Visitors sometimes describe our way of life as "extreme." From their perspective, we can understand why. We use a compost toilet, filter our grey water with plants, try to eat as much locally sourced food as possible, avoid plastics wherever we can, practice making our own natural textiles, and live in houses that are smaller than some people’s bedrooms. For us this way of life has gradually become normal. It took us five years to reach this point. Through continuous research and critical reflection on our habits, we’ve carefully examined every aspect of our lives to understand how our actions impact the environment and our health. This process led us to design a lifestyle that contrasts sharply with how most people live today. By designing household structures that are in balance with nature, we feel a mutual dependency with our environment, rather than trying to conquer it. But we understand why others view our choices as extreme—because we feel the same about some of their life choices. What many consider ‘normal’ has, for us, become ‘extreme’. From our perspective, it seems extreme to flush toilets with drinking water, to eat processed food from distant countries, to buy clothes worn just 50 times, knowing they will persist in landfills for over 200 years, to live in houses large enough to play hide-and-seek, while homeless people are accepted as a natural part of city life… Just because something is common doesn’t make it ‘normal.’ Relearning the skill of critically analyzing our habits and surroundings is essential. I feel like we put to much trust that those in power will always make the best decisions for us. History has shown that too often, money and profit is prioritized over health and well-being. With the Nomad City project we try to design a way of life that is centered around community and sustainability because in our opinion these two are intertwined. When nature thrives, we thrive and vice versa. We want to create an ‘extreme’ alternative in todays absurd ‘normality’. But we are also aware of the powerful voices that fear this lifestyle because it threatens their business models. After all, there's no profit to be made from a way of life that seeks to be as self-sustaining as possible. But for us, true wealth comes from a different kind of dependency—not on corporations, but on each other and the environment that sustains us. As B.F. Skinner wisely noted, “It might be argued that if we were to convert to a network of small communities, our economy would be wrecked. But something is wrong when it is the system that must be saved, rather than the way of life the system is supposed to serve.” Our project proves that it’s not only possible to redefine what is 'normal'—it’s necessary. What might seem ‘extreme’ at first glance is actually a path towards balance and sustainability. By reshaping our relationship with the world around us, we open the door to a more meaningful existence—one that honors both people and the planet, without the need for extremes.