Words & Photos Linda Hunter
Having passed the four-year mark of leaning into another way of living, I thought those of you following our journey might enjoy an update.
In the original series, I invited readers along on our last chapter adventure – to build a sustainable home, surrounded by our grown children, where we might age and die in
place – an experiment in communal living.
The good news is that we are still stewarding 10 acres of mostly forested land in Shirley, and the other good news is that it’s true what they say: “if you build it, they will come.”
Here are some of the highlights, for those who might also be interested in living sustainably, creating an intentional community, aging well and dying a better death. This more connected and collaborative way of life is an antidote to loneliness, a welcome solution to a tumultuous and climate-changing world, and, if we are lucky, a way to live out our final years supported by a home death.
Rather than regale you with tales of frozen pipes, black bear-shattered barbecues and machete-made pathways, I thought I would share what’s gone well. The past 48 months have been spent learning new systems and living collaboratively in this more rural and remote location.
Our new build, an 850-square-foot, single level, accessible home, is powered partially by solar, fed mostly by rainwater (with a well for backup), and complemented by compost toilets and greywater recycling. Conserving where we can, we are building food security; growing food and fruit, treading lightly on the land, and sharing space with the creatures who have lived here longer (cougars, rabbits, bears, deer). We have mastered power outages, remote internet service, long distance grocery runs, and fire safety. We’ve endured expensive system maintenance, some challenging conflict resolution, and become more proactive and self-reliant.
We depend heavily on holistic health (the hospital is an hour away) and are actively learning and designing new ways of living, all while benefiting from a slower, smaller and simpler lifestyle. Our homemade health spa includes an infrared sauna, a hot tub, an above-ground pool, an outdoor shower, and a hammock. Forest bathing and outdoor meditating abound and the ocean is always available for a cold plunge by a warm fire.
Our more remote lifestyle includes long distance learning, with some doing online post graduate degrees, others working from home, and still others commuting the long and winding road into Victoria. It means no more renting and everyone enjoying some form of home ownership, albeit on communal land. It means leaning into reciprocity with neighbours while having more agency over life’s big decisions.
And while our next chapter choice flies in the face of the most current research on aging well – urban walkable centres, nearby services and medical care within reach – for us, interdependent living is a win/win. It means we have built-in care as we age and our needs change, including at end of life. Our children can afford home ownership, have some control over their future, and enjoy the mutual benefit of sibling support. We live in community with others, are outside more than inside, and are using our bodies and our brains till the very end.
Embracing our collective strength, we are building new skillsets alongside well-worn wisdom, halving our workloads and our worries, pooling funds and sharing expenses. Our support systems are baked in: think economic challenges, ageing health, dog watching, vacation coverage, shared costs, surgery recovery, group meals, and loving through loss.
In truth, everyone benefits, regardless of age, from community, connection and companionship. This just happens to be our family’s creative solution to building a stronger foundation in a very uncertain future.
You can find Linda at www.livinganddyingwithgrace.com and you can catch up on her original LOVINGLARGElivingsmall bimonthly stories in our 2018 and 2019 issues.
