Where do you really live?

I was reading this great article on Mother Earth News and in the article, they referenced the following questions from Natural Building Movement, designed to help you figure how and "where" you really live.  Perfect for tiny home planning.

Where do you really live?

1. Before you get started, make a list of all the activities that you do at home and things you need in your house. Be as detailed as possible.

 2. Over a period of one to two weeks, keep a log of where you go in your house, and what you do there. You might post paper at doorways, and accurately record exactly where you go and how long you spend there, or just take notes from memory, once a day. In larger rooms, be specific about which part of the room you use.

 3. Look around your house for spaces that you never inhabit. Imagine what would change if that space magically disappeared.

 4. Make another list of “activities and needs,” without reviewing the first list. If you have patience, make a new list one a week for a few weeks.

 5. Uncover your first list and compare it with later ones. You may be surprised. More than likely there are probably some areas of your home you don’t use as much as others.

As we go forward with our planning process, I think these are great exercises.  We've started a bit of this already but I want to get even more into the discovery process.

Workshop

Over the weekend we made a huge step forward on our road to Chasing 72... we attended a Tumbleweed Tiny House workshop.

It was a great two days filled with information and inspiration.  Not only did we get to hear Jay of TTH speak in person and were able to pick his brain, but we also got to hear from several couples who have built their tiny homes or were in the process of doing so.

What was best was that we got to plot our our design modifications on paper and have Jay and all the participants give their feedback.  It really inspired us to get going with ideas and think about the steps and build process. And it helped us to rethink some of our plans and needs too.

Now we're totally jazzed to identify resources and pick a design aesthetic and find some cool windows!

New Blog to Read - Reading My Tea Leaves

Excited to add a new blog to the roster - Reading My Tea Leaves.

I can't wait to start reading through all their posts on living tiny in 240 sq ft in New York....

Finding Your Code

Don't you love following random pathways on the Internet?  This morning I was on Etsy and came across an article discussing Hobo signs from the US Great Depression and recently released Theives' Signs from China.

Today, the word hobo is often used interchangeably with “bum” or “drifter,” but hobos were a very specific type of homeless traveler. Hobos traveled around for the sole purpose of finding work in every new town they visited, having usually been forced from their homes by the lack of jobs there. Bums avoided work in favor of drinking heavily, and “tramps” worked only when it was absolutely necessary.

From the first Etsy article I went looking up more of these symbols and became fascinated to learn more about the Hobo culture.  I, in my ignorance, did not realize how this group thought of and differentiated themselves and that they had a strong moral code.

The Hobo Code of Ethics was, according to Wikipedia, created by Tourist Union #63 during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis Missouri. Here is the code of ethics they decided upon:

1. Decide your own life, don’t let another person run or rule you.
2. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.
3. Don’t take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos.
4. Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but insure employment should you return to that town again.
5. When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.
6. Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals treatment of other hobos.
7. When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as bad, if not worse than you.
8. Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.
9. If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.
10. Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible.
11. When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member.
12. Do not cause problems in a train yard, Another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard.
13. Do not allow other hobos to molest children, expose to authorities all molesters, they are the worst garbage to infest any society.
14. Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.
15. Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.

What's also cool is that these symbols could (are?) be used for our modern, ever more transient and mobile lives.  Aren't the new wi-fi and credit card symbols similar?  Don't the mobile apps tell you what restaurant or reststop bathrooms are clean or not? We've embraced similar symbology and evolved it.

The first and most important rule of the hobo code was 'decide your own life', which meant 'do what you want to do'.  I think that sounds like it could be a pretty good set of rules and philosophy for us as well.

Inspiration - Fortune Cookie Home

I love the Tumbleweed Tiny Homes but I'm also really inspired by this unique Fortune Cookie home.  Click through to check out all the pictures. 

Origami Apartment in Manhattan

Check out the "origami" apartment in Manhattan and then read more at Laughing Squid

Inspiration Project - Our Wee House

I love seeing the projects and house tours of others who are a bit further along the path than we are.  The videos are especially fun and insightful. 

Check out this video from Colin and Joanna from Our Wee House

These video get me so jazzed.  I really want to get built and on the road!  Someday soon...