How it all began

How it all began…

For a long time, we were interested in creating a more self-sufficient way of living. Back in 2010, we set up a mini allotment in our small suburban garden to grow our own veggies. We read books and researched more sustainable ways of living.

In 2021, we began viewing land across the UK but quickly discovered that not only was it ridiculously expensive, but the level of bureaucracy required to do anything on your own land was, frankly, absurd! We also looked into purchasing land in other countries, and Central Portugal came onto our radar. As appealing as it seemed at the time, we were filled with fear about making such a big change.

Our off-grid goals felt like an unrealistic dream.

Meanwhile, the cost of living in the UK skyrocketed, and we felt we were barely surviving. We were rushing from one place to another, never feeling like we were getting quality time together as a family. Each month, we were barely scraping by, let alone putting money aside to enjoy the experiences we longed for.

Then, in 2023, we decided enough was enough! It was time to take radical responsibility for our future—and for our children’s future. We knew we’d always find a million reasons not to do it. What if it all goes wrong? What if we can’t hack it?

But we decided we’d rather try to achieve our dream and fail than live the rest of our lives regretting never having tried.

So, we began making BIG changes to our lives, moving us closer to our dream.

In March 2023, we de-registered our boys from school and began home-educating them. In June, we sold our house and half our belongings. Jeff quit his job, and we spent the rest of 2023 traveling the UK and Europe in Amber, our beloved VW T5 Camper. Our goal was to explore land in Central Portugal and see if it felt like a place where we could settle.

As soon as we arrived in Portugal, we fell in love with it. It quickly became clear why so many other like-minded families were making their way to this beautiful part of the world to live in a way that aligned with our own dreams.

Thanks to the 90-day European travel restrictions, we spent the next year traveling back and forth between Portugal and the UK. In the meantime, we had plenty of fun and adventures while continuing to road-school our three boys.

At the beginning of 2024, we bought a caravan (Edith) to renovate and live in.

In the spring of 2024, we finally found our beautiful organic farm in the mountains of Central Portugal.

After returning to the UK for the summer to apply for visas, we’re finally back in Central Portugal—and this time, we’re here to stay!

We hope you enjoy following our journey as we document the next chapter of our lives on our off-grid farm in Central Portugal.

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