Last Sunday I was in my car at 8 am, on my way to the first ever Tiny House meet-up in The Netherlands. After picking up Koen in Amsterdam we arrived at 10 am, ready to start. Frieda Bakker lives in a cohousing project located in a beautiful old farm in Dieren and her ‘roommates’ were kind enough to offer us all the space we needed today. It was such a wonderful space; right next to the woods and with a huge living room with a big fireplace that you could sit around. One would almost be tempted to give up ones Tiny House plans, haha! Ultimately, we had a group of 16 people and we had all day to talk about our favourite topic. Still, that proved to be too little time. Everyone had brought along books, design drawings and some nice food for lunch. It’s one thing to think of living in a Tiny House and making plans on your own, but to share your enthusiasm and ideas with others, as well as the challenges that we all face, is really great! People who appreciate the same experiences can offer ideas or have already resolved some of the issues that you haven’t even considered yet. It was such a valuable day! And how wonderful to finally meet some of the people whom I was in contact with online. I’m all for organising another one!
Lena, Koen and I drove off at around 4 pm for a short ride to Velp. We were met enthusiastically by Dimka and Anne who were also at the meeting. Time to discuss the building of my house! We finalised our plans and timeline while enjoying some lovely pumpkin soup and other dishes. I also realised that this is a project where I need to take the initiative, which is not something that comes naturally to me. To set up a budget, organise a warehouse, approach potential sponsors… this is going to mean stepping out of my comfort zone. However, I see that as a positive thing and I know I’m not alone. It’s just a bit of a mindset switch as since I’ve never bought a house nor managed such a big project. Luckily, I am quite flexible and once I have processed all the information, I can really go for it. It will be fine, and I will learn so much! So, to be more specific: Dimka will be building my house and that will take place between February and April. What do we need? A warehouse space! Dimka lives in Arnhem so it would be most convenient if it’s in that area. Utrecht is also an option, or somewhere in between. My budget is quite tight, so ideally, I would like to find someone who will grant me the opportunity to use their space for free. So dear readers, would you be so kind as to help me in my search? I will create a nice flyer and if you could spread the word in your own circles that would be great! Coming up soon!
Woohoo. Time for action! So, you see, the title of my last blog ‘Quiet before the storm’ was really spot on. :)
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