And so it begins....

When we were little my mom would always wake us for the early boat with, "its time for a big adventure" and sleep would fall from our eyes at the prospect of excitement and newness.
Adventure.
Well this new endeavor may be the biggest adventure yet.
We have purchased a trailer for our tiny house on wheels. Its ready to be towed up to the cape so I can fill it with the lumber I need to get the project started. I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm anxious to get this show on the road!

tiny home builders trailer and tinest living design in background

 

Any one who has talked to me in the last two months has gotten an earful (or two) of my tiny house ideas. I've told you about my passion to build something, to own something, about the streamlined simplicity of small spaces, about the freedom of mobility. And now its happening, and I'd like to invite you to share in the process, even those of you are far away and have escaped my excitement thus far!

I loved the idea of tiny houses the very first time I heard about them from my friend Becca while on a Living Routes study abroad program in Findhorn, Scotland. She planted a seed (quite literally, she gave me my dandelion seed tattoo), which I have nurtured and am ready to plant and grow! I've been kicking it on Nantucket these past two years, enjoying life, gardening for a living, spending lots of precious time with my family, and falling in love with David. Life has been good. We've been renting, and having good luck with landlords and properties, and I like the camaraderie of roommates. But I've always had this dream of owning a home. I'd say its my most vivid daydream. I've been interested in alternative building- cob, strawbale, earthships, tiny spaces, boats. And when David asked me to marry him in the fall (squeee!) we decided it was time to make this dream a reality.

                                         Cisco Beach, Nantucket, photo credit Laura Poole

Nantucket is a unique place. Being an island there is a limited amount of space and property is expensive. We knew that owning land here at this present moment wasn't something we were ready to commit to; who knows where the years will take us. And yet we weren't ready to leave yet, we've both have more to do here. And so what can we own here, yet still move, live in year round, and also afford? Why a tiny house on wheels.

                                               Tiny Home Builders Tiny Living Design

We looked at many designs and plans, deciding what we needed, wanted, and could do without. A company in Florida seemed to fit our needs closest and I asked for their tiny living plans for Christmas. I think my mom was disappointed to wrap something as boring as papers, so she gifted me with a tool belt, hammer, level, and nails too. My parents have been amazingly supportive of all my crazy ideas, and this one is no different. I hope to rearrange the kitchen and bathroom set up a bit, but the images seen in this link are very close to what we'll build!

http://www.tinyhomebuilders.com/tiny-houses/tiny-living#.UtlaYsIo5rQ

I'm not a carpenter, but I have faith that I can make this happen. I have skilled family and friends, and a fierce determination. With luck the trailer will be on Cape next weekend and I will keep you all updated.