At some point, most of us reach that crossroads: the path we’re supposed to follow. Go to college, get the job, save every penny—and hopefully, one day, buy a home. That’s the dream, right?
But for many young people today, that dream is more of a fantasy. Homeownership has never been more expensive. Price-to-income ratios are at record highs. And for some who have bought into the dream, the reality is… not what they expected. Mortgage payments, upkeep, never-ending bills—it’s freedom with a price tag.
So, what if you just skipped all of it?
That’s exactly what 22-year-old Robert Lennox-Hvenekilde, a Danish adventurer and Gen Z content creator, decided to do. Instead of sinking his savings into a starter home, Robert bought 7.5 acres of raw Colombian jungle—and he’s now documenting his wild new life on TikTok.
Robert’s been sharing his nature-fueled adventures online for years. But a recent trip to Colombia left a deeper mark.
“I realized that there were a lot of people living in these areas of the world who were maybe not rich in an economic sense,” he told Newsweek, “but they just seemed extremely free and to have an extremely high quality of life.”
That freedom? It spoke to him.
So he did the thing most of us only fantasize about. After months of research and connecting with locals, Robert bought three hectares (around $40,000 worth) of undeveloped rainforest—roughly five to six football fields of green paradise.
His new land includes a freshwater stream, avocado and fruit trees, sugar cane, and—believe it or not—endangered monkeys.
He’s currently building a small home using native wood species that came with the land (planted specifically for construction). The rest of the jungle? He’s leaving untouched.
“I would not cut down any of the native jungle,” he said.
Robert plans to live simply: growing and harvesting fruit to eat and sell, planting more native trees, and protecting the habitat for the wildlife that now share his home.
Naturally, TikTok went wild.
A video tour of his land racked up nearly 2 million views, with thousands commenting on the serene, slow, off-grid dream.
“Dream life.”
“Bro made the best decision of his life.”
“Can I come join you?”
It’s not hard to see why. Lush greenery. Quiet days spent working with your hands. No morning commute. No office small talk. No traffic. No bills stacked on the kitchen counter. Just peace—and maybe a few monkeys watching from the trees.
Still, the internet had thoughts.
Some urged caution:
“Please take care of the land and water. It’s our job to protect nature. Plant trees and native flowers.”
Others raised ethical concerns about a foreigner buying up undeveloped rainforest, with some likening it to a kind of eco-gentrification.
Robert responded to those concerns directly. His point? While large-scale farming operations in Colombia are responsible for destroying hundreds of thousands of acres of rainforest each year, he’s taken just a small piece—with the goal of preserving and nurturing it. Compared to the mass clearing done by commercial agriculture, his footprint is tiny.
Still, this isn’t a glossy fantasy. Living off the grid is hard work. And it comes with risk.
From sourcing your own food and water to being hours away from any sort of medical help if something goes wrong—this lifestyle isn’t for the faint of heart. There are jaguars. There are snakes. And yes, there are big spiders.
“But how are the spiders?” one TikTok user asked.
“Big,” Robert replied.
For many of us, that’s enough to send us straight back to our overpriced apartments and 45-minute commutes. But for Robert, this is the life he dreamed of—and he’s living it, one avocado and one monkey sighting at a time.
