I spent the past 2 weeks researching and bookmarking and hunting down informational resources . I think I found some really excellent specific information sites if I can figure out how to set up side links here . Had a pretty good method of doing so on my felting blog but then they changed the whole format for blogger and I have to learn the new one . (I'm still really mad at them...fuckers!). So....Just planning on adding live links for now and working on creating a more organized format as I go .

One of the most difficult aspects of this whole journey is deciding where to relocate . Land is always cheaper "away from the maddening crowd"...but I don't think I could live alone off the grid . Pretty sure it would only be a matter of weeks before they found my rotting corpse after I tripped and fell down a ravine, frozen to death or was trampled  by a bull moose . Maybe that would be preferable to dieing in an old folks home, but I don't want to be stupid about this either .

So, not knowing how or where I am going to live is about the worst possible way for me to go about something . I can research specifics ....what is the soil like, where is a water source, any wild edibles or hunting available , local resources for building materials, etc...if I have a specific place in mind . I don't actually have a preference though Having a natural water source is pretty important , soil can be worked on but weather...dealing with cold and heat are pretty important . Point being, how can you work towards a dream you can't quit see in front of you .

What isn't an option to me is living to close to people . There is literally nothing that scares me more and the hyper vigilance it takes to interact with them is draining . That leaves the boondocks or edge of a small town . If I was doing this with another person, I would prefer the boondocks .....more natural resources to use and more serenity  and more freedom to be my weird old self . I'm the kind of person villagers tend to chase with pitchforks .

I wont go into what kind of shared living arrangements I would like as ...well, it's to   complicated ,  but I need to plan "as if" that will never be an option because the odds of that working out are...complicated . Anyway, about 7 years ago , I spent about a year on an aspie web site discussing creating an "Intentional Community" of aspies . We had several details worked out and possible building, land and ways to fund it . It was really fun , I did a lot of research then about low cost building and I was ready to pack my bags but...the individual doing the most planning chose Texas . No one else had any interest in Texas...and whole plan just disintegrated .

It wasn't very long after that , that I first heard about needle felting and overnight, I had a new obsession . I spent hours teaching myself everything I could about animal fibers, sheep and alpaca, mohair, how to process and dye...how to do needle sculpting and wet felting and other related fiber things . 5 Years later, I have an apartment full of wool items I made as well as tons of hand made wool fabric to turn into bags, scarves and lots of beads to decorate and finish them . I've also researched how to market items but that stuff is beyond boring to me so I never seem to retain the information . Now, I have some motivation to do so ....money for land and supplies .

I currently work a job , that after rent and bills, I have maybe an extra $200 a month, "IF" I don't buy anything else . That is actually not that hard for me but there are always dental and medical things that you can't predict and now I have decided that I want to look into financing Lasik surgery so I can "garden" with out glasses . That surgery alone would eat up my "extra" . SO the first step seems to be finding extra income, my job schedule actually works out pretty good for that as I work 8 nights on and 6 days off . I could use the time to actually start selling my stuff on-line as well as checking local shops that sell hand-made . I could try and pick up some part time home health work with a local company . Some of them can be very flexible about letting you just work your open hours .

So, the options are ....renting land that has a structure on it already, buying and building with someone interested in creating a homestead or living in a cave and wrestling local bears over the berry patch . (if the bear is interested in homesteading...that would be cool with me too . )

So, obviously not in a place yet to get to specific so but trying to learn what I would need to know to survive if given the chance . The best option seems like finding a semi-secluded place to rent in a small town....with a space they would allow me to garden and getting to know the area enough to find the perfect land to buy while I sell my craft items and work what ever local side jobs I can to get by . Might be worth looking into options for early retirement .