Drawing by David Powell
Almost a year ago I bought a 5th wheel trailer and moved into the wilderness in the Santa Cruz mountains. At the time I felt I was being called by the big redwoods to come live with them. I had made a few trips from San Jose to the Boulder Creek area and knew that I wanted to be there. I also loved the idea of living off the grid away from civilization. By the blessings of the Universe I found a privately owned property that had a pad setup for an RV. I towed my trailer to it through windy roads and windy dirt roads and setup camp. There was septic and water there but there was no electricity or phone lines. I purchased a generator and got satellite internet setup. I had planned to setup solar power but it is expensive even for a small place like mine. Within the next month I plan to get a small setup just to power the two 12 volt batteries I use when I don’t have the generator running just to lessen the generator dependency some.
It’s not so bad
I love being out here! It is magical to me. I feel closer to the Earth than ever before. The sound the wind makes when it wooshes through the trees is great. The wildlife I see daily never gets old. I like watching the plants and trees grow. I have seen some weird bugs, banana slugs, giant worms, lots of birds, skunks, lots of deer, and a couple of mountain lions. I have heard trees fall in the middle of the night and that is a bit eerie. I have met some interesting people and even helped some people. And my kids like it as well. We go on hikes and explore as much as we can. I setup a garden last year but it was a little late in the season and I don’t think the dirt was very good, so I will make another run at it this year. The air is also cleaner by far than where I was living in the more urban residential area.
There are some downsides
When I got here I dug a hole for the generator to lessen the noise level and got poison oak from that. I am on my third generator as I opted to get the cheaper models with a warranty. I crashed my truck into some guy who turned right in front of me on the main windy road up. I am now on my second truck. I have run out of water, but that was just a matter of switching tanks. I have had to learn how to properly take care of my waste situation, as there were a few clogs before everything settled down if you know what I mean.. 
Space
The space is small that I live in, but I wanted to live more simpler anyways. When people try and give me stuff I say no thanks I don’t have the room. All I need is the necessities to really be happy. And happy I am! I plan on going on a few trips this spring and summer and I will be bringing almost everything I own with me. I am trying not to get a storage shed, so far I don’t think I need one. Like the drawing above says.. Keep it simple!
Overall it has been quite the spirit journey so far. I know that shamans believe that you can be healed of certain things that are ailing you by just being in the wilderness surrounded by life. I definitely feel a difference when I head into the bigger cities. The energy or vibration is different for sure. I would recommend going out and living in the wilderness to anyone who was able. It is definitely worth it!
Live better, be happy, and love all that is!
Namaste!
Drawing Credits:
By David Powell
Instagram: @david_rollyn
Website: www.omahascreenco.com