“What’s the appeal to you of self-sufficient living?” a friend asked Friday afternoon in Belize City when I told him of Lief and my plans for the weekend.
“I mean, I know you, Kathleen. You like to be comfortable,” my friend continued with a little smile.
Yes, I appreciate creature comforts. But in our current age, self-sufficiency and comfortable living aren’t mutually-exclusive ideas. You can have both.
Friday afternoon, after last week’s Live and Invest in Belize Conference concluded, I got to do one of my favorite things. I got to drive out to Cayo for the weekend. For me, a weekend in Cayo is pure delight. I appreciate both the natural beauty of this region of rivers, rain forest, and jungle and the no-pretense, back-to-basics lifestyle this part of Belize offers. Plus, Cayo attracts a quirky sort, and I enjoy being among quirky, interesting people. In Cayo you meet misfits, nonconformists, and outside-the-box thinkers from all around the world. Many of these folks have sought out this unsung region with a self-sufficient agenda. Cayo offers an abundance of fertile land, sunshine year round, and water, the three primary requisites for this way of life.
Increasingly, these folks are creating lives that are both self-sustainable and very comfortable.
Why is this way of life appealing in the first place?
For me, it comes down to two things. First is control. I’m not a doom-and-gloomer. I prefer to see glasses half-full, rather than half-empty. That said, I recognize that our world is full of uncertainties. Could things fall apart in a dramatic way? I don’t rule it out.
So Lief and I want to create an off-grid bolt-hole for ourselves and our family… just in case. We want a plan in place that allows us to feel comfortable that, whatever happens, we’ll be ok.
Second, I like gardens. I’ve been frustrated in this agenda for a long time. Living in Panama City now and Paris before that, I haven’t had any opportunity to cultivate a garden for a dozen years. Now, finally, in Cayo, Belize, I want to undertake a long-term gardening plan. We’ll have a big kitchen garden, a small orchard, and trees for hard wood.
This weekend in Cayo we’re beginning to put that plan on paper and to practice the skills to pull it off.
Kathleen Peddicord
P.S. This weekend’s “Self-Sufficiency In Belize” program has included both expert presentations and interactive workshops in the field. We’ve recorded all the formal sessions (on topics from Integrated Farm Design and Sustainable Home Design to Off-Grid Power, Water, And Communications, Hydro Aqua Aero Ponics, Long-Term Food Production, and more) and will be making these available, post-editing, as our all-new Self-Sufficiency Starter Kit.
Right now, you can access this new resource pre-release for more than 50% off the regular price. If you’re interested in pursuing a plan for a sustainable lifestyle, this is a one-of-a-kind chance to access all the latest techniques, technologies, and strategies, discussed and detailed by experts in these fields.
