At the start of this adventure, each day was very difficult for us. Especially in a physiological sense. I was meditating a lot at the start of the days, just to cross the day in a good mood. I think that my body and mind needed to assimilate this huge lifestyle change. We were drinking wine at the end of the days to feel good. Also at that time, there was a scarcity of wood and other construction materials in the area so we couldn’t start our projects, that didn’t help at all.

Some weeks later, the wood arrived and I started to build. That was great. It’s amazing how the sense of progress can make the days move so easily. You go to bed tired and you fall asleep immediately. Things started to move. The list of tasks to do didn’t have an end. I was always working to check things off my list. I had this sense of advancing, but in the practical way still a lot of things were missing: a water system, a sink to clean dishes, a shower, a space to work, space to storage things, a heat source for winter, etc… . I just felt lost in a pile of things to do.

After six months in Loanco, things start to look more done. Finally the buildings are 85% ready, and we have a space where we can work and communicate with the exterior world. A bathroom, with a compost toilet and a shower, have appeared. This two spaces really are changing our lifestyle. The sensation of physiological comfort is huge and this affects tremendously our daily life experiences and happiness. It was a surprise to me to discover, by experience, how deep and meaningful can architecture be to the daily life of a human. It makes me think that even the outcome of a family project can be hugely impacted by the design of the spaces that simply surround us.

We now have six chickens running through the property and giving us tons of eggs. We are eating more “tortillas” than ever. It is really nice to have them because they are eating a lot of the insects of the upper garden. Also now we have 70 trees, a lot of berries and herbs planted. Everything is growing, slowly, but growing. And now we are starting a little system of annual vegetable beds. We have 4 beds: Potatoes, beans, roots and others. Winter is finishing and I am so excited to see everything grow again.

I think if I had to define these last six months, I would think about learning and experimenting. I have learned more than in my last 5 years, doing this. The only path to truly understand something is doing. I feel that I have read a lot in my life, but only experience can teach me and give me true confidence. And for experience to start flowing, you need experimentation. I feel this is a year for experimenting, for playing, for understanding, for respecting, for connecting. A year of opening.
To finish I would like to say that all this started like a dream, but now things seem more concrete. I feel that we are moving towards a new lifestyle, but slowly. I need trees to grow to establish a strong economy. But I can see and feel that things are taking shape and a little snow ball is starting to grow. I believe strongly in this project!!!