I always took it for granted that I would never have a house of my own, mainly because of the expense. But as I found myself longing for a place to which I could retreat for a time, a place without clocks, without noise, without distraction, only then – when I began to investigate how I could go about building a simple retreat, just a room, did I ask myself:
“Just what is a house?”(I’m still working on the answer.)
I am noticing how much space I actually use on a consistent basis – and it is a lot less than I would have imagined – which led me to ask myself:
“How much space do I really need?”
The answer to that question is, “Not as much as I used to believe.” And I’m also realizing that I shouldn’t need a mortgage to have it.
One of many little houses I've seen on the web. All rights belong, etc.
Me Simplified 
A noble aspiration. A desk, a chair, a comfy hammock, and on days like this a little a/c unit (or a big block of ice and a fan) should be simple enough for starters, eh? And a stocked cooler, of course. You don’t “need” wifi, I guess. Have you located an appropriate site? How far into the wilderness are you prepared to retreat, and how often? Will visitors be welcome?
Blogging about simplicity introduces complications, doesn’t it?
Anyway – good luck!
Haven’t found a site. Don’t want to get too far from Nashville as a long commute would not be good as I’d want to live there eventually. Since I want to build the place in sections and then put it up on-site – like Leggos – my biggest issue first is finding a place to put materials and work on the project. I hope to use as much salvaged and ‘freecycled’ material as possible but there aren’t many people that welcome the idea of having a portion of their property turned into a temporary junkyard, no matter how worthy the cause.
Visitors will be most welcome, especially when Leggo barn-raising party time arrives!
I am mesmerized by these tiny homes. Home sweet home…..ah. The porches really make them seem livable. There are all kinds of kits and plans on the internet. I like these one bedroom cottages:
http://www.katrinacottagehousing.org/location1.html
http://www.katrinacottagehousing.org/location8.html
http://www.cusatocottages.com/photogallery.php?photo=3
Click to access gc16a1.pdf
Click to access o30a.pdf
Don’t go all Walden Pond on us now. I remember how really, ODD, ya know, that Thoreau was walkin’ around with this, um… ah, TOOL box for a home. Just sayin’.