ARK LIFE: What the hell are we doing, and why?

Although we did not start out with such

intentions, The Fabulous Feathermaye and Yours Truly have spent the last two years experimenting with life style choices.

Circumstances forced many of our decisions; we had to, for example, keep ourselves in a state of ready mobility.  Mobility requires planning, so we first had to become well versed in our own communication with each other: how each of us was holding up, as far as our state of mind. 

Keeping a positive outlook is paramount to any sort of success when two people are living in a, relatively constant state of flux.  

Also consistent, was the research we had to keep up with.

 For my wife and myself, at least, all of this was new territory; in terms of both where we were geographically, as well as what we were doing with ourselves.

Have no doubt that if not for many good friends, our journey would have been troubled with problems: shelter, food, unforeseen expenses etc., the list is as long as one's imagination.

Along the way, we discovered answers to big questions like: what to do next? or do we really need this or not?  The latter question was one we found ourselves asking more times than not when we first set foot on the trail.

Like the Great Plains Native Americans, we found that keeping our life mobile was the simplest method for adapting to the unanticipated problems, and learned to turn them into opportunity.

Through the course of our efforts, we discovered that we were among thousands of Americans that were learning, or had already educated themselves, with solutions to our changing times and conditions...

The Small House Movement for example, has grown by

Small House/Tiny House movement

leaps and bounds.  Rather than taking up so much land, so many resources and unending expense, the movement takes a different approach: USE LESS SPACE, USE ONLY WHAT YOU NEED, and REDUCE THE COST OF LIVING, so that the QUALITY OF LIFE, is at the forefront.

Today's America, we have found, is no longer supportive of keeping up with the Jones.  Hell, the Jones can hardly keep up with themselves.  We're all (96% at least) struggling, at best.  As a nation, we're making it hard on ourselves, our children and social structure, by keeping with the old American Dream...the way it was always put to us.

Going into debt, so we can have it now has never been a

good idea; but most of us do it anyway.  

We want the big house, we want the latest car, the finest apparel, we want to look like the images on TV!  But those images are fools gold, as Feathermaye and I found out, by letting them go, one by one, until we reduced our lives...to what really matters for us.

Now, we live in an ARK.  We can take our ARK

ARK LIFE can take place nearly anywhere, fixed in place
or on wheels, ready to go anywhere...

anywhere, at any time with little notice.  All we need is a prevailing wind (opportunity) and we can get moving toward a new destination.  

Inside the ARK, are the few things that matter to us; that make our life comfortable, reasonable and worthwhile. We can set up our ARK almost anywhere, and leave a very small footprint--environmentally.

Inside the ARK, we live as well as anyone, and we enjoy life because life is good, life is enjoyable.  

END OF PART ONE...