The Trek to Tiny

The blog has been quiet, but life has not.  The final push to rid my mind and my world of excess and get moved into the little house took great effort and exhausted my reserves last fall.  The “trek to tiny” also had a backstory that took center stage as I closed out 2018.

There were many reasons that seeded this trip to living smaller, taking up less space. But nothing inspired me more than my sister’s journey walking day to day for over nine years with cancer .  She was a constant in my life, there are no memories before her.  Jen is always there; in the backseat, the tent, on the chairlift, the trails, the bike path, splashing in the pool.

Nothing can bring clarity to life like a terminal illness, not only for those that live with the reality, but for those who love them as well.  My heart was speaking that a vastly simplified life would be a blessing when her time was coming to a close.  Shortly after the move to the tiny house was complete, it was time to refocus and head several states over to help her transition to her next journey.

I am home, tucked into the little house looking out over a snowy landscape. It is now, in this strange universe of normality and grief, that I am learning if my vision of a small space bringing contentment was a thought after an extra glass of wine, or a reality. There has been a learning curve.

I am happy to come home to my warm, light filled, cozy home, however Mr. G is having some adjustments. When the kids left, the bird died, and I gave away all my belongings he looked worried that he’d be next. I am confident that I can ease his anxiety and we are going to settle into a lovely life where we’re parked.

Having hot running water in the house was a must for me, but I am discovering how little water I can get by with, because dragging the hose out to fill the 30 gallon tank this time of year is a major pain. Having access to the main house has greatly simplified wintertime. Rather than deal with the gray and fresh water tanks, I am finding it easier to fill a gallon jug when I’m in the house and catch the gray water to dispose of. I run the pump and hot water heater sporadically, just to ensure everything is still working properly during winter.

Bill’s generosity of hosting the trek to tiny and access to his house for showers, ukulele sessions, meals, and movies is proving to be our perfect set-up and lots of fun! When gardening season begins and the hose is out all the time I will freely use the water systems in the house, including the shower. Until then this reminds me of camping, when I am often the happiest.

There are several key spaces that were intentionally left undone, I wanted to make those decisions after living in the house for awhile and I’m glad I did. I am now able to design the spaces to accommodate what I actually need, not what I think I need. A deep pantry shelf was not convenient for getting to the back, so I found a simple solution that is working great. It will be fun to watch the other unfinished spaces tell me what will work.

I walk back and forth to the house frequently as I was not able to finish the toilet set-up before leaving. It isn’t the most convenient, but in making the trip to the house I’ve seen beautiful sunrises, starry cold nights and a big mama moose greeting me as I rounded the corner. Until the weather warms up and brings more motivation for home projects I’ll continue to shuffle to the main house in my slippers.

Thank you for reading, for those who are interested in the process of making changes and trying a new way of life, I will continue to share my trek.

“Healing doesn’t have to be extravagant, expensive, or traditional.   Sometimes it just means going to the places that make us feel good.”   Melodee Beattie

Be Well,

Hillary D.