Dan left a successful 9 to 5 job and his family in Kentucky 20 years ago. Sounds sad? Well, Dan is living the life of his dreams now, albeit simple, and has never looked back since. 

They shifted to Oregon, but Dan knew it was high time to find his own way in life. A 1974 book by author Harlan Hubbard had stuck with Dan ever since he could remember and an urge to reject modernity resonated heavily in his heart.

The calling for a simpler life was so strong that he left that for a flophouse, and even moved into a teepee for a while. Something was still missing though, and Dan couldn’t really put a finger on it. It felt as if the cabin was too big and the teepee was too limiting.

The hole is straight out of hobbit land, and 50-year-old Price cannot even stand up inside his home. Still, the place brings comfort and happiness to this peculiar man.

Yes, you read that right. As Price doesn’t have the luxury of a refrigerator to store milk, water is his go-to staple for any meal. No wonder, he doesn’t need many utensils other than a single fork, spoon, and knife. He only owns one plate and a tumbler as well.

Even though the hobbit hole is completely rustic from the outside, Dan does have some tech in there. He has electricity and uses a hot plate for cooking. In addition, he has a MacBook Air, an iPad, and a mobile phone. Wonder what use he has for those?

He has even published the journal as a book titled ‘My Tiny House’ under the pen name HoboArtist, which brings some much-needed cash. We bet it serves as an inspiration to many others just as Hubbard’s book changed things for Dan.

One time his tee-pee living experience helped him clear up a native American photo exhibit at a nearby park. Cutting trees on adjoining plots is another job that Price takes up from time to time.

The reason? He liked the word, ‘caretaker’ and thought it was really cool. Not so surprising when you get to know that he started mowing the cemetery grounds and polishing the tombstones even before he landed the job. This man makes anything sound upbeat!

He swears by using anything he owns till they wear off, and buying any tools on Craigslist or a garage sale instead. Thrifting is the best trend after all, and Price is possibly the best man to preach on it.

For Dan, getting to see and touch crystal clear water from the nearby river feels like a dream, even if it’s just for hand-washing his clothes every day. So, in Dan’s case, he feels like he took a shortcut to the end goal.

Luckily, Price has found a method to help save both himself and the forest. He does this by cutting down a Cottonwood tree every autumn but promptly replacing it with some evergreens, that provide great forest cover minus the risk of falling limbs.

You’d think it’s something in the water, but Dan has set up his very own gym in the wilderness. Well, it’s just a barbell made from scratch using scrap metal and concrete. He does dedicate at least a few minutes a day to lifting this, and it sure seems to work! 

Some years back though, Price almost regretted his decision when he suffered from kidney stones. The hospital bill was a massive $3000 and he had to beg the hospital to put him on a payment plan. We wonder how he got out of that rut. Either way, he’s taking more care of his body ever since, and the experience has made him stronger than before.

With his savings throughout the year, Dan is able to afford a trip to Hawaii every November to April. We bet he doesn’t miss the river back home when he’s riding ocean waves while surfing! Isn’t this man an inspiration for us all to live a bit more simply?