Over the past few months, I have mentioned to a few friends my plans
to build this berm house. The first question most people ask is, "Why
would you want to do that?" I only have one response, "Good
Question." This page is my attempt to either answer that question
or bore them into a coma so they don't ask me again. Either way, here
goes...
As long as I can remember, I have drawn and dreamed of a home that
is out of the ordinary. I am not an architect, just a dreamer.
When I was young, I remember seeing the cartoon version of "The
Hobbit: Lord of the Rings". The vision of the hobbit home and the
community that they build in the Shire has stuck in my mind ever since.
In more recent years, I have been married six years, have two children,
have worked for foster care and told my last boss to 'take a hike, your
fired.' (Yes, I fired my boss. If you haven't done it, I hope you get
to try it some day.) I now work with computers, helping people get the
most out of them at home and in the office. I also enjoy developing
web sites, working with graphics and photography.
For what every reason, my mind has been bending toward a more fundamental
life. A life less complicated with bills, debts, bosses and other demands
on my stress levels. I have dreams of the lifestyle enjoyed by the people
who lived two thousand years ago with the technology of today.
I have heard it said that all this 'technology' that has been invented
should simplify my life, but it hasn't happened that way. It is kind
of like money, the more you have, the more you spend. The more freedom
we have from stress of providing for the family, the more we spend that
freedom on things that cause more stress. Perfect example: Keeping up
with the Jonses.
My wife and I are looking to simplify our lives. Work smarter, not
just harder or longer. There are many excellent ways to do that, Amway
has a good handle on the concept. We can either create more residual
income, less out go or a combination of the two. That is what will lead
to a more comfortable lifestyle.
I am building business that will grow with residual income, and looking
for ways to have less expenses in the long term. A good example is to
get rid of debt and pay off the mortgage.
The berm house is another aspect of simplifying my life. I want to
create an environment that will not only be comfortable, but also be
lite on the pocket book for expenses and bills.
My goal is to create a classy home that will not put me into any debt,
yet allow me to be comfortable with large well lit rooms and plenty
of space.
'Nuf for now...