November 2016

There’s a difference between ending and finishing. What in our lives is ever truly finished? Chocolate and wine; not much else. Knowing when it is time to end something, however, requires a certain amount of wisdom, foresight, and decisiveness.

You’ve seen people stuck in a job, relationship, or project for much longer than they ought, waiting to cross some invisible finish line. You’ve seen the perfectionist, polishing their work yet never completely happy with it, never letting it go. There is no virtue in holding onto something beyond its time.

With the Nidulari kitchen finished, the oven re-build complete, and the weeks spinning by into “season”…it’s a time to let things go. For me, that means a purge of “unnecessary” possessions, and the plans to construct an even smaller living space over the coming months.

Building the Nid tiny house was a huge (if inexpensive) experiment…and its days are numbered. It was interesting, fun, and educational to build; it has served its purpose as a living space (2 years this month!), but it’s time to move on. The cement roof simply is not a success, and the resulting dampness  has nurtured a very… umm…”natural”… “environment.” Mushrooms on the walls seemed cute at first, but the weekly trimming of tree roots growing through the walls and floor gets a little tiresome. Likewise, nightly visits from ever-growing centipedes had a certain thrill at first; less so, by now.

My life has changed since I planned and built the “Nid.” Moving down here, I wasn’t sure how I’d be spending my days, and certainly I didn’t expect to have my own full-size kitchen (doubling as my office) on-site. I had no way to know that I’d go “home” only to shower and sleep, perhaps write a letter or read a book. That my schedule would follow the rise of the bread and the hungry honking of a gaggle of ducks. That 210 square feet would feel huge. Unnecessary. All that cleaning! The Nid will make a great barn, for as long as it stands.

The Nidulari “Gypsy” Vardo, built early this year as my sales venue, was so much fun to design and construct. Built on a tiny single-axle trailer, with only a 5′ by 7′ floor, it serves its purpose well, but would be crazy as accommodation of any variety. Scaled up, it would be absolutely perfect. A plan is in the works to build a slightly larger version, also on a single-axle trailer, but with a 6′ by 12′ floor that can accommodate a standard size bed (crossways) plus storage space, a table, counter, and sink. As so many of my visitors have remarked, it’s crazy not to have an outdoor shower here in the rainforest…

Should the stars so align, I’ll be assembling the basic structure of the new vardo between Winter Solstice and New Year. The details and paintwork can be done gradually, as time allows. Any “tiny house” enthusiasts want to help? It should be an enjoyable project, and you could learn the basics of building your very own Gypsy Vardo! Comment below or send an email if you’re interested!

On this note, Nidulari will potentially be closed for Winter Solstice (December 21st) through December 28th: reopening for Saturday lunch on New Year’s Eve.