Lessons from living in a forest

I’m back at the coast after 9 incredible weeks living in a cottage in the middle of a forest in the KZN Midlands of South Africa. Thinking I’d be more than ready to return to “reality” after so long, I was surprised at just how at home I felt as a “reclusive forest-dweller”. 

Here’s what I learned:

1. We’re incredibly adaptable - I was amazed at how quickly I adjusted to a new environment:  finding local shops, a dog-sitter, good routes, new running trails - very quickly and easily I felt like I lived here, and this was my new life. 

2. We don’t really miss the things we think we will - Fully reliant on grocery delivery services at home, I really enjoyed the scenic drive to town. Thinking I’d miss my daily sea swims, I blissed out with forest walks.

3. We don’t need what we think we need - many of us own, purchase and consume too much, and living simply makes us reassess this as…well…gross. We don’t need more than a couple of pieces of crockery and we definitely don’t need that many clothes. 

4. We’re a lot more capable than we think - not having access to conveniences meant I sorted a lot of things out myself. Like sourcing and then later fixing a washing machine. I wonder how many other DIY things I instantly outsource when I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself?

5. Our inner state is the foundation for everything - as someone who is environmentally sensitive, being in a space where I felt fully at peace fundamentally changed how I felt.  And because I felt better, I behaved better ;) 

6. Nature makes everything better - nothing nourishes and replenishes us quite like being in nature.  Daily walks, exploring a nearby nature reserve, endless forest-gazing, I came back feeling like I’d had a full system reset. 

7. Solitude doesn’t equate to loneliness  - I was alone for 97% of the 9 weeks of the time I was there. Just me and my dog, Basil. And I never felt lonely or isolated. Not even once. (And, whilst it’s a comforting thought knowing I’m content on my own, that doesn’t necessarily mean I should make it a habit.)

8. What we think is preference is often just habit  - if you’d told me 6 months ago I’d be looking at property prices in this area, I’d have scoffed. It turns out trying something vastly different can open up unexpected delights. This applies to places, experiences and people. 

9. Our minds are super powerful - because I had fully embraced my experience, I wasn’t bothered by typical irritants. In fact, everything that might have been perceived as a frustration ended up feeling like an adventure.  Similarly, when I felt anxiety in the lead up to my return, a flip towards what was exciting about my new chapter meant I soon shifted my feelings. 

10. Sometimes things really do work out in our favour - this little “intermission” came about because I was between-homes. What might have felt like an “oh dear” experience, ended up being a truly beautiful opportunity to relook my priorities, intentionally “pattern-interrupt” my auto-pilot living and fully reset my nervous system.