What the hell are you supposed to put in your first blog
entry? “Hi, my name is Julia, and I live off the grid/don’t have an HOA/don’t
live on Histeria Lane/can’t
simply high five my neighbors/don’t poop into a magical toilet that gets rid of
my waste with no questions asked.” I ask myself everyday, “Is it the off-grid
living that has made me crazy or was I already insane going into this (which
prompted me to move off-grid? (insert the overused chicken or egg quote here)”.
Well it has been a couple of months out here in the ol’
Sonoran and the journey has had some HIGH highs and some LOW lows.
Let me illustrate what I mean using yin/yang philosophy.
1. Being in solitude can be a tricky endeavor as there is a
greater chance that your mind will hoax and taunt you /// The silence is damn
beautiful.
2. Finding your desert niche is a challenge. What the heck
is a psychology teacher supposed to do while surrounded with ambiguous plants
and slithering creatures? /// Attempting to find my new obsession is outlandishly
exciting. My right brain needs some attention anyways, as the left side got to
have all the fun in grad school.
3. Do you realize how difficult it is to transition your
beautiful dresses from a walk-in-closet to a miniature trailer corner? ///
Simplification has made my mind and spirit much, much lighter (and on a side-note,
my lover built me my closet and put a leaf frame around it that reminded him of
me….yes, it is in the small corner of the trailer, but he built it with his
bare hands damnit.)
4. Bug bites/Bird sightings.
5. I miss having the convenience of just casually dropping
by a friend’s house. Visits are no longer casual. We must plan/arrange/time/predetermine
EVERYTHING which really takes away points from my self proclaimed free-spirited
attitude. I don’t plan. I usually just jump into a car with a flask and a
harmonica. /// While the quantity of our social experiences have decreased, the
quality has increased. Each visit is special and I am not kidding you, I
usually shed a tear.
6. Have you ever tried creating an exotic four-course meal
in a box? /// Do you realize how easy it is to clean a 6 by 6 area? (PS.....Gratitude for outdoor kitchens).
All of these seemingly contrary forces are so clearly interconnected
to me, which ultimately helps me appreciate and welcome each and every one of
the LOW lows and the HIGH highs, for their unique and forever-imprinted stamp
onto my soul. In this blog, I intend to document the beauties of this
undertaking, as well as the frustrations. I am much less of a “I don’t need no
stinkin’ amenities girl”/hard ass than I thought, which will hopefully turn me
into more of a warrior. And poor Adam. I have a sneaking suspicion that he
thought I was tougher too. Just the other day, he was patiently standing over
me as I broke like a tiny girl and crumbled onto the ground in tears simply
because I didn’t feel pretty, after attempting to get ready in our humble box.
You see, it was after a navy shower (also known as a "sea shower",
"military shower" or "staggered shower") which is a method
of showering
that allows for significant conservation of water and energy by turning off
water during the "middle" portion. An initial thirty seconds or so
are used to get wet, followed by soap and lather without running water, which
is then rinsed off in a minute or less. The total time for the water being on
is typically under two minutes (thanks Wikipedia). Then I had to use our mirror
which is the size of my head to do my makeup and check out my wrinkled outfit,
and the low wattage blow dryer which does not give my very thin 5 strands of
hair any justice. No excuses though for my emotional explosion. I love you,
Adam.
~JULSEY~
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