Woman, 28, Swapped City Life For The Forest In Order To Renovate And Live In A Cottage Alone

Dec 21, 2022 by apost team

It's every person's dream to own a house. But as to what kind of house or where the house will be built, it could vary depending on the person. For instance, a person who grew up in the suburbs may want to experience what it's like to live in the city. Meanwhile, a person who grew up in a concrete jungle might get tired in the city so the perfect choice is to move to a rural area for a more relaxing way of living. Most often than not, people plan these kinds of things ahead because it's always a big decision to settle down in a different place. But sometimes, no matter how a person thinks he or she already has life figured out, things change — and that's the beauty of life. 

Take it from a 28-year-old woman who moved from one city to another but eventually gave up what the hustle and bustle of city life has to offer to live in a forest alone. 

You could say that Hannah Duggan, a freelance model and background actor from St. Paul, Minnesota, has been all over. Due to the nature of her work, she had been given the chance to explore different places. Just like in the movies, she thought she would end up in the Big Apple, where dreams are made of. 

"I lived in Oakland, I've lived in LA, I've lived in Hong Kong. I thought I'd move to New York and obviously that's not where I ended up," she told Insider in an interview. 

Instead, she ended up in a small town near Lake Superior, when she moved back to her mom's house during the pandemic. 

She initially thought her stay there would be short until she ended up extending it, not knowing she would end up searching for the perfect place where she could finally settle down. 

"I got kind of stuck there, and it turned out to be a really lovely place to be stuck, so I ended up looking for property around that area," she revealed. 

Then, she finally found the home she was looking for. The moment she saw the first house she came across, she instantly fell in love with it. That's right, she saw a cottage on 15 acres of wooded land. 

It wasn't a complete package when Duggan moved in, but she was definitely up for the challenge. "When I moved in, it didn't have a bathroom. There was only an outhouse," she said.

Since moving in two years ago, she started documenting everything about the renovation, which included putting in floors, installing walls, and building furniture. But the best part was she did everything on her own. "I have been learning a lot about tools," Duggan said.

The 28-year-old shared the difference between living in the city and the forest. "I think in a city, a lot of times, any time you leave your house, you have to go do something that involves spending money," she remarked. 

Duggan debunked the misconceptions that come with living in a forest alone. "You definitely have to enjoy the things that come with it. Like I'm somebody who likes to be alone. I like to be in nature. I like to work on projects," she said. 

When she moved in, she thought of the place as a blank canvas that she could explore and play around with. While she made a few mistakes she admitted she wouldn't have them any other way.

apost.com

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