A MAN has ditched his monotonous day-to-day routine and repetitive work schedule to live his “dream life” in a jungle treehouse.
Rob Breton who calls himself the “off-grid Tarzan” decided to move from California to build himself a tiny home in Hawaii.
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The 35-year-old who shared his story on YouTube explained that his goal was to “escape the matrix and get back in touch with nature.”
In 2020, he decided to quit his job as a grocery cashier and settle down in Hawaii.
Since 2011 Breton lived remotely while traveling the states in a van to find somewhere to build his own home.
He was able to buy land in the Hawaiian jungle from the income he made on his TikTok videos.
Breton bought a quarter of an acre and building materials for around $29,850 and he now lives a sustainable life living off nature.
Over two years he built his 200-square-foot treehouse which is sitting on stilts about 40 feet off the ground.
Due to his land being categorized as a “non-regulated agricultural zone,” he did not have to dig into his pockets to pay for a permit.
To make space for his house he had to spend around $14,800 on clearing some of the jungle without using heavy machinery.
“It was a matter of slowly building the structure and then getting the foundation and the walls, and then the metal roof took many months,” he explained.
Breton added: “As soon as that was up, I could start living inside, so many meals and nights were spent outside just under the stars and the rain.”
The off-grid social media user wanted to “preserve nature as a whole” and uses rainwater and self-grown crops to support his living.
Breton grows and eats over half of his food in his greenhouse.
His fully-functioning tiny home has all the essentials such as a shower, toilet, and bedroom, and has double glazing and hot water.
For around $25 per month, he pays for wifi but has no other bills other than sometimes buying gas for cooking or food he hasn’t grown himself.
He said: “The tree house is my living space and I have a bedroom, kitchen, living room, and bathroom.
“It’s definitely liveable, beautiful, and functional – I collect rainwater off the roof to drink and it flows into the kitchen and bathroom.
“I’ve also got solar panels for electricity, I use it for my kitchen and wi-fi to make TikToks – I don’t miss a thing from my old life really.”
The local town is just over an hour’s walk away and when he first moved in Breton admitted it took a while to adjust.
He explained: “I can’t get pizza delivered, or have anyone pick up my trash, or have my mail delivered to my house – that was a little weird at first.
“But I think it made me realize we all need to be more conscious of our trash – I compost everything I can and try to have little waste.
“I think it’s a responsibility for all of us as individuals to be conscious of our trash, the water that you should bring in yourself, and the food we grow.”
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