Hello everyone!
I'm a 26 year old teacher and I live and work in the rather expensive and car-centric Greater Toronto Area (GTA.) I'm interested in exploring alternative lifestyles because the idea of being tied to a huge mortgage for the next 30 years is extremely unappealing to me. Some options that I've considered are living in a yurt, living university-style in a house with other people, and living with my parents until I have some money saved up (the latter is my current situation.) Ideally, I'd like to end up on an acre or two of land with fruit and nut trees, a big vegetable garden, a greenhouse, and a cozy little home. The main challenge I have is that I really like the amenities of the city -- concerts, art shows, lectures, hanging out in bookstores and coffee shops . . . -- and land close to medium and large cities is of course more expensive than land in the boondocks . . .