When I was 19, I lived and worked in Ireland for a year. Unlike many young people who live in other countries through college study-abroad programs or tourist programs, I moved to Ireland on my own and independently found a job and place to live.
One of those living places was a tiny house.
Okay, it wasn’t a 120-square foot home on wheels type of tiny house, but it was a 4-room log cabin, built by our landlord in the hills of Cork City.
My roommate and I called it “The Log Cabin,” since it was a simply constructed wooden home. There were two small bedrooms without closets, a bathroom, a living area, and a small closet-sized kitchen. The landlord had furnished it with two beds, a couch, a 4-person table, and, interestingly enough, a TV that could only access four channels, one of which was only in the Irish Gaelic language.
The bedrooms didn’t have closets or dressers, so in each bedroom, the landlord installed wardrobes—sort of like a mobile closet. They were very small; yet they fit all of our clothes, shoes, and jackets. I purchased a small bookshelf, which held my books, journals, photo albums, and jewelry box.
In the kitchen, the landlord supplied all the appliances, a microwave, toaster, teakettle, teapot (the Irish love their tea), a few pots, pans, and baking sheets, a few cooking utensils and tools, and cutlery. We had four plates, four bowls, four mugs, four glasses—and that was enough!
We had a medium sized dining table and four chairs, a three cushioned couch, a sitting chair, and that was all we needed. We were able to eat and relax in comfort.
Well… did I mention we didn’t have heat? Oh, right! We had two portable heaters, which we left in the living/dining room and my bedroom (thanks to my kind roommate—she got the double bed and bigger bedroom, though). However, because Ireland’s climate is mild, we only needed heat for a couple of months, and it was never too cold that a warm sweater or an extra blanket couldn’t suffice.
In our cozy tiny house upon the Cork City hills, we were able to have friends over and entertain, and we always felt at home. We had enough to eat, we had enough clothing to look professional at our jobs, and we had enough space to relax and live comfortably. Our little tiny house and the few things we owned allowed us the freedom to spend our time and money exploring the town and pursuing our interests.
Now that I’m back in America and settling down into my adult life, I’m saving money to buy a home. Owning a home in the United States, especially in Chicago, costs a lot more than the quaint little log cabin in Ireland. Thankfully, I don’t want to live in an average sized American home! Although I don’t intend on living in a tiny house, either, I know I can be happy and comfortable in a very small home—I’ve done it before! However, I wouldn’t mind having more than two portable heaters…
Could you live in a tiny home?
Brigit
