So Long, My Tiny Cabin in the Woods!

As summer comes to a close, the red and yellow leaves and early sunsets are sneaking in. A sign of change ahead.

Welcome to my sleepy cabin in the woods

I'm now entering the last week of my 4 months living in my little cabin in the woods. And what a special 4 months it has been. Time flew by, and the time that passed felt quite busy. But not in the conventional sense of busy-ness, running from one commitment or errand after another, and constantly running behind.

I did have a job that kept me quite busy, running a fairly conventional schedule of Monday to Friday 9 am to 6 pm. But I had one of the best commutes anyone can ask for. Every morning I walked 10 minutes through forest and meadow to the opposite end of my boss's property. Some days I would take the route by mountain bike.

My sweet commute 

I watched as my meadow was dominated by different colours throughout the season, from the white of Queen Ann's Lace to the purple of Ragged Robin, and recently to the yellow of Goldenrod. I picked wild strawberries and yarrow, and observed the occasional painted turtle and snake along my commute. A few nights a week, I would hear the ramblings of a porcupine, poking around the vicinity of my cabin.

I worked with my boss Simon (at Instagram preservingearth), absorbing the steep learning curve of not just carpentry, but timber framing, which is on a final boss level of difficulty. I made many mistakes along the way, but Simon was unwavering in his patience and confidence in me to grow from these mistakes.

Simon and a special axe

Me and a big circular saw

Our workshop could be the most beautiful work environment to do carpentry. It was actually a large greenhouse which let in tons of natural lighting, but had overhead tarps for shade. And it had roll up windows to allow for a cool breeze to push out the heat, providing relief from the omnipresent sawdust. Some days it felt like I was working outdoors.

Mingled in to the work were long conversations about philosophy, society and permaculture, and listening to podcasts on similar matters. It was a nice coincidence to discover that Simon was among few people who matched my passion for intellectual conversation, and our values and life experiences complemented eachother very well.

After work, I would bundle up several ice packs from Simon's fridge, and commute home through the meadow and forest, back to my sleepy cabin. I would deposit the ice packs in my cooler box, then go for a skinny dip in my pond, occasionally soaping off the beads of sawdust and sweat that my body accumulated throughout the day.

Skinny dipping not photo optional

Notice I fixed the dock?

Once clean (or at least my version of it) I would prepare dinner, usually a mix of dumpster dived foods, foods given to me by my family, and vegetables from a local weekly CSA. I would usually listen to a podcast while preparing and eating dinner. After dinner, I had many options, but would usually sit by my dock and read or practice guitar.

Wifi and connection to the real world was reserved for weekends at the awesome Garafraxa Cafe, where the owner will give anyone a chance to play music. Thus, I was practically in my own little bubble - picture one of those snow bubbles in the souvenir shops, but with my little cabin and me. There's no better place to be at peace and just think, which is my favourite activity in the world.

Recently, with the sun setting as early as 8:30 pm, I've been having lots of fires by the pit beside my pond, while practicing guitar. Then I would sit by my pond admiring the stars in the sky, until my melatonin slowly took me over and dragged me to bed, where I slept better than anywhere else in my life. No noise. No light. No distractions.

My friend Kyris Music, escaping bustling Toronto, enjoying my slice of the woods

Some family time around the campfire

The original plan was to finish the timber frame and raise it into place with a crane by end of September, then apply straw bale for the walls, a natural and sustainable building material. A little past halfway through my time there, that deadline had to be pushed back to past winter and into late spring of 2018. Once this decision was made, I felt the weight of the stress lift off our shoulders. 

Thus, work pushed on, but without that looming deadline. Work was never boring, or lacking in conversation. We rode the roller coaster of emotions from the changing schedule through an exceptionally rainy summer, and emerged into a smooth September. And into my last week here on the job, I feel (and I hope Simon does too) that this will mark the end of a pretty special time in our lives.

On a personal level, I am feeling more powerful than ever. After quitting my engineering job 3 years ago, I now finally feel I have broken clean of the rat race and the whole paradigm that follows it like an inescapable shadow. After my spiritual quest which ensued, through primarily travel, in which I healed myself with love and nurtured my inner confidence and inner strength, this was the summer for me to begin channeling my spiritual energy into practical creation.

Simon's cat - Marty McFly

Looking forward, I bring with me a knowledge of carpentry, as well as a bundle of knowledge in my head, and energy in my hands, ready to fusion in to something real and tangible. In the long term, that means being self employed in a field of sustainability. In the shorter term, it means more blogs for you!

But for the rest of 2017, it's time to escape back into travel. South America, here I come! (more details to come, obviously)

PS. a big thank you to Simon, Talia and Shea for sharing their beautiful property, their time and wisdom with me