9.20.21 17:16 // A Year of Silence

Becoming Aria: Lessons from a Tiny House // a Tiny House Memoir (still TBD) has been underway; it all began here, and will continue to be...

So many radical, beautiful, life-bending experiences have come and gone, as equal in intensity as the dark storms that rolled in, too. A wise artist with whom I shared a rather divine encounter with along a crystal, glittery ocean told me: there is always light in the darkness. He's not wrong. 

With the forced solitude of tiny comes deep introspection and true time with the self. Thoreau was seeking Something not all too far from here. I came to seek it too - many of us are drawn to this underground, nomadic lifestyle for infinite reasons (you're reading this now, yeah?) 

Yet the Something was never a singular. It was never meant to be one concept; one lesson learned. It is a beautiful and ever-expanding multitude. The seasons come and go, and I am nearly halfway through my second year living in the tiny house on wheels. The longer I am here, the more my eyes are opened and I metamorphosize like the seasons, too.

Simply, I am riding the wave - the hardships, the opportunities, the love, the loss, the mundane in-betweens and the TRULY LIVING. Throwing out all previous notions and learning what "truly living" even means. 

I look to the moon, gently guided by her tidal force. An Aria is a melody; it also means air. I am light, I am free; I sing every day. 

Greetings from the pond. Will you be looking at the full moon tonight, too? 

Yours, 

Aria Alaska K.

8.27.20 11:17 // The (photo) hunt for Great Blue

Feeling a little under the weather, I decided rather than moping sick in bed I would take the kayak out for a spin in search of Great Blue. 

Great blue herons (Ardea herodias) are truly a sight to behold. They are the largest of North American herons, with long legs and an unmistakable S-shaped neck. They are absolutely enormous when they take flight, with a six-foot wingspan!!! I've seen a few around the pond at the tiny house, but had yet to catch a photo of one.

A little out of shape, I persisted and paddled across the pond to an area I like to call Blackbird Marsh. This area is absolutely exploding with a red-winged blackbird population, and I decided to start my journey there. 

I arrived, dismayed. What was once a narrow, but easily passable waterway was now completely overcome with thick lily pads. 

Blackbird marsh had been completely overtaken with lily pads.

Surveying the area, a large bird above caught my eye. Initially thinking it was a hawk, as it circled closer I saw its white head and tail - I kid you not, it was a BALD EAGLE!!! Struggling with my camera bag, he disappeared behind the tree line before I could get a shot. This isn't the first time I've seen him, so maybe next time.

With renewed purpose, I trudged through the thick growth of lily pads and would not be deterred from my mission. With every paddle, a thick cloud of bugs and flies surrounded me. Covered in sweat, pond muck, and god only knows what kinds of insects, I put in some serious elbow grease, all in the name of birding.

 

Kayak hitchhikers.

After about 40 minutes of trudging through pond muck, I hadn't seen a single bird, save for the eagle. I thought perhaps the red-winged blackbirds had migrated away, but according to the internet, that doesn't happen in this area until October. I was dismayed. I sat for a while with my book and drink in hopes that one would appear, but no dice.

Paddling back towards the tiny house, I was hot, thirsty, and tired. I wanted nothing more than to pull the kayak back to shore and call it a day. However, if I've learned anything lately, it's this: when I'm at the point of giving up, if I keep pushing for 10-15 minutes past that point, my efforts eventually pay off. And indeed they did!

There's an underpass that connects our pond to the neighboring pond, if you're brave enough to enter the dark, spider-riddled tunnel. Laying flat in the kayak, I walked my hands along the creepy-crawlies' abode to get to the connecting pond on the other side. It always freaks out the people fishing off the bridge when you pop out of the other side but, life is short. 

This pond, while connected, goes by a different name and I find that the water there is a lot more serene. 

The tunnel of creepy-crawlies.

I passed through the tunnel after a narrow brush with a huge spider nest - and LOOK WHO WAS THERE! He was sitting almost in a meditative state, as if waiting for my visit. 

Great Blue, the star of the show.

I paddled closer and we eyed each other carefully. I sat in his presence, completely humbled by this huge yet graceful creature. After some time, I tested my luck in hopes of capturing a more clear photo and inched forward. He was not a fan of this, and took off. I laughed and waved goodbye, grateful I had seen him at last. 

See you next time!

Almost immediately after he flew off, a smaller bird came and landed just behind where Great Blue had sat. Squinting my eyes, I was unsure - was it the female, come to guard the nest? A juvenile blue?

Zooming in with my wildlife lens, my heart nearly stopped - it was a GREEN HERON. 

Green herons are much smaller than the great blue heron and are particularly hilarious because:

I could not believe it. Here was a green heron, right in front of me!!! You can tell he is a juvenile based on the white streaks on his neck and lighter color.

The green heron! I can still hardly believe it. 

Full ZOOP! mode

I wish I had better photos for you all, but my zoom lens only goes from 55-250 mm. Hopefully someday I can upgrade to a 500 mm zoom so you all can see the amazing wildlife in better focus :)

The biggest lesson from my adventure is patience. Whether it's sitting in a buggy marsh with a book waiting for that one particular bird photo, or trudging through thick muck to reach a green heron, amazing things happen when you trade frustration for patience. Oh, and I almost forgot to say - as I turned the kayak around to head home, I was graced with the appearance of a single red-winged blackbird overhead, and was overjoyed.

Now that you've heard my Great Heron Adventure, my next post will be all about the various wildlife creatures that inhabit the area around the tiny house - there are a lot! I sit outside almost every day with my lens to capture little tidbits for both myself and for all the faithful readers that are here. And after that, I will delve into the mysteries of living with a compost toilet...since many of you have requested.

Love & herons,

Dia 

7.22.20 19:22 // Honesty

As some have noticed, I haven't been updating this blog much, and that's because I haven't been myself.

This is hard to admit, because so many people see me as the bright, cheery person that I typically am. It's easier for me to hide behind a good sense of humor and carefree spirit, because being real means also being vulnerable.

Three months into my tiny house journey, one of the biggest lessons I've learned so far is that being able to have genuine connections with other people is so beautiful, and at the core essence of the human experience. (My inner introvert is screaming - but I digress). My plan was to hide out and return to the blog when I felt better, but I think it's important to share all sides of myself.

The truth is that I had been backsliding into a dark depression, and struggling to get to the root cause of it. Much like my neglected flowers, I felt wilted and dried up, my back turned from the sun. A lot of this unrest came from being lost in  choices.

I tend to push myself to the limit because I have a complex to be THE BEST and DO THE MOST and because of this I sacrifice my core self - and for what?

I believe I suffer from a bit of survivors' guilt, as one of the foster children who "made it" in life. I felt that if I didn't push myself to the absolute limit, my second chance at life was a waste. But this is how burnout happens, and fast.

If you're familiar with the Miyazaki film called Kiki's Delivery Service (and if you're not, I highly recommend it!), you may remember when Kiki, a young witch in training, becomes depressed and loses her ability to fly. Ursula, Kiki's dear friend and rather eccentric artist, invites Kiki to stay at her woodland cabin and advises Kiki this:

“Stop trying. Take long walks. Look at scenery. Doze off at noon. Don't even think about flying. And then, pretty soon, you'll be flying again.” - Ursula

And so, Ursula, that's exactly what I've been doing! Long walks in nature, surrounded by simplicity. Making time for friends, funky art, and a whole lot of singing. Listening to music, and enjoying the animals that frequent my own little cabin's area. And I'm happy to say that it's pretty much worked!

There's something about the beauty of nature that reconnects me back to my core. I feel this is true for a lot of people. This weekend, I stretched my arms high, felt the sun on my face and water on my feet, and was at peace. I spent some time today picking raspberries, flowers, and fresh mint leaves for tea. A plump tomato, fresh and red, is waiting for tomorrow night's dinner. (Thank you for sharing your beautiful garden with me, Susan!)

The swimming hole.

A very fancy camera lens - my graduation gift to myself - arrived today and I can't wait to capture all of my wildlife encounters now that I have a decent zoom. I took a quick shot of this blue jay just to try it out - I'm definitely feeling a wildlife excursion coming soon.

Miss Jay.

Thank you, tiny house, for bringing me back to center due to your abundant beauty, peace, and simplicity. My life has changed in so many ways from just three months of living tiny, and I wonder who I'll be in a years' time.

And finally, my advice to my readers (there's a lot of you now, wow!) is to not fear vulnerability. This is what makes us real and human. When you open your heart to others, and be honest when you're struggling, it only fosters deeper connections with the ones that care about you. You'll be surprised with what you can discover about yourself when you're open. 

Until next time, 

Dia 🐝

6.7.20 18:28 // Check-in

Hey all!

I know it's been radio silence over here - and that's because for the past two months, I've been fully soaking in all the joys the tiny house has to offer.

Since my last post in April, there have been quite a few highlights. Among them are cool critter sightings, a virtual college graduation, and what I truly believe was a real poltergeist experience. Over the next few blog posts I will go into each topic in more depth. For now, here's a quick recap - I know quite a few of you are waiting :)

Highlight 1: Critters

As you can imagine, a tiny house on a marsh attracts a lot of interesting critters. So far, I have seen turkeys, turtles, frogs, fish, one groundhog, and a band of wild cats that patrol the area.

Me trying to get a pic of a local friendly turtle. Weirdly enough, he was roaming around in a graveyard.

Six of the stray cats sitting in a row. At 8:00 PM each night, they gather in a circle next door, presumably to discuss very important cat matters.

Highlight 2: Graduation

As many of you know, I just graduated college with a Bachelor of Science in Biology! While it was weird to celebrate virtually, it was a day to remember.

Thank you everyone for making this day unforgettable, and to my family for organizing a surprise parade! It was awesome!!!!

Highlight 3: Mysterious activity

Believer or not, it's undeniable that there have been some very strange happenings in and around the tiny house. 

This topic will surely get its own post, because I want to get into as much detail as possible. For now I'll leave it a mystery and won't give away too much just yet.

Watching me.

Highlight 4: Frustrations

The tiny house may seem like a fairytale, and it is! Even so, the house does come with its own set of frustrations. I'm still getting used to the compost toilet, and sometimes the propane tank will run out of gas while I'm mid-shower, making the water go ice cold without warning. At least it makes me wide awake at work in the morning!

Living eco-friendly is not very glamorous, but overall I find the frustrations more whimsical than anything and don't take the little inconveniences too seriously. I think that's key for a lot of things in life.

Highlight 5: Garden

The warmer weather has inspired me to work on my garden! The whole area has exploded in green ferns and cattail reeds. I love the little marsh so much.

The marsh.

Some roses I'm growing.

A surprising amount of people have taken an interest in the tiny house blog, and I'm excited to share more about the adventures going on here! If you want to get an email notification when I make a new post, you can enter your email in the box!

Til the next adventure,

💛 Dia

4.22.20 19:17 // Oddities - Happy Earth Day

It's been four full days since moving into the tiny house...can that really be true? As I've taken a few days to settle in, I've started noticing curiosities about the house that give it even more character that I was first aware of.

As I was fiddling around with some light switches and searching for the thermostat, I came across a unique looking button pad. It turns out that this controls the main light and fan. When I pressed on it, it shifted in its place, and that's when I noticed it was actually a remote control. I can lay in the loft or sit in the beanbag chair to read while controlling the lights remotely. Luxurious.

The stairs in the tiny house are adorable, but downright dangerous in the dark. Do not go down them wearing socks if you expect to live and see another day. These stairs are narrow, steep, and slippery. I had to start using my fish tank LEDs as a night light to ward off the grim reaper while going down them. Once I got the hang of them, they weren't too bad. 

Look a little closer - do you notice anything odd? I didn't at first either, because it's subtle. Look closer and you'll see that one of the stair steps is *the kitchen counter*. I burst out laughing when I saw this and think that it only adds to the odd charm that is the tiny house. 

Next up is the compost bin, and there will be two types of people - ones who find this cool, and ones who find this gross. The idea behind a compost bin is this: decompose organic materials into a rich compost which can then be used to fertilize your garden. Scraps like coffee grounds, egg shells, and produce bits can be thrown in here and turned into compost. 

Food scraps and yard waste make up more than 28 percent of what we throw away. Turning your scraps into compost reduces waste that ends up in landfills and can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are released.

Inside the compost bin.

The duck hook is a bizarre little friend that appears to exist for no other reason than to be aesthetically pleasing. Towels slide right off of him and so I don't see any other purpose other than to be extremely adorable. The duck adds a touch of humor to the kitchen and makes me smile. 

I saved this oddity for last because it's the biggest difference between living here versus a regular apartment: the compost toilet. 

I had heard of these before, but had no idea how they actually worked. According to letsgogreen.com, a composting toilet, through the use of aerobic microbes and a carefully controlled balance of environmental factors, achieves its purpose of composting waste quickly and without any odor. 

Essentially, it breaks down waste and converts it right back to earth. This is a little more of an earthy-crunchy lifestyle than I was used to, but the tiny house's commitment to the earth through its design was a reminder that I had started getting lazy with my eco-friendly habits, and it felt good to reconnect with that. Today is Earth Day, so it feels fitting to have that reminder. 

The composting toilet. 

The charm of the tiny house is completely unprecedented by any place I've known. Every day feels like camping and it's really a dream. My next project is to clean up the patio area and figure out what types of plants will look nice there in the summer. It's right by the water and has so much potential to be gorgeous. 

I've hoped you've enjoyed keeping up with this, please leave a comment if you have a question or just want to say hi. :)

Til next time,

Dia

4/19/20 // 8:53 // First Letter at the Tiny House

Today is my first morning in the tiny house. I write this perched on the steps; the songs of frog calls and bluejays are music to my ears. The aroma of the morning's coffee is wafting throughout the downstairs cabin. It feels like heaven, especially for someone who spent a lot of time living in the city.

I set an alarm for 5:30 to catch the sunrise. It turns out that the corner of the pond faces east (even checked with my compass), so seeing the oranges and hazy pinks over the water was glorious. I watched the mist rise from the water's surface, and a couple of the resident stray cats regarded me with interest as I soaked in the day.

I was so eager to camp out here that I decided to forego waiting for my bed to ship and slept in the loft with just a comforter and pillow full camp-style. I didn't sleep much because apparently my body at 24 doesn't appreciate sleeping on floors as much it did at 14. Nevertheless, I feel awake and full of energy just from the experience of being here.

Last night I got to unpack and add my own personal touches to the house. It made me so happy to know I have my very own place in the world. In my exhaustion I messed up the order of my periodic table "Think" decoration and had a good laugh:

Clearly I *wasn't* thinking!!!

The man next door who owns the property came by with a loaf of fresh baked raisin pecan bread, still warm wrapped up in its paper sack. It's delicious. We chit chatted for a few minutes and when he noticed my ukulele, he invited me to play with his wife's group. 

I'm an introverted person and spend the bulk of my time alone. My biggest goal is to get out of my shell a little bit by being friendly with them. I'm going to pick up some potted plants for the patio at some point and think I'll get them one too.

I keep thinking of how this is all such a dream. If I knew as a kid my life would turn out this good, I would have never believed it. I keep a picture of myself as a kid in the window to remind myself that bad times don't last forever. I keep my wooden bird from Jackson in the window because I miss him so much.

Tomorrow I think I will wake up for the sunrise again, make coffee, and sit outside with my Birds of Massachusetts book and see if I can identify anything. I'm enjoying my time alone here and also looking forward to having Jackson, his family, and my family over once social distancing is ended. 

Sending love, 

Dia

04/17/20 19:04 // -19 hours // The downsizing process - Breaking Free

As someone who felt sure I was a minimalist, it turns out I was just really good at fitting a ton of junk into small living spaces.

I won't sugarcoat it, the downsizing process was not easy. Starting with clothes, I put each item in a stack based on the category of clothing. Pants stack, shirts stack, soon mountains grew around me. When I finally finished sorting, I looked at the pillars of horror. How had it gotten this bad?

I learned a lot about myself that I hadn't known before. I learned that I owned thirty-one pairs of shoes, and that some had ridiculous purposes such as The Fourth of July Shoes. I questioned how many style purses I truly needed. As I sorted, it became clear that you need a lot less than you'd think.

I was in shock when I realized I owned thirty-one pairs of shoes. 

To me, old band t-shirts are being sixteen years old again, a warm summer night breathless with anticipation for the band to come out on stage. It's the glint in the eye of a faded stuffed animal that reminds me living in more simple times. I tend to attach memories to items, and it's hard for me to let go.

As I sorted through my "hobbies" bin, I was honest with myself about which interests I had grown out of and which were still important to me. Deciding what to keep, and what to toss reminded me that I should spend more time doing activities that feed my soul and cut back on things like mindless phone scrolling. I'm genuinely excited to reconnect with the things I love.

After approximately the 8 hour mark of cleaning, I was sure I was finished and this was everything coming with me to the tiny house. The longer I looked at it, the more my heart sank and I realized my work was not yet done.

I thought I had gotten rid of everything but the essentials, but I quickly realized there was no way this could all fit comfortably in the tiny house.

So back to sorting I went. It took about three hours to complete what I deemed The Second Pass and this is where things got very interesting. 

It began to feel less like a chore and more of a game. Could I do without this wall decoration? Sure, the house didn't really have the space anyway. The faded pillows from college? Toss 'em. The more I let go of, the lighter and lighter I felt until I was completely weightless. Everything I owned now had a specific purpose or fed my soul.

So this is it folks, everything I'm taking with me to the tiny house. Nothing more, nothing less. Everything has intention. 

Minimalism is not about throwing away everything you have. It's about being mindful about the things we let into our lives so that we can live clutter-free and clear minded. I learned a lot about myself during this process and feel more peaceful than ever. Tomorrow I will pick up the keys and begin making the tiny house my own. 

Updates soon, 

Dia