It took exactly two years and two days for Marinella and Diana to build a house in the forest and move there with their two children. They replaced the city with nature and did not regret it. Everything is a consequence of the decision to start living healthier.
“First we started preparing healthy food and spending longer in nature, and then we wanted our own garden and orchard. With the Covid 19 pandemic and wars in the world, it’s easier when you know you have a piece of your own land. Although it looks like we ran away because of the stress, pressure and tight deadlines of the work we do, we actually went to live in nature because we wanted to,” they said.
Both are still tied to the city because they work there, but they highlight the fact that they are surrounded by nature before and after work as a big advantage.
“There are many advantages, and the biggest one is that no one knocks down our snowman when we go to sleep. Just kidding, the most important thing is that the number of hours spent in nature has increased significantly compared to the period when we lived in an apartment. The second biggest advantage is that, when you live in nature, you have many options for additional facilities. So you can place a table in the forest or, like us, make a small room for playing or sleeping in the forest. Because we live in nature, we can have breakfast in the forest, our children sleep in deckchairs between the trees, and we organized our own wedding in the forest” , they tell Indeks .
They claim that since they live in the forest, they no longer struggle with allergies, even though their house is surrounded by the same trees as their apartment in the city. However, life in the forest is not always as fairy-tale as it sounds at first.
“There was no electricity and water, once we had to contact a neighbor to use a tractor to clear the snow from our road to the main road, which is regularly cleared. Perhaps the most difficult obstacle was when a strong wind knocked down trees on the only way we can get out of the forest. But the motorcycle and good will overcome all that. When a person decides to live in nature, he agrees to live somewhere where water or electricity will occasionally disappear, but all this is part of the price, which is very small for what he gets on a daily basis”, they say.
Laughingly, they say , “And when we fight, we don’t fight about where we came to live.” For us, this is a better way of life and it is not difficult to get used to a better one”.
Since they moved, another 30 families have bought lots nearby
Marinela and Dayan from Banja Luka moved to nature to be alone, but their friends and acquaintances liked their move so much that they wanted to do the same.
“Over 30 families have bought plots nearby, and those who haven’t are staying with us more than ever. When our children get into the car after kindergarten, they immediately ask who is coming today. One thing is certain, there is always enough company” , they add.
A family of four decided to move more and more activities from the closed space to the open.
“Our rule is: as much outdoor play as possible, regardless of the season. It is most often an unstructured game, where we create an opportunity for the children, and then they play as they wish. So we built an outdoor kitchen for them to play in, a sandbox, swings, a rock for climbing, or we go for walks to the stream, pick mushrooms and forest fruits” , they point out.
After 730 days, this family never wanted to return to the apartment, and started sharing details from their everyday life in the forest on social networks.
“We do not think that everyone should live like us and we do not claim that this is the only correct way. Everyone lives as they think they should, and we wanted to share our everyday life because it can be an incentive for someone to move to the outskirts of the city or to the countryside. Everyone decides where to live for themselves, and on TikTok you can see that there are many who are against and those who are in favor. We are glad when a discussion takes place and when people question themselves, and how lucky it is that some of them move to nature”, they say.
What should be taken into account when buying land?
As for specific advice, experience has shown them that it is best to buy land that is not next to the main road (due to noise, dust and hot asphalt in summer).
“It’s great if the land has a forest because it means a lot of shade. There is no need to be afraid of building infrastructure if the land is in an ideal location. We also built the access road, brought in water and electricity, and dug a septic tank. It’s a normal process that isn’t complicated when you do a little research. The bigger the land, the better, ideally at least 2,000 square meters ,” they state.
Marinela and Dijan are convinced that there are many towns in the area that still have almost untouched nature less than a 20-minute drive from the center.
“It is incredible that today in most cities it is cheaper to own a house than an apartment. If you tell a stranger that, they won’t believe it. We live only 15 minutes from the city center and driving is not a problem for us”, they told “Indeks”.
Source: akta.ba
