Right now I’m watching The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio. But this is not really about the movie - I have to give a summary of the premise, nonetheless. If you haven’t seen it, it’s about a few people who travel to a secret island after finding a map, and come across a commune of people already living there. It’s a paradise (at first…then the movie gets darker, but I won’t reveal anything.)
But the initial impulse that drove them - that’s the topic of this thread. That initial desire to truly get away from civilization and live in an isolated paradise. The most beautiful beach imaginable, with no encroachment whatsoever by the outside world. And these characters just take the plunge and do it, swimming across a bay and then jumping off a cliff, with absolutely no knowledge of how they would get back to civilization of they wanted to.
The question is - would YOU do this?
Let’s say that the island community is on a deserted, insanely beautiful beach. It’s inhabited by a small community (say, 50 to 70 people.) Totally cut off from the outside world. There’s abundant food, weed, and materials for basic but sturdy shelters. There are a few people with good medical knowledge, and some medical supplies, but only basic first aid needs, and they are limited. On the other hand, there are many herbs and medicinal plants around and there are people in the community that have a good knowledge of how to use them. You arrive at this commune, and your first impression is that all the people seem really cool and easy to get along with it.
Would you do it? Would you take the plunge, WITHOUT knowing how you’d get back to civilization if you wanted to? You could take your significant other (and children if you have them,) and ONE close friend.
Further questions:
If you would not do it under the above circumstances, WOULD you do it if the community had a seaworthy boat and was able to access the mainland, but ONLY IN CASE OF EMERGENCY?
Would you do it if there were more men than women? More women than men? (by a large proportion.)
What material possessions would you bring? (Remember, no electricity.)
No. Never. Unfortunately, I’m too much of a city girl dependent on technology and TV and the Dope. And the idea of being stuck with the same 50-70 people, as cool as they might seem, would be like a prison sentence to me.
Now, for a nice vacation a scenario like you describe (without not knowing how I’d get back to civilization, of course) would be lovely. I’m not afraid of nature, I luuuuurve the ocean, and getting away from modern life every once in a while is nice. But living in a hut, crapping in a hole in the ground forever? Eff that.
I would do it. I’d go alone, and I wouldn’t look back. However, there’d have to have been something huge that happened to me to make me ditch everything. I’m talking like my whole family dies, or just someone I really love, that I wouldn’t be able to be around the same area, lest I be reminded of them constantly. Or, if I were in a shitload of debt or something.
The thing I’d bring would probably be a trusty knife or Leatherman tool. I dunno.
I would not do it. I am way too happy with the lifestyle I have now. I think I’m a pretty competent outdoorsman but only in small doses - I’m way too into computers, for one, and I think I’d go nuts if I couldn’t play Battlefield 2 or listen to all my music on iTunes. I have loads of vintage audio gear and a million instruments- no way would I leave that stuff behind. I would also fear that the anxiety-disorder and OCD that runs in my family would flare up and I’d have no access to medications, so I’d be miserable. Maybe there would be ways to cope with this through therapy - meditation, exercise, talking to people about it - or by smoking weed, but it could get bad enough that I’d really be suffering. It’s happened before.
My girlfriend, on the other hand, would probably go for it. The two things in life she loves most besides me are fresh fish and high-quality pot - And her dog (I guess the dog could come too.) I’m pretty sure she could be happy with just that. She grew up in the Philippines and spent about half her time in the rural province of Ilocos. She can cook like a pro, and she knows about every obscure jungle fruit and plant you can imagine. So I think she’d love it.
Hell, if a hot girl with a French accent like that dragged me over to an island paradise, I’d do it in a heartbeat. On the other hand, if I looked like Leo, I could have my share of hot chicks so my opinion is biased. I’m quite confident that I could build a paddleable or sailable raft to make it back to the mainland (which is actually another island called Ko Phi Phi Don) if things went to shit. I’ve been to Ko Phi Phi Lee where the movie was shot before the tsunami and it was indeed paradise. FYI, it is actually a semicircular bay and not an enclosed saltwater system. The beach is every bit as stunning as the movie.
My thoughts exactly. Even if I were to do this, I’d need to make sure that everyone would be capable of getting along well and that tension could be kept under control through mediation and good leadership.
I’m still watching the movie and actually it turns out that they use the boat for more than just emergency supplies - they actually go to the mainland frequently to pick up food and stuff like toothpaste, condoms, toiletries, newspapers and batteries for their stereos and stuff.
I’d do it. I’d feel better if there was something I could actually do - a regular job - so I’d bring my non-powered woodworking & woodcarving tools and be community carpenter. Set up a pole lathe and we’re smoking (literally - the pipe-bits of bongs and hookahs don’t turn themselves, ya know).
Heavens no, never in a million years. I’m the kind of person who goes on a beach vacation, and enjoys the morning on the beach, and then gets directions to the local museum. What would I do on an isolated island?
And I confess that being around other people who do want to live on an isolated island would probably annoy me.
Yeah, I’d do it, but for one big butt - lack of modern medicine.
I wear glasses/contacts, and my vision seems to be changing slightly for the worse. It really is very nice to be able to see somewhat clearly. If I lost/broke my glasses with no ability to replace them, life would pretty much suck.
I have a long history of asthma, which is very well controlled by medication. But again, not having that medication would suck.
And then there are the medical emergencies, illnesses, childbirths, etc where people would simply die.
So all in all, I think if I can have good vision and be otherwise healthy in this fanstasy, I’d go along with it.
There is a good chance that I would do it. I grew up in a small town <1300 that wasn’t a suburb of anything. More importantly, a major life goal of mine was to live as a hermit. I partially fulfilled the goal in graduate school by renting a farmhouse on 40 acres for $300 a month (mid-1990’s). There was no one to depend on but me and the snow was record-setting that year. Even more relevant, I quit graduate school and didn’t want to leave the house and just stayed there for 4 months. I had a small TV with 1 channel but I usually left it off and I didn’t have a phone either. I just hung out by myself and went to the nearest general store every few days to get supplies but I didn’t really speak to anyone. When my meager funds ran out, I was forced to move to the Boston area kicking and screaming and the hate shock was intense.
The problem with the OP’s question at least for me is that there are way too many people. I would do it but move away from them but still maintain contacts for help and supplies. I couldn’t actually do this because of my kids but I would have jumped on it at one point. I have never viewed isolation as a problem.
I *sort of *had a short experience like this. There are some spectacular beaches in the Grand Canyon so it’s relevant at least in that respect.
I spent 21 days rafting through the Canyon with four strangers (strangers to me - they all knew each other) and my girlfriend. We had everything we needed on the rafts. No communication besides flagging down another party.
My attitude was we’re going to be together for a long time, pace myself, let’s get along. My girlfriend was picking fights before the rafts were blown up. So there was tension right off the bat.
Everyone was there for a good time and adventure, so while whatever tension was underneath would flare up into a snit there weren’t any outright hostilities, although when one of the boatmen (not a professional) was tripping on mushrooms and tore a hole in one of the boats I think the leader wanted to strangle him. We had to lay up for a day to patch the boat. Since the situation was temporary people kept it tamped down for the most part. I think the key word here is tension.
On an island with a bunch of people you don’t know? You’re stuck with whoever’s there like it or not. Insults, slacking off, just don’t like someone for whatever reason festering. Doesn’t matter whether it’s paradise or a cabin in the dead of winter. Pray no one is prone to violence.
Nice for a visit, but not a single chance I’ll live like that again.
Trust me when I tell you that it all gets markedly less idyllic after the fifth year of everyone around you knowing every detail of your private business and feeling that their close community ties entitle, nay, require them to butt into your private life.
Here’s the thing, people. All you who say heading off to an isolated community would be great? You do know that you can do that right now? Right this minute? This isn’t some hypothetical. You can quit your job, sell everything you own, and head for Mexico, or Montana, or Central America, or Alaska, or Australia, or Polynesia, or wherever, and find a secluded spot and build yourself a cabin/hut and live off the land.
People sometimes do this. So why don’t you? People who really want to do such a thing don’t go on and on about how they’d like to do it, they actually do it.
Fantasizing about running off into the wildneress is fine, as long as you realize it’s just fantasy. Because the reality of living in the wilderness is a bit different than the fantasy.
And the real fantasy-killer is that “isolated community”. Hooooo-boy.