Off the Grid and Into the Wild: What Two Years Have Taught Us

This week marks two years to the day that we stood at the edge of everything we knew—and jumped.

We sold our house.

Jeff left his job.

We let go of half our belongings.

And we set off in Amber, our VW T5 camper, with no plan B—just a dream of a simpler, freer, more connected life.

That was June 2023. It feels both like yesterday and a lifetime ago.

For years before that, we’d quietly dreamed of living off-grid. Back in 2010, we started small—turning a corner of our suburban garden into a mini allotment. We read about sustainable living, dreaming of space, freedom, and a life lived with intention.

Meanwhile life in the UK got harder. The cost of living soared. We were barely making ends meet. We felt like we were constantly rushing, just surviving—barely spending meaningful time as a family. It became clear: something had to change.

So we did something wild—we trusted the dream.

We travelled across the UK and Europe with our three boys, roadschooling along the way, searching for land in Central Portugal. We’d spent time researching about this beautiful, mountainous region, and the vibrant off-grid community growing there. When we arrived, we understood why. It felt like coming home.

Over the next year, we bounced between Portugal and the UK (thanks to EU travel limits), continuing our adventures, growing as a family, and getting clearer about the life we wanted.

Early in 2024, we bought Edith—our caravan—to renovate and live in. A few months later, we finally found the place: a beautiful organic farm tucked away in the mountains of Central Portugal.

Now, two years since taking that leap, we’re here. Living our dream. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - this journey is not without challenges. It is the hardest thing we’ve ever done!

But at the same time it’s also bought us more peace, purpose, and joy than we ever thought possible.

We’ve learned so much and are continuing to learn along our journey.

About adapting to this way of living.

About trusting the unknown.

About resilience, family, and what really matters.

We’re just getting started, and there’s still so much to learn and share.

We hope you enjoy following our journey.