Dave Carvell

I Went To The Woods Because I Wished To Live Deliberately

There are two kinds of people in my world: Those who say I'm crazy, and those who envy me...

It started in February, 2007 when I got laid off from my job. I found another job in April in Charleston, WV. What I did not find was a place to live. I could live in an apartment, but I'd rather spoon out my eyeballs (and I'm not crazy for that idea). There has been little in the way of a place to live, and even less that I'd want to live in.

Necessity being the mother that it is, I started camping in the Kanawha State Forest. When my wife comes to Charleston for a few days a week, we've been staying at Motel 6. After a while, I realized that what I really wanted to do was to keep right on camping. My wife initially didn't want to go along, but she agreed to do this if we could get a bigger tent.

We figure we can save quite a bit of money. With a house, there are a lot of expenses. Now, a practical person would say you have to live in a house, otherwise, how are you going to get cleaned up to go to work. If you don't work, then you can't buy things like houses. People may need a little prodding, but usually, when they complete the argument, that's what it comes down to. It's a beautiful process to watch.

The practical person will point out that there will be hardships and they are right. I'll have to learn things, and there will be thinking and labor involved.

After my wife and I save enough money, we'll buy some land and build a yurt. You can buy them for a few thousand dollars, or build them for a few hundred. They are fairly primitive, but they are sturdy. They've been around for hundreds of years, and have to hold up under very distressing weather. Oh, they can be car-topped.

I won't argue that they have the comforts of home, but here is a way to think of it: Let's say that you had been found guilty of something and the judge gave you a choice of two sentences: You may do 30 years hard labor. It won't be too bad, really; you get to come home to a nice house on evenings and weekends. The other alternative is that you can spend a few days building a primitive shelter, then you're done paying for it. You can add on as needed if the spirit moves.

So, the way this all shakes out is that I camp in the woods and work in an office writing computer software. I have the benefits of civilization and nature. I'm the happiest I've ever been, and all appeals to practicality can't stand up to that.