Imagine life without electricity, technology and our phones in today’s society. It almost seems impossible to function without them to complete simple daily tasks!

However, Emma Orbach, 58, from Wales one day decided to quit society completely and make a simple life for herself in a forest.

Emma, a graduate from the prestigious Oxford University, built her own mudhouse 18 years ago and has been living there happily ever since!

Credit: YouTube/ Barcroft TV

She’s self-sufficient and even grows her own food. The lack of electricity isn’t a problem for her—she doesn’t need it!

Although her unique way of life may seem almost impossible, especially for today’s younger generation who rely so much on their phones, Emma is proof only the simplest of things are needed to live a happy life.

Emma is a vegetarian, and tends to her own vegetable plot for her fruit and veg.

Credit: YouTube/ Barcroft TV

She also has two horses, three goats and seven chickens.

Credit: YouTube/ Barcroft TV

She chops up her own firewood! Impressive!

Credit: YouTube/ Barcroft TV

Her hut doesn’t even have water, so she walks to a stream nearby for her drinking water. We won’t be complaining about the taste of water in our homes again, that’s for sure!

If she feels like treating herself, she does pop to the shops for a bit of chocolate or some rice sometimes, though.

Her level of discipline and dedication is admirable!

The 58-year-old doesn’t need much to keep herself entertained. She plays the Celtic harp in the evening by the glow of the stove, cooks dinner, and tries to sleep early.

She tries to get to bed—a wool-stuffed mattress—by 7.30pm.

Emma is completely content living life in this simple way, and feels at peace being surrounded by nature with no modern-day distractions. It sounds like a stress-free life!

Credit: YouTube/ Barcroft TV

“This is how I want to live. This lifestyle makes me feel really happy and at peace and this is my ideal home,” Emma said.


Check out her adorable roundhouse! The hobbit-like hut looks like it came out of the movie series Lord of the Rings.

Credit: YouTube/ Barcroft TV

Emma named her cute home Tir Ysbrydol, which means “spirit land” in Welsh.

She takes her technology ban seriously, so when her kids visit her, they’re not allowed to bring their phones, laptops, or other forms of technology with them.

Credit: YouTube/ Barcroft TV

It’s certainly rare to find anyone living Emma’s way of life nowadays, but her story is a reminder that we could do with less of the obsessive checking of social media notifications. We don’t need to constantly update the world with what we do every day. 

What do you think of Emma’s lifestyle? Could you live like her?

Credit: Mail Online

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