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No, dear readers, I have not forgotten my original dream of buying a small house on a large property and turning it into a backyard homestead. On the contrary, that dream is stronger than ever before, combined with the desire to support neighbors and local businesses as much as possible. And – well, duh! – if I can blog about it and maybe turn the blog into something that generates real money, it would be even better, wouldn’t it? That way, I can spend even more money locally (to me) and make more of a change in those people’s lives.
The problem is that I am not in Europe. I live in South Africa. It’s roughly in the same time zone, but many miles/Kilometers away, and flying up quickly on a property-hunting tour isn’t exactly feasible by any stretch of the imagination. Not only because of the distance involved but because there are a lot of logistics and a very limited budget involved. And I still need to apply for a passport (watch this space) and getting a visa is a nightmare, especially if one has really crazy ideas.
Providence still moves in weird ways, too. I am not sure whether I want to go down that particular rabbit hole, yet, but maybe one man’s loss is one woman’s gain, after all! And yes, I am in a position to take advantage of some really bad events that have befallen others. But do I really want to?
See, my thoughts are back in Eastern Europe. And yes, still in Ukraine, too. But rather than simply waltz in as a volunteer, do a thing or two for a while and then waltz out again, I am seriously wondering whether I will not be able to make more of a difference to those people if I move there permanently.
In South Africa, I am not worth much. My skin is too light, my culture all wrong and I have too much and too good of an education. It is also not safe to farm here. Especially not if you are a woman alone. I am not rich by any standard – not even here – but I have some money squirreled away that I can use to make a fresh start somewhere else, provided I live extremely frugally and as self-sustainably as possible.
That’s where the “fair share” comes in, methinks. Involving whole communities in my projects and helping them live better lives, too. The rising tide and all that, you know. I like enabling. And if it doesn’t involve other people’s vices, that is a good thing to do.
Yes, I shall definitely benefit from doing so. As Zig Ziglar once said, if you help enough other people get what they want, you get what YOU want.
So – step by step – what are my plans for getting to that BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOAL of moving to Europe?
- Apply for and get a passport. That’s a whole mission in itself.
- Write enough to earn a passive income that would make me financially independent.
- Draw up a detailed budget. What can I afford, realistically speaking? Am I going to buy property in cash, or am I willing to risk debt?
- Decide on a country.
- Find out what the entry requirements are, and whether foreigners are allowed to own property there.
- Enlist the help of a law professional in that country to help me with immigration, as well as property purchase.
- Apply for a tax number in the new country, to be able to purchase a property.
- Incorporate, if needed.
- Determine what I would need in a Permaculture property. Take into consideration that most countries in Europe are much colder than here in South Africa.
- Find a suitable property online.
- Let the lawyer do due diligence on the property.
- Enter into a property transaction. Let him/her handle any registrations on my behalf.
- Start the emigration/immigration process.
- Complete the “leaving” part.
- Fly up!
- Start the “arriving” part.
- Sort out a place to stay during the renovation/rebuilding.
- Jump through the hoops.
- Draw up a proper renovation plan, as well as a homestead plan for at least the first three years.
- Source whatever and whoever I need.
- Start the renovation
- Create a blog all about it! (Vlog, too!)
- Earn some money.
- Plow it back into the project and the community.
- Rinse and repeat steps 22-24 until the renovation has been completed.
- Jump through any other hoops.
- Get permanent residency.
- Live happily ever after.
Not much, huh?
I must confess that I sometimes feel despondent. That little guy on my shoulder is telling me that I will never make it and that I should rather give up so that I don’t look like an idiot. Oh, yes, and so many people are telling me that I better be grateful for what I have and stop dreaming. My mom is one of them, so it’s not as if I can tell her to go and kick rocks, is it? She means well. But it’s still rather depressing to think that she doesn’t support me.
That bit of blackness is done with, and it’s time to really get things going. I am 46 years old and not getting any younger. No more procrastination!!!
If you don’t think I am tilting at windmills and would like to aid and abet my crazy idea, please pay some pocket change into my Backyard Farm Fund. It’s all about little bits adding up, so don’t feel pressured to spend a fortune. Unless you want to. Then I shall be immensely grateful. Please specify the donation as a gift, if asked. European tax collectors are especially vicious.
And now that I have outlined my steps, I guess that means I should take them, doesn’t it? It can’t be that difficult if uneducated, inexperienced twenty-year-olds can do it. Or maybe it’s just because they don’t know enough to be scared. Time will tell.
