Angela Horn and Saskia met in Johannesburg in the late 1980s. Both shared a deep desire to escape the hustle of city life. To achieve their off-grid dream, they saved money by working as house-sitters.

In 2017, an opportunity arose when a farm owner in the semi-desert Klein Karoo region asked them to house-sit for one month while traveling to Italy. The couple, in their middle age, saw this as a perfect stepping stone. They anticipated indulging their passions: gardening, raising chickens, and enjoying wine each afternoon.

Angela Horn cooked with firewood during their self-sufficient living experience. *Photo: Angela Horn*

However, reality quickly proved to be a harsh survival course. Instead of simple weeding, they had to individually net each fruit to protect against bird damage. They also struggled with a giant vegetable garden and had to irrigate a vast olive grove under suffocating heat. The farm's saltwater pool lacked a pump, requiring them to manually drain, scrub, and refill it weekly.

A series of unexpected incidents further depleted their energy. Angela once went to town, leaving a faucet running for 4 hours. On another occasion, the house lost power due to a blown fuse. Even the chickens failed to lay eggs, preventing them from repaying a debt to their neighbors as promised.

Their endurance reached its peak one afternoon in the third week. After a long day of strenuous work, they sought a hot shower. While heating the water tank with firewood, they neglected to open the pressure release valve. A loud hiss erupted, followed by a bursting pipe that sent boiling water gushing through the window. They spent the entire night seeking help from a guest to assist with repairs.

"I don't want to continue. This lifestyle isn't for us," Saskia stated, her voice filled with disappointment.

Angela Horn and her partner, initially enthusiastic about self-sufficient living, gave up after three weeks. *Photo: Angela Horn*

They realized that a love for nature did not equate to possessing the health and skills required for a rural, self-sufficient lifestyle. Immediately after leaving the farm, the couple returned to urban life in Cape Town. They admitted finding more happiness in simple acts like walking to the supermarket and relaxing in cafes.

Currently, after adopting Miles, an elderly cat requiring special medical care, the couple has opted to rent a house with a garden in the suburbs, settling down instead of constantly moving. Despite their Klein Karoo experience being a "disaster," Angela and Saskia stated they still aspire to a minimalist lifestyle, albeit with more thorough preparation in survival skills.

By Nhat Minh (Source: Metro)