As someone who has moved at least 9 times in the last 11 years, I am somewhat of an authority on it. Each move was prompted by a very specific reason… mostly positive ones.

As I look back on the places I’ve lived, I try to imagine which places made me the happiest. I loved living close to downtown, and I loved not having too much space to maintain. I like my house tidy, but I’m not much of a cleaner. If I mop once a year, it’s a miracle! Dusting… I just hate it! I’m too busy living my life to bother with meticulous cleaning… especially if the space is big.

Over the past 5 years I’ve thought a lot about priorities and about “stuff”. If you have to move all your possessions that many times, you really start to think about what’s important and why. I’ve never been a big hoarder of stuff, but I always think I have too much. I clean out about every 6 months. The key, that I’m still figuring out is how not to collect the stuff in the first place.

I guess my propensity for minimalism is what has always attracted me to the “tiny living” lifestyle. I like to live a big life that involves making memories, interacting with people, and doing things intentionally. I don’t want the majority of my time to be spent worrying about “things” – how to attain them, how to pay for them, how to maintain and protect them. It’s too much. I’m busy trying to maintain relationships and my health as I age. Being an adult carries with it so much responsibility, but a lot of it results from choices we make about our lifestyle. Some of those choices are about where we choose to live, how big of a house we buy, how many cars our household needs, where we work, etc.

I considered buying another house on this last move, but I decided I didn’t want that kind of responsibility right now. Instead, I found an affordable apartment in a great location that measures a whopping 360 square feet on the inside. That may sound small, but this apartment is big on charm and feels very spacious. The only utility I am responsible for is electric, and the average bill is $50/month. The only other thing I will need is internet. There are 19 small units in the building, and the management is very responsive to issue.

I’m close enough to downtown to walk or ride my bike, and I’m very close to several coffee shops (a REQUIREMENT!). I’m also close to several in-city bus routes, along with the Greyhound bus which can take me anywhere. I’m committed to living without a car for as long as I can. Not only does it cut down my impact on the planet, but it keeps me healthy and engaged in the neighborhood.

I look forward to sharing my tiny living and car-free adventures with you going forward.