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Originally Posted by ChaseNutley26
Dodger,
Thoreau wasn't all as romantic and noble as people make him out to be. He was basically just an antisocial bum-type guy who couldn't make friends or get any work or sell any books, so his boy Ralph Waldo said, "Sure, buddy, you can crash at my place for a while, but we're short on couches so you're gonna have to stay out by the pond." So he kind of freeloaded and came up with some cool ideas about nature while he was out in the woods and wrote them down. He still visited town frequently and hung around and rabbleroused and mooched off anyone who'd pay him mind -- he wasn't quite as Mr. Saint Hippy as people make him out to be. Sorry to drop compost on your illusions.
This is awesome. Great post.
I read Amanda Palmer's book The Art of Asking and she had a section about Thoreau and how people would give him **** because they thought he "cheated" in what he was doing. I don't know enough about the history to really speak to it. I'd never heard that story. Apparently his mom made him donuts and did his laundry.
Still love his boring book.
Thanks! I've been experimenting with little zines, some illustrated poetry and then short stories. They're up on Etsy for a buck. It's basically just a way for me to connect my stuff with some people. I've sold about 30 or so pieces, nothing huge, but rewarding.
This reminds me I need to figure out overseas shipping. I got killed on Conspiratorial.
Here's the shop.
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Y'ever just say **** it and walk around naked?
Frequently.
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Are there lots of bugs / mosquitoes? Do you deal with them at all or do you not mind them?
The trouble in paradise. Flies. A problem on the porch. I'm guessing it smells like a kitchen because it is. I try to be relatively clean but ...
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How much did it cost you all told for land / shelter / basic improvements / etc. I've actually been thinking for a while of doing something similar but I'm poor. Did you have any unexpected expenses?
All-in, I'd say $30,000. Land, cabin, excavator, tools, building supplies, energy storage system, generators. That's about it. No emergency expenses, though I totaled my car. Unrelated to the cabin of course.
I make the distinction on "emergency" expenses because I really never knew what I was getting into. I half-assed my way through a series of almost unrelated decisions, it sometimes seems.
I didn't know how much the road would cost to build when I bought the land. I barely walked on it when I bought it (snow covered). ... Didn't at the time know what I'd live in.
This was all pretty unplanned.
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You say you're doing freelance -- copywriting / editing I'm guessing, right? How does one go about doing that while maintaining a reasonable first world income?
No, I'm now employed full-time.