Living in 120 Square Feet

You may have noticed the title of this blog is "Life in 120 Square Feet" not "How to Build a 120 Square Foot Cabin" even though I have yet to talk about actually living in the little house. I suppose it is natural - before you can live in a house you've built you have to build it. And it has been a long process for us since we are living and working in Atlanta during the week and coming up to Asheville about two weekends a month to build this damn thing. It has been as frustrating as it has been rewarding, and I wouldn't change a thing. 

 

But the build has hit a major milestone. Probably the most major of all the potential milestones. We can stay in it.  We had been camping on the land and sleeping in the little barn room as we built the house, but over our 4th of July campout, we stayed in the House for the very first time. On the first morning, when I made my way back down to the barn where all of our friends had pitched their tents, a friend was sitting at the campfire and he asked me, "So, how was it" and the only thing I could think of was that it was no longer camping, it was simply "living". 

 

There is a lot of work to be done. And, in truth, the only thing we can really do in the house right now is sleep (and eat a pre-packed picnic meal).  We have to finish the kitchen and the bathroom before it is truthfully livable.  But it is a whole new reality when we are staying in the little house we built with our own two hands. To see it come together like this is mindblowing and humbling. We did this. Now that we are nearly finish, each trip up brings us closer to being able to do one more thing inside the house.  We're getting the solar and electrical system set up.  Soon the kitchen will be done and we do make coffee and hot chocolate inside. One step closer to living in it every time we finish a project. 

 

As the rest of the peices fall into place, this blog will in fact transition from building this little house to living in it. Living off the grid on 15 acres on a mountain about 20 miles from the nearest city. Stay tuned for more revelations about our journey.