In the last few years my life has changed in ways I never expected. Suddenly, I found myself a single mom to 3. (Granted, one is out of the house, and another is a teenager … but the last one is still young). We used to live in a house with a yard, but now we are in the top floor a duplex with less space…. and no real garden.

Now, this is not a tale of woe is me. I certainly don’t expect violins. This is a tale of new beginnings. I’m ready to start a new life…. not just the life of the suburban soccer mom.

Over the last year I learned that I can take care of myself. I don’t NEED a husband to get things done, in fact, judging by my marriage, I never did. (I can get rid of spiders without any help, and I know how to change the oil in my car!)

But now I want to take it one step further.

I want to become truly self-sufficient. Not just “oh look I can pay for things on one paycheck” self-sufficient…. I want to know that I can live through anything that the world throws at me. I want to be able to unplug from the crazy world and know that I have all the tools and supplies to survive. Real survival, whether it’s for a disaster (this is Earthquake prone California) or for the long term. In case of total social breakdown SHTF event, I want to be READY!

Naturally, my first stop on the road to self-sufficiency was online. (Isn’t everything online?) The internet is loaded with websites filled with information on how-to unplug. Sifting through it all, I’ve only become more confused. Not to mention overwhelmed!!! Do I have the pioneer spirit to be a homesteader? Are my political views in line with today’s Preppers? Or do I let my “I can do it myself” nature take over and become self-sufficient. Do I really want to remove myself from the world entirely? Can I unplug… and survive?

This year will be an experiment to see how far I am willing to go. Baby steps first… disaster preparedness… and then moving on to a deeper commitment of stockpiling supplies to last a year. Eventually, I hope to have to money to buy land where I can start growing my own food.

Why am I sharing this information with you? Well… part of me wants to show someone that I have what it takes. Part of me is looking for ideas (and I’d love to hear your input) and then there is the teacher in me that wants to show other women and families what can work (and what doesn’t).

I hope you will join me.