It Only Takes A Smile

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” – Hans Hofmann

The decision to move to Paris was not to just live in a new country, where I don’t speak the language, or to give up a 9-5 job.  It was also to transition to tiny home living.  I was living in a four floor house in the UK for several years before making this leap.  My home is now 27 square meters, or 290 square feet!  This may be the smallest home I have ever lived in, smaller than the dorms I lived in at the University of Hawaii, where I lived as a crisis counselor.  This is definitely an adjustment.  

Things I miss include a washing machine, a large fridge, storage space, but I most miss my massive collection of books.  These are all currently en route to a storage unit in the states.  In addition, my couch has become the dogs hang out space.   I’m afraid that if I had friends over, we would have to sit on the floor.  Puzo and Bella seem to rule the apartment.

But despite all of this, I am somehow enjoying living in a compressed space.  One has to be creative with storage possibilities.  In addition, whatever you choose to bring into the house, you must ask yourself these essential questions: Will I really use this?  Will I have space for this? Do I love this? Is this necessary? Will I have to discard anything to make space for this?   In the past, when storage was limitless, none of these questions crossed my mind.  What I thought about included one question: Is this on sale? 

There also is a comfort with living in a small space.  Everything around me I love and use.   In the past, when I lived in a big home, I would sometimes awake in the middle of the night and think how large the house was, and I was living alone, away from family and friends.  It was almost too big for me.  Now when I wake up in the middle of the night, this space now fits like a cozy sweater I wanted to curl up in.  

Many of us stay in small spaces temporarily (also known as hotel rooms), but I do encourage everyone to opt to briefly try living in a tiny home.  Explore what it would be like.  What may be your struggles? What may be your hidden joys?  What are you living with that isn’t necessary?  What are your essentials?  It seems like we should be asking ourselves these questions in our lives on a daily basis.  Subtract the excess and love the life (and space) you are living in.