It is a slow realization, one that sneaks up on you over the years. Life has become a trap of obligations and burdens, of debts and demands, of a daily routine that never truly allows for escape. The system is designed to keep you locked in, like an invisible net of rules and norms. "Get a job, earn money, buy a house, work until you collapse." That is what we have been taught, what is expected. But what if you want something different? What if you refuse to play the game?
It starts as a thought, a vague dream of living simpler, freer. Maybe it’s the idea of living in a van and traveling, building a tiny house by a lake, or setting up a yurt in the forest. Maybe it’s the desire to work less, to have more time for what truly matters. But the more you seek information, the clearer it becomes that it’s not that simple. Society does not favor those who opt out. There are rules and regulations preventing you from just disappearing into nature and living life on your own terms.
People say: "You can't just stop working. You have to earn money."
But why? And for whom?
There are those who have done it. People who have broken free, living in their cars or on small plots of land in the forest, people who have found loopholes in the system and created an alternative way of life. It requires planning, persistence, and some smart choices. It is not an escape from reality; it is a shift to another kind of reality, one that requires just as much effort but gives back far more.
The Economic Prison
Breaking free starts with finances. Most people are trapped in their lives due to debts and fixed expenses that are impossible to avoid—mortgages, car loans, bills that never end. It’s a noose that tightens a little more each year. Living simpler means reducing expenses, finding ways to live on less.
But it’s important to understand that this takes time. Changing your life, becoming debt-free, and altering your mindset is a process that doesn’t happen overnight. It took me nearly ten years to free myself from debt and change my way of thinking. A major part of that insight came during my six years living aboard my sailboat. Living onboard taught me what truly matters, what I need, and what I can live without. I had to adapt, minimize, and think differently. It was a school of self-sufficiency and simplicity that changed my outlook on life.
Along the journey, I realized something deeper—I was becoming a digital senior nomad entrepreneur. Today, the world lies at my feet, and I can live wherever I want, manage my own time, and create a life on my terms. Was it easy to get here? No, it was a tough journey with a constant uphill climb. But was it worth it? Absolutely! The freedom of not being tied to a place or an employer is invaluable.
But to truly achieve freedom, one must understand that debts cannot follow into this new life. Trying to live simply and freely while carrying financial burdens is like trying to sail with an anchor tied to the boat. Bills that must be paid with money you don’t have will always gnaw at your mind, destroy your peace, and take away the sense of ease you strive for. That’s why it is essential to free yourself from debts first—otherwise, freedom is just an illusion.
Some sell everything they own and buy a used van, convert it, and move in. Others find an old cottage in the forest and live without electricity. Those who succeed share one thing in common: they are not rich, but they have taken control of their own lives.
Becoming debt-free is the first step. The second is finding a way to earn money that does not require being tied to an office. There are many ways: freelance work, digital income streams, seasonal jobs. Some work intensively for a short period and then take the rest of the year off. It’s about finding the balance between earning enough and needing as little as possible.
The Rules That Block the Dream
But it’s not just about money. Laws and regulations make it difficult to live outside the norm. In many countries, you can’t simply park a van and live in it full-time. Tiny houses can be blocked by building permits and housing regulations. Settling in the forest often requires land ownership, and land is expensive.
But those who succeed find the loopholes. They register their address with a friend or family member to gain access to necessary services. They settle on private land with the landowner’s permission. They build their homes on wheels to avoid permanent building permits.
Living freely requires knowledge of the system and the willingness to work around it.
The New Life
And then one day, you are there. In a forest clearing, in a van by a lake, on a small plot of land in a country where the rules are more lenient. Or in Bansko, where I wake up in the morning, look up at the Pirin Mountains, and wonder which peak I will conquer today. The air is different. The freedom is real. There are no neighbors complaining about noise, no obligations, no clock dictating the day. It is not a life without work, but it is a life where work is a conscious choice.
There are days when I wonder if I made the right decision, if it would have been easier to just stay in the system and play the game. But then a morning comes when I wake up with the sun shining through the window, when I can take my time drinking coffee and listening to the wind in the trees.
And then I know.
I have won.
By Chris...
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