Instead of looking back at old pictures, an influencer decided to reminisce on her childhood by moving back into the cabin where she grew up, despite the house lacking running water or heat.
Originally from California, 19-year-old Karma Wilcox decided to take a trip down memory lane and live in the two-story cabin where she grew up with her dad until she turned 8. As Karma explained, she resumed living in the cabin in March 2023, seeking “freedom” from her life in the Golden State.
The place she now calls home is Homer, a city in south-central Alaska with an estimated population of around 5,900 residents.
Image credits: karma.karmaa
“People think Alaska is really off-grid, but it’s actually not — my 5G works just fine,” the teenager, who will soon begin her studies to become a doctor, said.
“The downstairs is the living room, so it has the kitchen and the lounge area, and the upstairs has two bedrooms,” Karma described her 100-year-old home.
One of her favorite activities is snowboarding, a thrilling sport that was off the menu at her San Francisco home. Additionally, the content creator takes pleasure in spending time in the garden of her family cabin.
Originally from California, the teenager moved to a cabin without running water or heat, seeking "freedom" from her life in the Golden State
Image credits: karma.karmaa
Image credits: karmaalaska
Her videos showcasing her cozy home and answering questions from the public have captured the attention of social media users. The Gen-Zer’s most-viewed video currently has 2.7 million views on TikTok.
“The insulation is not the best. The logs are cut down and layered around the cabin with moss, with sticks nailed in between to keep some warmth in,” the young woman told SWNS.
“My main source of heating is firewood, which is on 24/7, and I go through about a box of logs a day.
“The cabin looked very different when I lived there before. My dad has fitted a new roof.”
Karma rents the cozy cabin for $275 a month
Image credits: karma.karmaa
Her dad is 43-year-old Luna, the creator of the Altruist Relief Kitchen, an organization that manufactures and transports “instant infrastructure” to remote or devastated locations to provide basic services—like food, water, shelter, and medical care—without the need for fossil fuels or electricity.
It was Luna who convinced Karma to move back into her childhood home, which she now rents for $275 a month from Luna’s godfather, Tom.
“The cabin is such a good place to grow up as a child because you have no worries,” Karma said. “We used to play in the garden and go on really long hikes, and ever since coming back, it’s been nice to relive the memories.”
“My main source of heating is firewood, which is on 24/7, and I go through about a box of logs a day," she explained
Image credits: karma.karmaa
When she lays down on her bed, the teen can still see the painted light-blue sky and clouds her father did on the ceiling when she was younger.
However, Karma knows that the infrastructure limits of her new home may soon have more influence than the nostalgic revival of her childhood days.
“I can’t live with no running water for my whole life, but I’ll probably stay in here for another year before I go to med school,” she explained. “I don’t want to stay in Homer, but I would like to go back there in the future.”
"The cabin is such a good place to grow up as a child because you have no worries"
Image credits: karma.karmaa
Karma is not alone in her pursuit of a stress-free lifestyle. In a video captioned "Creating a simple life in the woods," a TikToker who goes by the username _._zorya_._ said she and her partner found land for sale in the woods and built a wooden home. The couple uses wood for heat and installed solar panels outside the abode for electricity.
Another social media creator, whose username is heywanderer, shared her experience of “going off-grid” with her friend and moving into a cabin, building a fruit and vegetable garden, and raising chickens to get their fresh eggs.
Musician Adam Ruzzo has also shared a peak at his life immersed in nature online. Ruzzo built a house from scratch in the Canadian woods. “Here I am today, enjoying the fruits of my labor,” he said while showing a photo of his tiny wooden home.
But he also has a warning to those wanting to leave the busy city life behind. “This alone cannot make you happy,” he said, pointing to the mountains in front of his house. “I’ve met miserable people out in the middle of nowhere, and I’ve met super strong, healthy, happy people in the city.”
"Sounds like my dream life," someone commented
