Isolated Living

GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL

Living the dream can be tough - especially if that dream's to get away from the rat race. Cutting ourselves off from the safety and comforts of modern living to be at one with nature in far away lands, takes a special kind of resolve. 

Living in the UK, within a major city like London with food readily available on the doorstep and where the protection from emergency services gives us a greater sense of security and the belief we can live without fear, leaves us more worry-free time to get on with doing what we enjoy. But it could also be said that the illusion of city security stops us taking risks and takes away the very essence of what truly makes us feel alive. 

Opting for a riskier path is something a select group of families have gone for in exchange for a daily life full of adventure, by escaping to the wild. They have chosen to live in potentially dangerous parts of the world - gaining a level of freedom that we, in our developed cities, do not have. 

One thread that I observed while watching Ken Mcloud's documentaries, was how passionate the men were to have found meaningful purpose in their daily lives. The women were also complimentary of their chosen paths but nowhere near as much as the men - and likely spoke more in terms of their commitment to the cause in support of their partner, relationship and greater good of the family. 

Having a protector/provider role and a use for the fight/flight mechanism other than avoiding a drunk down the pub on a Saturday night or sticking up some shelves in the kitchen with the man-drill just doesn't cut it, so I can appreciate the extremes some guys are going to, often somewhat selfishly and at the expense of isolation from other friends and family. There needs to be more middle ground - meaningful, self-sustained living options available closer to home. With the rise of new trends in self-builds, off-grid and sustainable living, maybe we'll see more of these kind of living options closer to home and without the need for such isolation extremism.