A mother of four has told why she took her children out of school and left her ‘soul-sucking’ nine-to-five routine to adopt a nomadic lifestyle and move her family to an off-grid hut.
Former teacher and single mother, Ashley, 32, has always had a deep love for ‘Mother Earth’. From an early age she longed to live one with nature.
After separating from her children’s father and feeling stressed by everyday life – including managing mortgage payments, chores, school activities and cooking healthy meals – she realized she needed a change of pace.
Ashley decided to take the plunge and put her house up for sale when she and her children Helen (17), Olivia (15), Adelaide (14) and Arabella (12) moved into a tent for the summer.
Soon after, they found the perfect plot of land to build a house in rural New York, which Ashley considered her dream place because it was often called the ‘witch’s den.’
A mother of four has told why she took her children out of school and left her ‘soul-sucking’ nine-to-five routine to adopt a nomadic lifestyle and move her family into a cabin
Former teacher and single mother, Ashley, 32, has always had a deep love for ‘Mother Earth’. She longed to be one with nature from a young age (cabin pictured)
Now Ashley and her children live very far from the norm; the family even draws water from a creek and uses a composting toilet.
And according to the mother, this is the ideal lifestyle for her.
She said: ‘Since I was a child I have always wanted to live close to the country. I have a passion for living in a way that is sustainable, environmentally conscious and in harmony with nature.
“I would like to live a life that does not harm the earth and instead cherishes it for the gifts it so freely gives us.”
Another reason the family decided to pack up and switch to off-the-grid living in 2022 is because of their food.
‘With commercial food growing practices so completely out of balance with nature, destroying our soil health and ecosystems, and crops so heavily loaded with toxins, I believe the only way to ensure my food is safe and sustainable is is grown by growing it yourself,” she explained.
Before moving into a cabin, Ashley worked in a business and felt constantly exhausted by the time she got home.
She explained that she felt like she always struggled to find joy in her life.
Now Ashley and her children live very far from the norm; the family even draws water from a creek and uses a composting toilet
Another reason the family decided to pack up and switch to off-the-grid living in 2022 is because of their food.
Before moving into a cabin, Ashley worked in a business and felt constantly exhausted by the time she got home
“Before my homesteading venture, I lived an average life of rushed mornings doing chores, packing school lunches for my kids, and rushing to work, where I spent long hours in a boxy, sterile building before coming home tired.
“It sucked my soul,” she added.
After finding the best piece of land, Ashley began building her cabin, which she called their “witches den.”
She said, “For the cabin, I purchased the shell of an Amish-built barn and my children and I insulated and finished the inside.
‘We did every drop of construction ourselves and salvaged many materials. I hired an Amish friend to help me build the barn, using cedars from our land.”
The family is still putting the finishing touches on their home and adapting to their new lifestyle.
‘It’s still not quite finished, I have solar panels that I want to install for a more permanent energy source and hopefully piped water – I don’t have electricity or running water.
‘I like to carry water, but my kids want it to come from the tap!
“I use a jacket battery that I charge in my car when I drive to electrics and leave little lights on at night if we want,” she added.
So far, Ashely has spent $25,390 on the cabin, which is still a work in progress.
The family is still putting the finishing touches on their home and adapting to their new lifestyle
So far, Ashely has spent $25,390 on the cabin, which is still a work in progress
“We worked incredibly hard, and without their help I could never have done it,” she said, referring to her children
She explained, “We insulated the cabin with natural cellulose insulation, put pine plank walls on it, knocked down southern pine floors, installed attics, counters, sink, stairs, a great curvy railing with sticks and pipes for the water we once hope to have. .
‘We did it all. My girls were so amazing, they worked by my side every day. They learned how to use power tools, measure and solve problems.
“We worked very hard, and without their help I would never have been able to do this.”
Ashely now homeschools her children, as well as others, as a way to pay for home improvements, and she has her own business.
She said: ‘I currently make brooms, baskets and natural body care products, which I sell locally.
“I also started teaching at a homeschool co-op.”
Ashely now homeschools her children, as well as others, as a way to pay for home improvements, and she has her own business
The trip to the family farm was quite an adventure and a lifestyle that requires a lot of physical work, the mother admitted
The trip to the family farm was quite an adventure and a lifestyle that requires a lot of physical work, the mother admitted.
She said: “It pays off in limitless ways. I feel very grateful to have this experience. Building my own house and running a home solo with my girls has taught me so much – especially that I love this life and the peace and security it gives me.
“I get my water from my creek in the winter months and pump it by hand from our well in the summer. I wash my clothes by hand in a nearby river or in a wash tub, the traditional way.
‘In winter we use a wood stove for heat and hot water and a compost toilet. We usually spend our evenings by candlelight, which is magical.’
‘This is the life I’ve always wanted to live. After experiencing the peace and beauty of this life, I could never go back!’