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t at my new job suggested I meet a friend of hers, who happened to have a tiny house on her property which she would rent.</p><p id="6af7">It was a match made in heaven.</p><p id="f8d0">They let me garden a plot of the yard. We composted, which is something I have done and continue to do. I highly recommend it for everyone who is concerned about the amount of trash humans create. Read this for more info:</p><p id="63cd"><a href="https://readmedium.com/composting-one-way-to-reduce-organic-waste-e529eb1bf7da">https://readmedium.com/composting-one-way-to-reduce-organic-waste-e529eb1bf7da</a></p><figure id="5a43"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*eS1jrLgrNzUiTZ_2BKvJog.jpeg"><figcaption>Part of my garden and clothesline. I work in manufacturing so fluorescent shirts were my uniform.</figcaption></figure><p id="ff94">They also had a clothesline I could hang my laundry after washing it in their machine.</p><figure id="04a4"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*DjbUL_QiNyCo_DfoWjfI2w.jpeg"><figcaption>The garden and bird feeder was my primary source of delight and entertainment. This bent wood chair was made by the owner. Photo by author.</figcaption></figure><p id="cfb6">Some of the furniture was handmade — adorable! There was no stove or oven, but I used a single burner on the counter to make soups once a week and store in the mini-fridge. It made me mindful of what was in the fridge. I considered every condiment.</p><figure id="8e0b"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*fyz9nVGIxbcb0HDWwsLE0w.jpeg"><figcaption>This counter was the kitchen. It worked! Photo by author.</figcaption></figure><p id="5fb9">Toilet paper was collected

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and discarded in the trash daily. This became a habit as I left for work.</p><p id="404d">There was no shower or bath. I used the one next door or the YMCA.</p><p id="50fa">I lived in the garden which surrounded the tiny house as much as the house.</p><figure id="35e5"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*dcqTAW0EgdoPd2UdnZ0xRw.jpeg"><figcaption>That’s my computer screen in the garden where I ate and wrote whenever possible.</figcaption></figure><p id="6039">Sharing the garden and laundry facilities with my landlord was a gift. A married couple, they made me feel welcome and trusted. Often, we shared a dish or two out in the garden watching the frogs and birds and koi.</p><p id="6a82">I learned that community makes a home in a way that nothing else can. Mansions, such as the one I lived in on 3 acres, isolate. Their care is a major responsibility that robs individuals of time and resources.</p><p id="a66c">What a gift!</p><p id="6b61">If you get a chance, give it a go. Let me know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.</p><div id="c0ed" class="link-block"> <a href="https://catstrav.medium.com/membership"> <div> <div> <h2>Join Medium with my referral link - Cat Strav</h2> <div><h3>Read every story from Cat Strav (and thousands of other writers on Medium). Your membership fee directly supports Cat…</h3></div> <div><p>catstrav.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*m2Oum-dLn7RT3_uY)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

A Tiny House Can Change Your Perspective for the Better

Once I left the Rat Race I found more of what I needed — community and freedom

Here she is — a thing of beauty! My tiny house. Photo by author.

Change is inevitable. In fact, it is the only constant.

I should know. I moved from a 5,000 sq. foot house and landed in a 250 sq. ft. cottage. It was one of the best moves I ever made.

I have written about changing in this article:

What Chekhov and Avocados Taught Me About Change

Reading Chekhov and growing avocados informs my transformation and they can help yours, too

medium.com

It ain’t easy, but often you learn about yourself and it can be good.

Such was my experience in my tiny house.

I found it by way of a murder. The day I was to sign a lease at a major apartment complex, the news flashed a story about the arrest of a renter storing the body of his murdered neighbor in his closet.

My contact at my new job suggested I meet a friend of hers, who happened to have a tiny house on her property which she would rent.

It was a match made in heaven.

They let me garden a plot of the yard. We composted, which is something I have done and continue to do. I highly recommend it for everyone who is concerned about the amount of trash humans create. Read this for more info:

https://readmedium.com/composting-one-way-to-reduce-organic-waste-e529eb1bf7da

Part of my garden and clothesline. I work in manufacturing so fluorescent shirts were my uniform.

They also had a clothesline I could hang my laundry after washing it in their machine.

The garden and bird feeder was my primary source of delight and entertainment. This bent wood chair was made by the owner. Photo by author.

Some of the furniture was handmade — adorable! There was no stove or oven, but I used a single burner on the counter to make soups once a week and store in the mini-fridge. It made me mindful of what was in the fridge. I considered every condiment.

This counter was the kitchen. It worked! Photo by author.

Toilet paper was collected and discarded in the trash daily. This became a habit as I left for work.

There was no shower or bath. I used the one next door or the YMCA.

I lived in the garden which surrounded the tiny house as much as the house.

That’s my computer screen in the garden where I ate and wrote whenever possible.

Sharing the garden and laundry facilities with my landlord was a gift. A married couple, they made me feel welcome and trusted. Often, we shared a dish or two out in the garden watching the frogs and birds and koi.

I learned that community makes a home in a way that nothing else can. Mansions, such as the one I lived in on 3 acres, isolate. Their care is a major responsibility that robs individuals of time and resources.

What a gift!

If you get a chance, give it a go. Let me know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Join Medium with my referral link - Cat Strav

Read every story from Cat Strav (and thousands of other writers on Medium). Your membership fee directly supports Cat…

catstrav.medium.com