Misc Adventures Digest
Lessons from the Woods
Lessons from the Woods - Changes
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Lessons from the Woods - Changes

Contemplating how living a more simple life closer to nature has changed us as people and shifted our values, sense of self and view of the world.
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This time we’re discussing how much living in the woods has changed us as people. How it shifted our values in ways we weren’t expecting and how we feel about these changes. Reflecting on our situation and how lucky we were to find the set up we did, we talk about our feelings on the way society has made it difficult for people to live closer to nature and how private land ownership prevents this access. Andrew discusses how moving into a manual, outdoors job has hardened him in ways he’s not always happy about and Emma talks about how it took longer for her to find her ‘thing’ and how having a baby impacted what she does.

Notes:

Emma mentions a quote from Braiding Sweetgrass when talking about creativity and outdoors work. This is it:

“The practice of forestry may be changing, but I am unaware of any instances where proficiency in the arts is sought as a professional qualification by timber companies or schools of forestry. Perhaps that is what we need. Artists as foresters”.

Forester Franz Dolp, quoted by Robin Wall Kimmerer in the chapter ‘Old Growth Children’ in Braiding Sweetgrass.

Andrew mentions a Henry David Thoreau quote from his essay “Walking’ on the subject of ‘roughness’:

“Living much out of doors, in the sun and wind, will no doubt produce a certain roughness of character — will cause a thicker cuticle to grow over some of the finer qualities of our nature, as on the face and hands, or as severe manual labor robs the hands of some of their delicacy of touch’.

Andrew working in the woods, acquiring ‘roughness’.
Emma in the woods.a few weeks before having Benji.
As a family of three - the biggest change we had during our time in the woods was becoming parents to Benji.
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Misc Adventures Digest
Lessons from the Woods
A look back at 11 years living in a Sussex woodland: During the last month of living in our woodland barn, we sat down together and discussed the things we'd learned about life, nature and the whole universe. We originally recorded these conversations to ensure we wouldn't forget how we felt and what we'd learned during our 11 years but thought they might be interesting for others to hear. So here they are!