Think Your Life Is Dull? Here Are Some Alternative Communities To Spice Things Up
Let’s face it: the typical western life is pretty prescriptive. You’re born, then go to school, and once you’re educated, spend a few decades working. Eventually, you retire – and that’s it. You just did life. It’s all pretty mechanical.
For many of us, this all feels a little dull. Yes – you’re making decent money and have a roof over your head. But there’s got to be more to living than this. It all feels clinical and unnatural.
Fortunately, living a standard western life isn’t the only option available to you. Societies worldwide are trying alternative approaches to life and civilization, and you might want to become a part of them. Here are some of your options.
Eco-Villages 
Sustainability is a massive modern theme. We all need to consume fewer resources or develop better technology to deal with inevitable environmental problems, both today and in the future.
Most of us, though, live in traditional, resource-guzzling accommodation that harms that natural world. In response, some community organizers are creating models, sustainable villages, using the latest in sustainability science.
One example of this is the village of Lammas in Wales over in the UK. Residents here set up the town in 2009 on the famous Pembrokeshire coast.
Everyone in the community earns the lion’s share of their income from working the land. Residents compost all their sewage and grow a large chunk of their vegetables when the seasons allow. They’re also developing a vast orchard which they hope will provide them with all the fuel they need.
Residential Communities
Planners built modern cities under the assumption that everyone wanted to live independently, separate from others in the community. But that’s not the case. It turns out that most people want their residences to have communal areas they can share with other occupants.
They don’t want perfect isolation from the community around them. Thus, we see the growth of HOA developments, like never before. Here, planners construct communities, specifically designed to allow people to assemble at shared amenities.
HOA management is also becoming easier, thanks to third-party services, making setups like these more feasible.
Meditation Retreats
Meditation retreats might sound like hippie communes, but the modern versions differ from what you might expect. These communities believe in old-fashioned social values where each member of the group has a role.
The emphasis here is on healthy eating, plenty of mindfulness, and good sleep hygiene. People who live in this kind of accommodation tend to find that their bodies heal from the ravages of western society.
They finally feel like they’re living a full and complete life.
Life Is Dull? Forest Living
Finally, a bunch of communities is trying to return humanity to its primordial forest environment. For instance, Finca Bellavista in Costa Rica is a handbuilt tree-dwelling community that seeks to return residents to nature.
Solar panels provide all the power the community needs. And much of the food they grow on-site. It’s perfect for people who love living close to wild animals. The settlement is supposed to interfere minimally with nature.
