For most of us, our power comes from wires suspended on poles, directing it into our outlets. Our water comes from pipes underground, funneled into our taps. It’s easy: flick a switch, turn a faucet, let there be light, and you joyously draw water from the springs of salvation. Biblical shit.
But there are other ways–ways that are increasingly becoming more popular. Self-reliance is becoming a real movement. Solar panels and wells, #vanlife and gardens; there are a lot of people interested in figuring out how to live outside the confines of modern life. It’s a move towards simplicity, and although at the outset it can seem complicated, when one looks at where the majority of our electricity and water actually comes from, solar panels and gardens are far more simple than generating stations and grocery stores.
Chadd Konig wanted to live a little differently. He left sunny, bustling Southern California for the northern end of the state, found a plot of land to put down is roots, built a yurt, and dug into the rich soil that gives life to food. His water comes from the clouds, his electricity from that burning star we call our sun.
“We’re all totally dependent on the earth… we as a culture don’t really appreciate it to the fullest extent. Living out here, I feel like I have a closer relationship with the earth–with the elements, with my resources.”
