Man starts living in nature after struggling with COVID

ANTALYA

A 40-year-old in the southern province of Antalya has made a life-changing decision after battling COVID for 75 days and started to live an isolated life at the top of the mountain with his dog, Pablo, first in a tent and then in a small caravan.

Working as an official driver and bodyguard for 10 years after getting married in 2010, Abbas suffered severely from COVID-19.

“After 75 days in the hospital, I started to have problems at my workplace. When I said I was fully recovered, I became a COPD patient and lost my job. Nothing went well for a while, and my wife and I decided to get divorced,” he said.

Stating that he entered “the path of self-seeking” in that period, Abbas experienced an “eight-month purification” without telephone, internet and people in the mountains of Antalya, where he went out with only a backpack.

After buying a small caravan with the help of his savings and friends, Abbas underlined that he does not need to spend on unnecessary expenses in his caravan life.

“Before, in my life in the metropolis, there were expenditures that I could not avoid, mental depression, stress and anger. I was always running somewhere, always late for something, and I was never happy with anything. Now I am trying to live a more serene and calm life where I have learned to be content with little.”

Working as a part-time watchdog and pet sitter for about two years, he earns a part of his livelihood from YouTube, where he produces content with Pablo. “Around 2,000 Turkish Liras per month is enough for me, excluding the diesel and the taxes of the caravan.”

Noting that he did not get bored in the caravan, Abbas said, “I worked in very crowded places in luxury and pomp for many years. This life is very calm and peaceful. I am not alone as I am mostly with my books and my dog in a peaceful forest or by the beach.”

Saying that he does not plan to return to his full-time working and settled life routine, he noted, “On the contrary, I want to buy a small plot of land in a remote village and continue my life there in my caravan.”