fields to a forest totally bio with species that provide food, ten years. But it requires less and less work as it becomes a self-sustainable ecosystem. We'll take a part for us humans, fruits, making and selling high-quality jam, honey. Some wood but most of it need to rote on the ground. we'll also need to grow vegetables, poultry for meat and eggs, a few pigs leaving freely (well, until we catch one from time to time for meat).
I don't want a closed community. Rather a small starting team, with many people staying a week or a month for intelligent vacation in a beautiful nature and learning DIY stuff for a sustainable world. Maybe the permanent community will extend with visitors willing to join. After some time, some will want to join another project or back to the city. That's good. I think I'll meet more people whom I may befriend by attracting them in this unusual place that I do living in the city. Maybe these new friends will come only a few weekends per year. Fine. That's more cumulated time than what We achieve to spend with my friends in the city (overbusy, children, ...). And we'll have parties around a fire, drinking homemade beer, trekking around or working on some free software. Or building a solar oven to dry fruits.
Nothing ideologically radical, like:
- NOT 100% vegetarian or vegan. I like meat and think that our body needs it (my opinion) but we will eat less meat than many, because we eat too much of animal proteins for a good health. Less.carbo-hydrates and more vegetables. No autarcy, we'll buy what we can't grow, sell some to neighbors and locals.
- NOT a closed community. A place where many people visit, are accepted by vote if they want to stay and free to move on. Or free to go and come back.
- NOT a religious place. People are free to follow any religion and be respected, as long as it doesn't impose rules onto others. My religion is atheism.
- Diversity encouraged. All colors, all origins, all sexual orientations, genres. This must be 100% safe and comfortable for every body. No tasks assigned by genre.
- NO TV. Movies and series on demand but reading of press and books encouraged.
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