Young Homesteaders
Being on the younger side of the spectrum for anything is pretty terrible no matter what it is. Homesteading is no exception to this rule. Don't get me wrong - I have found the older folks to be an invaluable source of wisdom and information and I'm so glad that so many are willing to share with me so freely. I feel blessed to have connected with others who share my ideas and opinions but I wish that more of these people came from my generation.
[Image from publicdomainpictures.net - CC0 Public Domain]
Even in my personal life, I feel like people forget that I'm just twenty-three. It often surprises people to know that while I love to write about self-sufficiency and sustainable living to document my journey, I also like to go out to dinner at a pub with my friends at 11pm on a Sunday night when I know good and well that I have to be up for work at 7:30am the next morning. Although I try to plan a road map for my life that will bring me the most joy and fulfillment, I also like to consistently make questionable decisions that threaten to derail all of my plans at every turn. I won't go into detail about that but from what I've heard, it's classic "Young-People" Syndrome. There's hope that I'll grow out of it with time and a few more heavy rounds of adulting.
Conversely, when people can't forget that I'm twenty-three, they tend to discount my drive and ambitions as fool-hearty or even childish. It's not as though I have the same background and experience as a second-generation homesteader who was raised to know and love this lifestyle. My intentions can't be vetted through the experience of my parents and for some reason that makes people wary. I'm not totally sure why that is. Perhaps people think I just don't "get" it because it hasn't been woven into the very fiber of my being. Who knows? If that is the case, though, I would like to assuage those feelings a bit by saying that I am so passionate about what I want to do that I don't think I'll ever be able to want the life I was raised to pursue again.
While I doubt very seriously that I'm alone in feeling young and a bit out of place in this community, there is another problem with being part of a very specific demographic that I don't think people consider: Dating is hard. I mean, dating is already hard at my age because we're all just running around and bumping into things as young adults anyway. Add in the desire for a self-sufficient lifestyle and it narrows down the list of potential suitors quite a bit.
Chances are we will see more and more of the twenty-somethings of my generation turn into the thirty-and-fourty-somethings of the future and choose to live life differently. I certainly hope so, anyway. In the mean time, the best thing I can think to do to help bridge the gap in the community is continue to try to convert the masses. I might have to work on my friends and maybe even Mr. Right, if he exists, but that's okay and when the day comes that they do cross over to the self-sufficient side, I hope they receive the same warm welcome that I did.
If you're a young person (Millennial, Generation Z, iGeneration, etc.) and you can relate to this feeling, reach out! I'd be willing to bet that there are more of us than we think.
And if you're in the market for a stubborn, hard-working young woman with big ideas, holler... JK... Kind of...
Well, this old fart admires your goals! Go for what makes you happy and you're good at. If anyone tells you otherwise, I'm sure you can come up with a place to put that advice where it will do the most good - like on a compost pile somewhere.
You're not an old fart lol! I wish I had known before now that unsolicited advice was a compostable material. I could have planted a few gardens in it by this point!
Will be 60 in May. Am not a young fart by any measure. LOL!
Unsolicited advice is usually bullshit. (Mine is not immune either.) Last time I checked, that qualifies as compost worthy. Now you can authentically thank those folks for their 'contribution'. Hehehehe...
I can be a EVIL old fart, too. 😈
Don't give up!
I'm knocking on 50, wishing I had started when I was your age!
Thank you! I'm glad I'm starting young but it's hard lol
If it were easy, everyone would be doing it!
We are only 26 and I hear ya! If I hear one more generalization about millennials my head might pop off. Us down to earth young people are out there. (though I was always 'old' for my age 🤷♀️) Sorry I can't help you out with a forever person! I found mine at 17 and came to homesteading later on (and managed to convince him it would be awesome!)
Tell me about it! My dad went back to school a few years ago for project management and in his courses he learned about "the differences between generations" and how to talk to them and manage them accordingly. It was insufferable around the house for a while. Talk to me like a regular person! To be honest, I have always been "old" for my age as well. I'll find Mr. Right eventually. Or I won't. Either way I win because I'll just fill my lonely existence with goats and live in the woods with them. (Also, Woot! Young people!)
What is sweet about homesteading is that it isn't clearly defined, so it is what you make it. People make generalizations about other people regardless of age. The idea that people are going against the grain makes people uncomfortable,because it isn't so much a different lifestyle but they turn it into right or wrong. The worst thing you can do is get caught up on what others think...that will surely derail you! Cheers!
Exactly. It's all about perception. I'm not too concerned with whether or not people approve of my lifestyle. If anything, I wish they were willing participants but that just isn't the case. Oh well! :)
All I can say is you are wise beyond your years. At that age I was still learning about the harsh world I'd not encountered as a child. Now I'm trying to find my way back to that community of people I grew up around.
Thank you! I think that's the nicest thing anyone could say on the matter. I hope you find what you're looking for <3
I kinda relate to this. I'm 26 now and made a choice to quit a mainstream job a couple years ago. I've found my own way of keeping myself afloat by doing what I love. I'm happy on this road, but crave collaborative experiences. Some of my designer friends work on group projects, but everyone I know is always busy with something else. I've been meeting more like-minded people though. Most recently through a Permaculture Design Course where there were 3 of us in our twenties. Just gotta keep trudging along and hope that I find the right tribe, which is slowly happening. You're certainly not alone on this train of thought and hope that years later we can be the wise old people offering solace to younger generations.
Also, you sound like exactly my type of gal, if only there weren't several oceans between us, lol. :)
I'm so glad you're doing what you love! I'm working several jobs now to try and be as financially stable as possible before I take that big of a leap. I hope you find your tribe soon because I know exactly what you mean and if you ever find yourself in the American Midwest, holler at me lololol
Yeah, it was hard initially to get out of the system, but I had a lot of support. Especially from the parents, as I don't think I'd ever be able to afford land myself. ( Well, maybe now if steemit takes off in a big way.) Someone told me that if you take a leap of faith, you will find the people who will help you fly. I hope you get to where you want to be someday and find your tribe too!
Likewise if you find yourself in the hills of Kodaikanal :)
Hey @perceivingalife! I know this an old post but the title caught my eye! I’m 24 and just starting out in this homesteading journey. Although I’m married with kids, I get how you feel being young. I often feel older than I am and even forget how old I am at times!
I totally get this! I'm super happy that you get to experience your homesteading journey as a family, though!