Forgotten Paths
On Monday, Alex and I went to explore more of the areas on the land where we’re allowed to build. There’s an unfinished road the previous owner had planned to circle around the entire property—he stopped with about a kilometer left undone. We decided to walk from one end to the other to see what the surroundings looked like.
Along the way, we discovered terraced plots, open spaces, little water streams, and even more potential for communal areas and planting (I suggested cocoa beans, Alex had other ideas!).
What we thought would be a quick stroll turned into a 2-kilometer trek that lasted 2.5 hours. Our legs got shredded by blackberry thorns (at least I got to snack on a few berries), we stumbled over fallen trees, slipped down muddy slopes, and occasionally found ourselves stuck at cliffs. It felt like a real adventure, even if not always a pleasant one.
But it was worth it. When I asked Alex if we’d actually learned anything from this “torture,” he laughed and said: Yes—we now know why the road was never finished.
The streams cutting through the land make it tricky—bridges would be needed in at least two spots. So instead of forcing a complete loop, we decided it’ll be best to extend the roads on both ends as much as possible and use them for walking, trail running, cycling, and eventually horseback riding.
The forgotten path of workers
Now it’ll get a little bit more serious…
On the 30-minute drive there, we had one of those conversations that sticks with you.
Passing through a tunnel, we saw road workers directing traffic, one of them waving a light stick. I asked Alex, “How do you end up working in a tunnel with a mask on? What happened after he finished school that led him here?”
Alex: “You don’t need school for this job.”
Me: “Exactly—that’s my point! Just like our pool cleaner. Do you think he dreamed of that as a child? Lima (8) could do his job right now without ever going to school. But what about his passion? Does he even know what it is?”
I remembered a conversation I once had with an 11-year-old girl. When I asked her what she enjoys doing, she thought for a while and said she didn’t know. She had no time after school, and nothing in school interested her.
I found that so sad! If an 11-year-old already forgets what she loves, how will a 35-year-old worker, exhausted from paying bills, know what truly excites him?
Alex added: “Well, if he were at least paid in Bitcoin, he could save in a currency that grows in value. One day he’d have the freedom to step back and explore what he actually enjoys.”
And that’s the bigger picture: so many people are trapped in survival mode, disconnected from themselves, without space to rediscover their passions. That’s what school trains us for—to work, obey, and forget what makes us come alive.
Unschooling, freedom, and Bitcoin are about reclaiming that space. They’re about remembering who we are, what excites us, and creating a life that isn’t just about “making it through.”
