A Taste of Freedom

Documenting a Dream

Stop talking, start doing.

This is our story in which we document our journey in fulfilling our dream of living closer to the land.

About

About

We are Michael and Jolandi, two South Africans, 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 couple of years, set up our life, so that we can move there. We originally aimed for December 2019, but realised that a dream like this needed a lot more patience, time, and money than we initially expected. Throw in a pandemic, and things got even more messy. Despite all of this I (Jolandi) moved to Portugal on 9 October 2020, while Michael is still working in Abu Dhabi for the time being, as a regular income will allow us the freedom to build more infrastructure, pay off an apartment, and set up our life in a way that will provide us with a bit of financial freedom.

Featured Posts

What’s on my Mind in February 2024

What’s on my Mind in February 2024

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“We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” — Jacques Yves Cousteau Growing up on a farm where dryland farming was, and still is practiced, and where a limited water supply via boreholes was available for raising animals and domestic use, the preciousness of water has been ingrained in me. Taps […]

What’s on my Mind in January 2024

What’s on my Mind in January 2024

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“Every human person is inevitably involved with two worlds: the world they carry within them and the world that is out there. All thinking, all writing, all action, all creation and all destruction is about that bridge between the two worlds. All thought is about putting a face on experience.” – John O’Donohue My writing […]

Building a Retaining Wall, the Rookie Way, in 8 Easy Steps

Building a Retaining Wall, the Rookie Way, in 8 Easy Steps

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When we received a quote from our builder to build a retaining wall below the agricultural building he was busy erecting for us, we not only realized that we couldn´t afford it, but decided to do it ourselves. Well, let´s be clear, Michael decided, and I idiotically went along with his hairbrain idea, completely misunderstanding […]

Autumn News from the Quinta – 2023

Autumn News from the Quinta – 2023

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“Others can stop you temporarily – you are the only one who can do it permanently.”– Zig Ziglar During the last couple of months Michael and I have seriously questioned the sanity of the choices we´ve made in recent years. Our struggles with the bureaucratic system, and finding people who work to our standards in […]

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