At 40, Bernat starts his days before sunrise in the dense forests of rural Catalonia. Addiction and the risks of drug trafficking once defined his life. Now he rebuilds a wooden cabin from discarded pallets while caring for animals and working the land. The contrast with his past is stark, and deliberate.
Bernat grew up in a traditional Catalan farmhouse, where his family knew medicinal plants and rural life well. But adolescence brought new influences. High school introduced him to tobacco and cannabis, followed soon after by the trade in synthetic drugs and cocaine. By 22, he was under investigation by the Mossos d’Esquadra and ultimately sentenced to more than three years in prison.
Prison did not end his struggles. Inside, Bernat found some stability as a librarian, helping fellow inmates with legal paperwork. He also returned to studying plants, a link to his childhood. After his release, though, old habits drew him back, and he relapsed into substance use, beginning another difficult recovery.
Breaking the Cycle
Determined to escape the patterns that had shaped his youth, Bernat made a drastic choice: he set out to walk the GR 11, a demanding 800-kilometer trail across the Pyrenees, from the Cantabrian Sea to the Mediterranean. For 42 days, he crossed mountains and villages, relying on the physical challenge and isolation to break free from addiction’s grip. “Those 42 days changed my life,” he later recalled, saying the journey helped him build new routines and distance himself from destructive environments.
Back in the mountains, Bernat gradually rebuilt his daily life around nature. He brought animals into his routine and looked for a place to live simply, away from the temptations and pressures of city life. The forest became a refuge and a foundation for a new beginning. In an interview reported by El Periódico Mediterráneo on October 17, 2026, Bernat also recalled his mother’s advice to follow his instincts, connecting it to his decision to pursue a different life.
Rebuilding, Pallet by Pallet
Today, Bernat is focused on restoring a modest cabin with recycled pallets and salvaged materials. His days revolve around construction and the work of caring for animals and the land. The project is more than shelter: it gives tangible form to his recovery and moves him toward greater self-sufficiency. Each improvement to the cabin marks a step away from the chaos of his former life.
That independence takes ongoing work, shaped by the practical demands of mountain living. Bernat has said fire matters for warmth, drying clothes in wet weather and cooking. Restrictions on open fires have pushed him to find alternatives, including a parabolic solar oven that concentrates sunlight around midday to heat his food. It is a practical adaptation in a broader effort to rely less on outside services and supplies, not proof that the project is already fully self-sufficient.
Bernat shares his journey on social media, drawing support from people interested in alternative living and personal change. He stresses that moving to the forest is no universal answer to addiction or past mistakes. His story is about finding a path that works for him, and the possibility of change after serious setbacks.
Stories of radical reinvention later in life are not unique to Spain. Some older adults have downsized to seek independence in unconventional ways. One example is an 81-year-old woman in Florida who moved into a tiny home in her daughter’s garden to regain autonomy and reshape her daily life.
Bernat’s experience shows the challenges of breaking free from addiction and the criminal justice system, along with the potential for renewal through radical change. His path is deeply personal, but it shows that new beginnings remain possible after years of struggle, even when the way forward is difficult.
