The Journey to Building My Own Cabin: A Test of Discipline and Perseverance

Have you ever fantasized about escaping the grind and dwelling in the mountains, far from the stresses of daily life? I actually did that for six months, and it was among the most difficult and fulfilling things I’ve ever done.

The thought of creating my own cabin had long intrigued me, but I lacked any prior construction knowledge. Even though I knew it would be difficult, I was committed to seeing it through. In this blog, I describe the lessons learned in this journey and maybe inspire you, to just go for it.

I need a mentor. I went to search for it, I asked without shame. I got what I asked for.

You may have heard of the place Elon Musk mentioned on Twitter, located in Bulgaria. After driving for 6 hours, I arrived there and met an architect who was building incredible houses made out of mud.

I sought out this opportunity to learn the basics of building with clay. For several weeks, I became the architect’s pupil, learning ancient techniques on how to build walls, arches, ovens, tiles, and even create colors using materials found in the forest. After gaining hands-on experience, I felt confident and ready to put my newfound knowledge into practice. It was time for me to return and put my newfound skills to use.

I came back on my van, I parked in the middle of the land. I lay somewhere on the grass. It was too cold, I moved 3 or 4 times to different spots, when I finally found my spot, I toke a 2 hours nap and decided where my cabin was going to be built based on that.

The first thing I understood after starting this process and knowing there is no going back was the importance of discipline. I needed to discipline myself and follow a schedule. Every day, I would get up early and work until late at night. I had to be incredibly organized and self-motivated because I had no one else to rely on but myself.

The weather was against me, and it was like a timebom ticking. Every day the days were shorter, colder, humid. Wood don’t like that. Try putting a nail through a frozen piece of wood. Spoiler alert. Not funny.

I also discovered that everyone should experience being alone themselves. I learned a lot about myself and developed a deeper perspective of the world by spending time by myself in the forest. It provided me with the room I needed to think and to be fully present.

YouTube was one of the most useful tools I have at my disposal while constructing. It was a godsend because I could download films that showed me how to construct everything, from the top to the foundation. The only problem is, I had to walk 30 minutes to get coverage. Sometimes I had to go 3 or 4 times a day because of wrong tutorials or lack of explanation.

I came to see that not everyone has access to knowledge, and that anything is possible if you are prepared to put in the necessary time and effort. Thanks to this experience, one of my life missions became to help everyone gain access to the internet. There are still 2.9 billion people who have never been online. An equal online playground is the least we can do for our fellow human beings.

Good things don’t come easy.

This was something that I had to remind myself of every day as I faced new challenges and setbacks. But in the end, the satisfaction of completing my cabin made all of the hard work worth it.

Never fail to try more.

Even when I was feeling discouraged, I reminded myself that I had nothing to lose by trying again. And often, that second or third attempt was the one that finally succeeded.

Be flexible with your goals.

I had a rough idea of what I wanted my cabin to look like, but as I progressed, I found that my plans had to change. I had to be open to new ideas and flexible in my approach.

There’s No Shame in Not Knowing.

I had no previous building experience, and I had to admit that I didn’t know how to do many things. But I was not ashamed to ask for help or to look up tutorials on YouTube.

Perspective Is a Beautiful Thing.

Being alone in the wilderness gave me a new perspective on life. I was able to take a step back and appreciate the beauty around me, and it helped me to see things in a new light.

Patience Is a Virtue.

Building a cabin from scratch was a long and tedious process, and I had to be patient. But it was important to remember that good things take time.

Your Comfort Zone Is Your Enemy.

One of the most important things I learned is that my comfort zone was my enemy. I had to push myself out of it, and try new things in order to achieve my goal.

Be the Early Bird.

I found that getting an early start on my day was crucial. It allowed me to get a lot done before the heat of the day set in, and helped me to stay on track.

Starting Is the Only Way to Make Progress.

I was reminded that starting was the only way to make progress. Even if I wasn’t sure how I was going to complete the project, I had to start somewhere.

Don’t Focus Too Much on Your Plans.

Sometimes it was important to let go of my plans and be open to new ideas. It helped me to be more creative and come up with solutions that I never would have thought of otherwise.

Always Keep Trying.

Building the cabin was a challenging and rewarding experience, but it was not easy. But I never gave up, I kept trying and I learned that if I keep trying, I will reach my goal.

In conclusion, building my own cabin was a journey that taught me many valuable lessons. It was a test of discipline and perseverance, but it was also one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I hope my story can inspire others to pursue their own dreams, and to remember that with the right mindset and determination, anything is possible.

Build a cabin.

Start first, then learn how to do it. Push yourself to not give up when it becomes “impossible”.

A beautiful place that I will always cherish, serving as a reminder of the importance of discipline and perseverance, as well as providing a nice extra income through Airbnb.