As far as I can tell, I’m leading a pretty unconventional life. 

I’m 35, unmarried and not a single child has passed through the inner sanctum of my legs, which has made my mother pensive. 

When her friends get a hold of me they say things like:  “Don’t worry darling, you’ll find him in the end.”  Then they press me to their bosoms just that little bit too long.

I’m also a Sangoma, a kind of shamanic healer found in the Bantu tribes of the southern parts of Africa.  Except that I’m white, which is also unconventional.

Oh yes, I’ve never had a nine to five job see.  I once had a half day job, does that count?  Except it wasn’t very formal, and it was just me and a friend of mine.  Oh well.  Suffice to say that I’ve dabbled on the edges of what other people’s lives might be like and ran screaming from it.

I have a couple of great girlfriends who also fall into my category. (When I say a couple I mean two.) We’re all in our thirties and happily unmarried and all that, except that there’s this awful little voice in the back of our heads that’s going:

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!  HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?  YOU’RE GOING TO END UP ALONE AND SAD IN SOME OLD AGE HOME WHERE NO ONE WILL CARE ABOUT YOU BECAUSE YOU WON’T HAVE ANY OFFSPRING!  AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SUPPORT YOURSELF?  YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY WITHOUT A MAN TO SUPPORT YOU AND LOOK AFTER YOU!

And the beat goes on. 

My friend Lila recently started having panic attacks about her uncertain, un-foretold and unconventional future.  You see, so much unconventionality can leave a girl feeling a bit insecure from time to time. 

If you’re not following the mainstream there’s usually very little in the way of direction.  You just have to shut your eyes and pray profusely while you fall your way through the dark.

Often you end up falling off mountains and banging into walls though (which can really affect your looks in the long run).

But wait, I have good news!

We’re living in a time where it seems to be becoming more and more acceptable to snub a bit of convention.  I’ll even risk saying that these days you’re kinda cool in some circles if you do it right.

Some people say that we’re experiencing “a rapid ideological shift” in the world right now.  You can be minimalist, location independent or even a Buddhist!   All of them are considered at least somewhat acceptable. 

Even my dad admitted the other day that it seems to be ok for people to have tattoos these days.  (That says something.)

One day when I was feeling all lonely and misunderstood I suddenly thought: 

Hey!  I’m sure I’m not the only unconventional gal in the world who prefers life with the edge still on!  There must be… at least a tribe of people like me out there!!

And so this website dreamt itself into being.

This is my answer to Lifestyle Design:  Tim Ferris, meet Lifestyle DECONSTRUCTION.  (Ja.  Didn’t see that one coming did ya.) 

If you’re feeling profoundly freaked out by all the rapid change happening in the world and you’re not sure if you’re supposed to have a full-time job or if you should run off and join a nunnery (that age old dilemma), you’ve come to the right place.

THIS SITE IS FOR MISFITS WHO ARE FORGING THEIR OWN PATHS.  It’s a place to share your story, ask for advice and to explore and experiment with different styles of life.

It’s all about exploration and discovery.  It’s about playing, you know?  That thing you used to do before you were institutionalised at your local schooling establishment? 

Rather than just changing the way you do things, this is about figuring out why you do them in the first place, and then deciding if you want to do it, and if you do, how you’re going to go about doing it.

Hey, the same things might not work for all of us, but at least we can talk about it, throw it around a bit and see what pops out.