A Gen Zer has ditched university to set up an off-grid home in the jungle with its own avocado orchard – and all he needs now is the toast.
Robert Lennox-Hvenekilde bought a plot of land for £34,000 surrounded by fruit trees, crops and an abundance of wildlife.
After seeing an alternative way of life on his travels, the 22-year-old, who has no construction experience, deciding against living in uni halls in favour of building himself a cabin with the help of YouTube.
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And despite the odd pesky snake, he said he’s never been happier.
“When I was 19, I was travelling around Central and South America and I met a lot of people that were really inspiring to me,” Robert, from Copenhagen, Denmark, told What’s The Jam.
“These were people who had chosen an untraditional path and were able to support themselves, but not really with the traditional nine-to-five.
“I saw that the lifestyle in Colombia was much more desirable, in my opinion, than going back to Denmark and starting university.
“I’ve now been living in the north of Colombia for half a year.”
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Robert, who has 126,600 followers online, paid approximately £34,000 for three hectares, or 30,000 square meters, of land.
Its access to a natural water stream meant that Robert has access to clean drinking water all year round.
And it also came in handy in the drier season as it meant he could take care of his fruit trees.
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But when he first arrived at the newly purchased plot, there was no home – just a completely untouched space.
He said: “I knew I’d have to build something myself especially since I didn’t have the money to hire workers.
“It’s always been a big part of the dream for me to build my own house but I didn’t have any experience at all in any realm of construction.
“My dad didn’t even own a toolbox [back at home] but I have a lot of self-confidence and I believe a lot in learning on the job.
“Just from watching YouTube videos I made up an idea of how I was going to build a cabin.”
Robert built his home using wood left behind by the previous owners.
He built the foundation and roofing poles of his cabin and found sand and rocks to make concrete so that cement use could be kept to a minimum.
Robert said: “[Back at home] you can see unhealthy processed foods, a sedentary lifestyle, depression, anxiety, along with all of these medical issues that people are having.
“I think that to some degree what I’m doing [in Colombia] is kind of an answer to a lot of the problems that cause those things.
“The ultimate goal and the real reason I bought this property is because I have a dream of just being completely self-sufficient, which to me also means being completely free.
“[I want to] grow and manage all of my own food and build my own house with my own hands.
“Living in nature is something I’m super passionate about.
“I think it’s something that is going to make my body feel healthy, and my mind feel healthy.”
Although building the cabin has been tough, Robert is thriving in his new life.
He said he is “really enjoying the process” and is grateful for the skills that he is learning as he goes.
Robert added: “I want to sell avocado oil and some chocolate as well, and provide food for me and my future family.
“I will also try to integrate native species by making space for the monkeys, especially since I have endangered species here.“
Besides the odd reptile, Robert feels totally safe in the jungle and adores the wildlife that surrounds him.
He added: “This place has some of the most amazing wildlife.
“Notably there are a few snakes that I have seen here that you definitely don’t want to get bitten by.
“To be honest, I think people do tend to over exaggerate the real danger of being in the jungle.
“It’s more dangerous to drive on a road than it is to be out here, in my opinion and according to the facts.
“I feel totally comfortable out here and safe.”
