Move Into a Cabin
Posted on June 22, 2018
Description:
I moved to Los Angeles about a year ago and found an apartment in the same neighborhood (Highland Park) as some of my larger shareholders in the area. My lease is up soon and I’m realizing that while it’s a decent sized one bedroom apartment I don’t spend a lot of time here and other than a bed and a desk it’s quite under-furnished. It’s not exactly "home" but I enjoy having a place where I can be alone. I’m also paying a lot to rent a place I don’t spend that much time in (and my rent is going up at the end of my lease).
I have an opportunity to move into a much weirder place. It’s a small delightful studio in the backyard of a friend in Echo Park. It’s very small. It has a Murphy bed, and when the bed is down, that’s basically the whole place. There is a bathroom, but no kitchen. There is internet and a desk. It has all the things I actually use in my current apartment.
It’s small enough that I would have to get rid of some things. I find that idea kind of exciting. I moved to LA with only what I could fit in a Prius, and this would encourage me to be even more intentional about my belongings. Not to get too Marie Kondo on you but I’ve felt "lighter" by reducing the objects in my life.
I spent a night in the cabin to test it out. It was wonderful. It smells like cedar and reminds me of my family’s camp in Maine. Sounds from LA bleed through the tin roof and walls, but I’m a very sound sleeper. There was some squirrel nonsense skittering on the roof. The morning light Is amazing as it sits up on a hill and looks over the main house. There is a wonderful garden between the cabin and the main house.
The main downside of the cabin is that it’s not a permanent situation. I am not sure how long I’d be there but probably less than a year. Also, there is no AC, so there could be incredibly hot nights. There is a risk I will later regret getting rid of some things. And I hate the process of moving out. The idea fills me with dread (but I love moving into a new place).
My expectation of life in the cabin is to adopt the feeling of rustic simplicity one normally feels on a Pacific Northwest vacation. Wake up and make a nice pour over coffee, have a simple snack for breakfast, meditate, and spend some time writing on the computer or reading. Reducing my wardrobe to a few simple items and living in a small sanctuary nestled in the hills and full of books where I can be alone, but also centrally located and even closer to my office.
My first apartment has been a great place to land in LA. Close to friends, a courtyard pool, and parrots squawking in the palm trees. I love the idea of moving somewhere a little weirder and a lot cheaper. A little weirder because it encourages creativity and a lot cheaper so that I can spend my money on weird and creative ideas.
Let me know what concerns you have or ideas you have for living in small spaces!
