When people ask me why we decided to move to White Hawk, I usually give the same answer: we wanted to raise our son in a place like this.

We want him to grow up with direct access to beautiful outdoor space in our backyard. We want him to grow up with kids around his age who are also excited about building forts, jumping in puddles, and helping out with the chickens. We want him to have a deep, close connection to the earth as a source of food, fun and comfort.

But the truth is, I want all of the same things for myself and that’s also why I’m moving here. I’m still a kid at heart (as well as a kid in cereal preference and sense of humor) and I want to raise myself here, too.

I find myself most excited about life when I’m surrounded by other people who are passionate about building projects, growing food, raising animals and just playing. It inspires me to be creative, open minded to learning new things from my neighbors, and bold about taking on new projects.

So I guess that’s reason #300: raising myself at White Hawk.