We are Michael and Jolandi, two South Africans, currently living in the United Arab Emirates. Over many glasses of wine, we have dreamed of a life unencumbered by the demands and restrictions of corporate life, and as we grew older, realized that unless we make a decision to take the plunge, we will find ourselves stuck in the same rut, ten years from now. Not wanting to risk a life of regret, we have purchased a 3 ha piece of land in rural Portugal, and are planning to, over the next 2 years, set up our life, so that we can move there.
“. . . it is our dreams that tell us who we really are and what is important to us . . .” – Paula Constant – As our eventual plan is to combine the barn and ruin into one house, and with Michael always looking at the “bigger picture”, often to my chagrin, he […]
“The world is divided into two categories of people: those who shit in their drinking water supplies and those who don’t.” – Joseph Jenkins, from: The Humanure Handbook I completely agree, when people make statements like: “We do not have a symbiotic relationship with the earth anymore; or, we live wasteful lifestyles.” And when people […]
“The weight of a dream is not in proportion to its size. Some dreams are made of fog, some of lace, some of lead.” – Rebecca Solnit – We fell in love with the land, the first time we saw photographs of it, and when we first set foot on it in July last year, […]
“The immensity of nature gives us a new perspective on life, washes away or minimizes our worries. How can we feel sad with all the beauty there to see? And how can we feel poor when all this beauty belongs to us?” – Ferenc Máté – July brought long sun-drenched days, followed by lingering light, […]