970.240.2111
(Written by recent customer: Becky Jantz)
After a glorious 400-mile solo backpacking trip on the Colorado Trail in 2019, I returned to society knowing it was time to transition toward a more simple, contemplative, and peaceful life. In spring of 2020, after a couple of months looking for property, I serendipitously drove to 40 acres for sale in Fremont County that had everything I was looking for: aspen groves, mountain views, even a little year-round creek– and a price tag I could afford.
Immediately, I put my Colorado Springs home up for sale, and my offer on the land was accepted. With my limited savings, investments, and income, I soon eliminated building a “traditional” house and fell in love with the idea of a yurt with its open floor plan, beautiful geometry of wood, closeness to nature… and my bank account liked it too! It was easy to choose Colorado Yurt Company. Colorado Yurt has strong reviews online, an informative and comprehensive website, and staff that is sincere and knowledgeable. An added bonus was my location was close enough for their crew to pitch my yurt!
Having been an English teacher for the past 10 years, I had no clue about developing raw land. I learned quickly from contractors and the building department staff, many of whom were helpful and trustworthy. But I also received my fair share of no-shows, last-minute cancellations, and contradictory professional advice which set me back weeks and sometimes months. I had to secure another electrician, plumber, concrete foundation engineer, concrete contractor, and septic, fence, and propane installer when the initial ones fell through. Not many of the key steps in this process went smoothly (although the yurt pitching did!). But I never gave up my dream of living on my land, and the journey was fascinating and indelible. I burst with joy when I saw water erupt from my well as the drilling company dug into the earth. I was filled with gratitude when a generous-hearted neighbor connected electricity to my solar. I breathed a sigh when I was able to take a hot shower after a long winter without one. But my favorite day in the process was yurt pitching day. I’d been staying on my property in my shed with the dust, mice, and spiders. By the end of the very next day, I was in my yurt! That’s how quickly it all happened. A year later, my yurt has all the comforts my heart desires: a modest off-grid solar system, indoor plumbing, electrical wiring, hot water heater, and wood stove.
At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, my job in the city was eliminated due to budget cuts. Around the same time, my living situation changed unfavorably. I took both events as a sign to move to my yurt full-time.
I spend each day at my yurt utopia hiking, reading, working, doing home projects, and reveling in the beauty of a dream ushered into reality. In the year since purchasing my property, I have become a more patient person with a more realistic perspective. I learned to release my grasp on money and to relax when things don’t work out the first time. I am more connected and grounded to nature: everything is both amplified and slowed down in a yurt, and I am grateful every single day. At long last, I am thriving.
