Doomsday prepper reveals what it is really like to live off-grid in the DESERT after buying a plot of land from Facebook Marketplace
A doomsday prepper has revealed what it’s really like to live off-grid in the desert after purchasing a plot of land through Facebook Marketplace.
Zani Sunshine, 43, grew up dreaming of living on a large plot of land.
She and her husband Yaseen, 43, a carpenter, didn’t want to be stuck in their home in Atlanta, Georgia, when the pandemic hit — so they decided to swap city life for something more rural.
They soon traded their car for a truck to tow their trailer and traveled with Zani’s 11-year-old son until they found the perfect location.
A doomsday prepper has revealed what it’s really like to live off-grid in the desert after buying a plot of land on Facebook Marketplace
Zani Sunshine, 43, grew up dreaming of living on a large plot of land. She and her husband Yaseen, 43, a carpenter, didn’t want to be stuck in their home in Atlanta, Georgia
They quickly made the decision to trade in their car for a truck to tow their trailer and traveled with Zani’s son, 11, until they found the perfect location.
The couple bfour months after leaving, they bought 25 acres of land near Albuquerque, New Mexico, for $10,000 before purchasing another five acres on their Facebook Marketplace landline for $7,500.
Now the family is in the process of building their own home, complete with solar panels for electricity and a septic system.
They also want to build an underground geothermal greenhouse to grow their own food, so they can be self-sufficient.
Zani, a content creator and author, said, “It’s a liberating lifestyle.
‘I feel so much more secure because I know you have so much more control over things.
‘People think I live in fear. It’s not fear. There is an opportunity, and I want to be prepared. I feel empowered.’
Zani had a busy life in Atlanta working as a nurse, but had been preparing for the past decade.
She said: ‘If something happened, I wanted to be self-sufficient.
They bought 10 acres of land near Albuquerque, New Mexico, four months later for $10,000, and bought another five acres on their Facebook Marketplace landline for $7,500.
Now the family is in the process of building their own home and has their own solar panels for electricity and a septic system
‘We had water, medical supplies and bug bags to leave the city quickly.
“The fact that we are so dependent on the systems – so many people are not prepared – creates chaos and violence.”
In March 2020, she took the plunge to go off-grid.
Zani, who is also a consultant, said: “When the pandemic hit, we didn’t want to be in the house.
“We traded our car for a truck to tow our trailer.”
The family traveled 1,300 miles until they found their dream location.
They put their 26ft travel trailer on land and bought a 40ft destination trailer for $15,000 on Facebook Marketplace to live in while they built their house.
Yaseen built a mudroom next to their trailer for their muddy boots, wood stove and extra storage space.
They had a septic system installed for their waste.
The family currently has a chicken coop and meat rabbits, but hopes to get some mules and sheep.
Zani had a busy life in Atlanta working as a nurse, but had been preparing for the past decade. She said: ‘If something were to happen, I wanted to be self-sufficient’
Zani, a content creator and author, said, “It’s a liberating lifestyle. I feel so much more secure because I know you have so much more control over things.”
The family lives in the high desert at 75,000 feet above sea level, meaning their days and nights can vary in temperature.
Zani said: ‘The growing season is very short. We are trying to build an underground geothermal greenhouse, but it will cost $50,000. That’s our next goal.’
Currently, Zani orders dry food in bulk on Amazon – and has six months to a year’s worth of ready-made food.
They get their fresh food from a small town 30 minutes away or from a larger supermarket an hour and a half drive away.
The family’s land is at high altitude, so they are less likely to experience flooding, which is becoming more common due to climate change.
She said, “We don’t have tornadoes or hurricanes. The chance of that is smaller.’
Zani’s goal is not to be 100 percent self-sufficient, but she does want to be able to live with what she has if something happens.
Her recent book Offgrid Planning Workbook is available on Amazon.