Whose House Is This

The unpacking continues. Duh. The donations continue, too. Most boxes persist, but they are being drained of their contents which are going to donations like Habitat for Humanity, and of course the dump. My stuff is starting to populate the house, but whose house is it? It doesn't feel like mine, yet.

Houses get customized by their owners, which helps turn them into homes. Tiny houses become tiny homes through much more customization. A conventional house is large enough that conventional spaces are large enough to accommodate many types of lifestyles. There's a luxury to space. Can't find room for something here? Move over one closet. Can't find room for something? The next room has its storage issues. Soon enough the search for solutions includes outdoors, or into a storage unit, or over to the donation sites or the solid waste transfer station. Much more, the space is intentional. It has to be.

The previous owner of this space customized so much that a User's Manual would be handy. Need room in the bathroom? It took me days to find the cabinet carved out of an interior wall behind a mirror. Where should the cookie sheets go? Oh. So, that's why that bit of wood was screwed into that cabinet. I guess they'll live there for now. That outdoor awning over a workspace is a fine idea - for someone shorter than me. I'll remind myself to duck to use it, or it will emphasize my height in a very direct fashion.

Maybe the easier way to show the customization is more cosmetic than functional. Purple and orange are not my colors. (Irony alert: I graduated from Virginia Polytechnical Institute & State University, better known as Virginia Tech, which has the colors maroon and orange. They weren't my colors there and then, either. I was there for an engineering degree, not to learn fashion. To anyone that knows me, fashion is obviously not my talent - unless bland is considered a style.)

Homemade storage solutions, heaters added and subtracted, light switches that are within my reach were equipped with things that made it easier to get some light in here?

This is not a complaint. But it is an observation. Yes, I am glad to be in this space. But, a few folks have mentioned that I must be celebrating because the place is mine. Legally, financially, responsibly yes. No one else is going to mow that lawn. (Gotta buy a new, smaller mower.)

I feel like I've moved into a vacation place with lots of my own luggage, and it doesn't all fit. And that's okay - for now.

Pardon me as I stand up to take a break and mix myself a drink - which entails pulling out a set of shelving that is slightly wider than a Mason jar, as deep as the fridge, and taller than it for some reason. Cheers.

By the way, that's an accomplishment because I finally found a liquor store (at the gas station?) and the ice cube tray.

Transitions can be instantaneous. Love at first sight does happen, I suspect. But some things take time.

Moving is enough of a transition. Moving into a house about half the size of the previous one amplifies that. To anyone considering moving into a tiny house, I suggest giving it some time. Today's opinion can easily be modified by tomorrow's discovery. (How am I going to reach that smoke alarm in the peaked roof? Do I have to buy a ladder just so I can cook the way I like?)

I got to spend part of the afternoon visiting the folks from a non-profit in my new county: Jefferson County. They're conducting a survey of the county's housing needs by asking the residents. 

"Welcome to your one-stop-shop for education, resources, and engagement opportunities with housing solutions in Jefferson County!" Go ahead. Take the survey if you're in the area. I did. It was nice to be given a voice, even though I've only been here less than a month. HousingSolutionsNetwork.org/survey

My current employer, Island Roots Housing, is working the issue a different way back in the county I just left: Island County. Those folks suggested I contact these folks, which is fine by me because I like folks.

It was the diversity of people willing to take the survey which impressed me. I've been a fan of tiny houses for years, and this transition isn't trivial. The stories I heard as I sat and tried to keep my mouth shut while passers-by either said yes, or no, or (insert soap box lecture here) was amazingly diverse. The transitions necessary to provide respectful housing to everyone can be difficult, but finding consensus of who gets housed and how are larger societal issues. My transition is the trivial one. 

Many voices. Many ideas. Probably more voices and ideas than houses needed. In the meantime, someone is sleeping rough tonight. Maybe it will rain. Maybe it won't. 

My house may still feel like someone else's home, but that transition happens at a luxurious pace. That's not luxury in terms of wealth and things but in terms of time. I don't have to empty my storage units. I can afford the time and money for the rent. If you're jumping into the same situation, give yourself time. Give yourself time as if you are just getting into a relationship. It takes time to get to know each other. There are people who are having to make much more difficult choices, sometimes daily.