“I was in the Army as a computer technician for 8 years, and I wanted to go career, but I had to be medically discharged. After I got out, I bought 9 acres and I live in a tiny house on the property. I’m still working on the house, and I’ve built some of the interior walls myself. Some people thought I was crazy—I’m mostly off the grid, and I’m learning about all the resources and the wildlife on my land. I’ve seen Eastern Turkeys, which look like ostriches, and even some scorpions. I’ve got blackberries and sassafras growing on my acres. Living this way has taught me how to conserve more. I used to worry a lot about what other people would think of me, but now that I’m doing this for myself, I don’t care about what anyone thinks.”