As the three of us were skinning our freshly harvested steer, my friend Austin asked me, “How long you been doing this (homesteading)?” to which I replied, “20 years.” I’m assuming the next question came from a place of curiosity, wondering if things like this get old after doing them a certain amount of times… He asked, “What’s the most exciting thing?” I said, “Well, today is pulling the trigger and dropping a 30-month-old steer never gets old.” And it is truly exciting, but after some more time thinking I’d say there’s something deeper… This steer was conceived and born here. We moved him every day through three growing seasons and fed him hay for two. Dropping him successfully on harvest day is the pinnacle and it’s mostly downhill from there. We must eviscerate, hang, butcher, preserve, prepare, then eat him. Our job isn’t nearly done, but we have started to coast, if you will. Although that moment is exciting, it’s also something else… And that’s the thing that has kept me going through 20 years: satisfaction. Collecting eggs, harvesting chickens, cooking from scratch; all lost their excitement long ago. So, I’ve had to find something better… Something longer lasting. And that’s satisfaction. Being thankful, reminding myself why I do this, and why I can’t just buy “normal” food like everyone else. I have to take a moment of feeling the satisfaction of the growing process. For it’s the process that you must come to love. Take a roast from this steer and we’ll spend an hour prepping the meal and eat it in just 15 minutes. But the meal didn’t just cost an hour of my time; it literally cost me countless hours over preserving, breaking down, harvesting, and daily management for two and a half years. So, I’m not so worried anymore about experiencing excitement. I’m now trying to notice and cherish the satisfaction. And I think that’s key if I’m gonna last another 20 years.