You know I always wanted to escape from this maddning world. And I have thought about it seriously.

But here are a few thoughts for you that popped into my brain.

1: What happens when the horse(s) need new saddles, bridels, shoes? Are you taking someone that knows how to make a horse shoe, work a new saddle?
2: I see by your profile photo you wear glasses.
What happens when in a few years you need a different prescription? You can't see? Pop into a near by town and expect to see a doctor the same day?
3: Pots and pans and metal equipment wear out. Are you just going to get back on the grid to go to a store and buy new ones?

I am sure you can hunt, grow your own food, but what about weave cloth to make your own clothes? The days of the tin smith, glass blower and ferrier are long gone.

A group of people need things to survive. Those things need replacing, carried when you move around, and stored, are you going to have enough people with those talents to do all that? Living off the land is one thing, living off the grid another. JMO

I wish you the best.

Our clan moved like the Beverly Hillbillies. We packed up uncles, cousins. and what have you and migrated to a new area. It worked fine for us.

Maybe Alaska? Pretty cold there though, but lots of wilderness.

I was a transit with my boyfriend for two years. It was not living in the wilderness, just moving from town to town by car. It got old though. I like having a home base.

The question is are you running away from something (rat race) or running to something?

I think its all about getting back to nature or mother earth. Its a spiritual journey.

To me, a rat-race is a big city, high rent, constant traffic, crowded stores, living from paycheck to paycheck.

I left that rat-race when I moved from Colorado Springs to Dothan AL, then from Dothan to Springfield CO. a very small town. (Almost a wilderness compared to Colorado Springs and Denver.)

I think you can leave the rat-race without becoming homeless or living in a tent, but I've often dreamed of having a tee-pee house that you can pitch anywhere.... for fun, for a while, but not permanent.

There are groups of people here in Colorado who do this. I read about them. Some of them eventually get tired of it and go back to civilization. It is hard work, but it will keep you busy and preoccupied with simple survival.

I like running water, a roof over my head, heat and air conditioning etc. I've seen how hard people have it in third world countries living in huts with dirt floors and bed bugs and having no toilets so that they walk up to the hill to go poop.

Maybe in my next life I will be born in a tropical rain forest in a tribe of naked natives, but for now, I think I'll enjoy what I've got.

You bring up some good questions for the OP..a ferrier will be easy for them to find..they are everywhere, The other things you mention will be harder. I do think that even if she finds a place to run to, they will soon miss the modern world..such as the computer she is posting this thread with. I lived in a third world country for awhile..and it was the little things that bothered me the most. Phone, certain grocery items I could not get, good medical aid and other things. She may have a nurse practitioner with them, but there are things that she won't be able to take of in the 'wilderness . What about snakes? I have a friend that was bitten last May by a rattlesnake,,and even with prompt medical care, after 3 months in the hospital and rehab, she is still in a wheelchair...wild animals are 'cute' in a zoo, but deadly in their habitat

Perhaps a mouse race then. Still to many people involved if you truly want to get away from it all, IMO. I know its why I've never cared for or been interested in the commune type lifestyle. Too many people involved in making decisions even on a small scale.

All very good points, though I will slightly disagree with the farrier part. Its not that hard to learn to do the basics. I haven't bothered to actually have a horse shod in over 20 years, despite what type of ground I was on, and what I was doing with the horses, and have never had any issues because of it. Basic trims and upkeep, good nutrition is what helps the most.

all very good points..Thanx..Most of the mentioned items are truthfully takin care of...altho the ides of staying in the states is nice...[how about a house boat in the louisianna swamp?...HEEEY??!?!?...oh sorry..eaisily distracted tonite....]really ..lookin in other places is very much an option . ..Another idea.. Maybe buying a ghost town? I know I said no land purchases..but it was an idea a friend had thrown out...I heard of one that some one bought..they fixed it up..an now it thrives on the abundant people playing on bikes, 4 wheelers,etc. I dont really want that part..but the idea is cool.. a gone green ghost town...hmmm... The feeling of wanting out for most of the group started when young and stayed w/ ya as ya grew up..like you never belonged here at this time. After experiencing other cultures, religions, etc..becomming self aware,reading and learning by doing the primitive life style events for yrs..one finally knows what "home" feels like when they get there.....this life aint right. This alone makes me wanna take that long walk home...

Whatever you do in your endeavor to find 'home'..All I can say is Good luck to you all.

Hmmm i can almost feel there guns pointing at us as you speak yikes.

You may want to talk to other people who expatriated. Most expats keep their US citizenship. Wherever you go, you will be on somebody's land, expected to follow the law of the land. If you don't like US laws, you may want to read the laws of whatever country you are considering before you decide to give up your US citizenship.

In order to enter a foreign country, you need a passport, so don't give it up just yet. Then, to establish a permanent residence in another country, they have to accept you first. Many countries are recruiting foreigners who can prove a guaranteed source of income, sometimes as low as $2,000 a month. Each country has their own rules. There have been MANY instances where whatever the agreement was between you and your new country, a new government takes over and the old agreement no longer applies. In which case, you may get kicked out of that country and you will need to have a plan B. With a US passport, you can go just about anywhere in the world, so you may want to hold onto it.

As long as you remain a US citizen, you will owe federal income tax and be required to file with the IRS every year, no matter where you live. I believe if you live outside the US, you have an exemption on income up to a certain amount. I don't know if it matters about the source of income. It may be an exemption only on income from sources outside the US. Depending on the source of your pension, it may no longer be available to you if you give up your US citizenship. You may want to check into that.

Also, where do you plan to have your pension direct deposited? If you plan on using foreign banks, you may want to check into that as well. There is no FDIC insurance, and other things you're used to with American banks, like currency fluctuation. When we wake up in the morning, we check the weather. In other countries, people wake up in the morning, and before they check the weather, they check the value of the US dollar and how it changed overnight compared to their local currency. Before you give up your US citizenship and access to US banking systems, you may want to consider all that.

I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm just saying these decisions need to be made wisely.

well spoken and absorbed ...I guess going away as a group is much tougher than goin it alone as always. I was actually in a deep conversation last nite, w/ a friend from India..His Folks still live there..I will say WOW...what a beautiful country once ya get away from the cities. Not that its perfect time to move there. We have lots of time to look, no rush to leave tomorrow.

Very good advice here!