I gave it all up … to live off the land

Yasmine Phillips had a steady job and a cosy flat - but something was missing. Could she find happiness on a small farm with no electricity or running water?

Last year, my boyfriend Laurence and I gave up our jobs to go in search of an alternative way to live. I'm from London but had been living in Stockholm for four years, teaching textiles. I had a permanent job, my place was comfortable and warm, and I lived by the sea. But something about my life was unfulfilling. I felt that working full-time took up too much of my mental energy, and I was eager to discover if I could feel happier with less structure and more freedom.

I started to read more on the internet and it seemed that perhaps it wasn't inevitable that I would have to work 9-5. We saved up for two years and talked about cycling to Ireland where Laurence is from, although we didn't know what we'd do once we got there. I remember saying constantly: "But where will we live!?"