A Valentines Day Story from Tumbleweed

“These Tumbleweed Houses look great Joe...but good luck finding a girl to live with you!”

Happy Valentine’s Day, Tumbleweeders! Today we bring you a special story of one of our newest members, Joe Coover, and the role Tumbleweed Tiny House Company played in his meeting the love of his life.

Joe Coover has been a dedicated fan of Tumbleweed for over a decade. What started as a curiosity and novelty idea soon grew into a passion for tiny living. After traveling abroad during university, he found a small apartment under 200 square foot and started saving for his future home. He had almost everything figured out...almost.

Breanna was beginning her last semester at college when she got a message from Joe on an online dating website. She'd put in her profile that “If you love Tumbleweed Tiny Houses, stop what you’re doing right now and send me a message.” As a fellow tiny house lover, Joe did just that. They exchanged witty and whimsical e-mails for a few days when, without a word, she deleted her account. Hopeful Facebook searches ensued to no avail since all Breanna had was an artsy picture of her feet. It seemed the Universe didn't have it in the cards for Joe and his Tumbleweed sweetheart.

Three long months went by for Joe with no contact from Bre. Then one beautiful spring morning, Joe was unusually early for work. A familiar girl in a white dress crossed in front of his car at the stoplight. Half a block down the road, he realized it was the tiny house girl. He knew, while a bit awkward, it was his only chance.

It couldn't have been a worse time to introduce himself. Joe was looking sketchy in his undershirt and dirty car. He had no option but to honk to get the girl’s attention. Breanna later admitted that she was a little wary when the first words out of Joe’s mouth were, “Do I know you?” “I…don’t think so,” she replied, certain he was laying down a pickup line.

She didn't remember him at first glance because he had cut off a full foot of hair since the photos she had seen, but when he mentioned he was a magician, everything fell back in place. Joe opted for the no-pressure approach by giving his number to Bre with hope that she would give him a call.

One week later they were dating. Soon after, his 200 square foot apartment had one more and they thought they couldn't be happier. On the contrary, almost two years later, Joe got his dream job in Sonoma, CA working with Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. What could make this love story even better this February 14? Why, it’s also Breanna’s birthday! We’re having birthday cake, but however you choose to spend the day, we hope you enjoyed our Tumbleweed love story.

A Tiny House Infographic

Our friend Ryan Mitchell from The Tiny Life is raising funds for an awesome infographic about tiny houses and their occupants. Be sure to read all about his idea, and check out the cool incentives he's offering through Kickstarter. 

A week ago people from all corners of the world participated in Tiny House Survey where we wanted to compare how people in tiny houses compared to the rest of America.  What started out as a simple question, lead to more than 2,400 people responding!  We were so humbled and excited by the response that we wanted to do something special.  So we wanted to make an infographic about people who live in Tiny Houses. 

Where's Nara's House?

But it just so happens that when other things aren't warm, like say the roads in Ohio, pretty much anything can go wrong. In other words, some pesky black ice led to a minor hiccup with my house delivery. After already being behind schedule, the waiting game continued through the weekend as the trailer awaited repair some hundreds of miles away. Finally, I got word that it would arrive by the end of that week. And then....

A blizzard hit the East Coast. 

A lovely Saturday morning view 

Yup. We got slammed. As much as I want to say "just my luck," I have enough life experience (and access to news channels) to realize that I'm far from being the only poor soul affected by bad weather conditions, and that ultimately my tiny house woes are very, well, tiny. I'm glad to be warm, safe, and kind of well fed. 

As some of you may have heard, this whole state-wide driving ban thing led to a bummer of a weekend for everyone planning on attending the Tumbleweed workshop. Several Californians flew out on Thursday only to be cooped up in a hotel for a long weekend. I myself drove up from Western Massachusetts in the early hours of the snowstorm to find a ghost town. And most importantly, my apologies to all of the would-be-attendees. 

On the plus side, all this time lounging around in a king sized bed has certainly given me the opportunity to think things over. 

What can you do? Watch HBO, I guess. 

It's hard to have things that directly affect you be entirely out of your control. I've come to peace with it, for the most part, but I won't deny that I've been going through a little bit of emotional turmoil. It's been over two weeks since I expected a delivery, and I still don't know when I'll see the house!

I'm learning everyday that it's important to be flexible, and it's an amazing source of comfort to have a network of friends that will help you out. I will have squatted with my dear friends in Northampton, rent-free, for exactly a month. They've been incredibly patient and supportive, even if they think they're entitled to all of my groceries. I guess it's fair: my backpacks and suitcases have lined the living room wall, half unpacked, day in and day out, and my ferret has been eating everybody's headphones. 

Wreaking havoc on personal electronics AND personal relationships 

But as all of the older, wiser folks in my life have told me, it's a part of the experience. My mom's number one piece of comfort for me in darker days has always been "it will give you something to write about." So here I am, writing about it. (That said, my first attempt at 'writing about it', during which I was seeing red and occasionally punching the table, would probably make my mom disown me.) 

The reality is, it's no one's fault. These things happen, and there's a certain risk involved in pulling any kind of trailer when the roads are icy- I knew that at the beginning. I appreciate the work of all of those involved, like the truck driver who went through hell and still sent me a very sweet apology note. 

This is not so much a lesson about transporting tiny houses as it is about remaining patient. It's not the end of the world. It's important to keep weather in mind when you're attempting to transport a small house in the winter- just ask Molly- but it's also not inevitable that something will go wrong. You just have to keep your chin up, and be grateful that a better future is on it's way, storm or no storm.

Thanks for your patience, everyone, and thanks for being so understanding about the workshop cancellation- we'll make it up to you! 

More soon, 

Nara 

Tumbleweed Sighting, and Deek's Favorite Tiny House Books List!

Hey All!

I was in the San Francisco area a few months back (a long, fun, haul for an East Coaster like me- what a town!), to shoot a few tiny housetours/episodes for my youtube show "Tiny Yellow House" and for content photos on a new book I've been working on, when I saw this! Its a Tumbleweed Fencl, RIGHT outside the gates of Muir Woods, at the parks maintenance and ranger station- how cool! The area was fenced in, and I couldn't get any closer, but I stopped my car, turned around, and snapped this photo:

Tiny Ranger House! 

A lot of the photos I've taken on these trips are not only going to be in my follow-up book to "Humble Homes, Simple Shacks" but are being incorporated into a slide-show of inspirational tiny houses that is one facet of my presentations for the Tumbleweed Workshops that I teach around the country. This slide show presents some of the dos and don't of tiny house construction, and design approach, while also showing off some exceptional, clever, and bizarre deviations people have taken on the Tumbleweed plan designs- and beyond. Domes, Tree houses, Floating Homes, Tiny Houses built from Recycled Materials....they're all in there!

Upcoming, I'm teaching workshops in.....

• Austin, TX
• Nashville, TN
• Vancouver, BC

Kendra's Walden Fundraiser

After spending a good amount of time in a variety of living areas, Kendra is seeking something more. Whether living urban, suburban, rural or in the wilderness, there's always a price to pay. Rent payments are neverending, and no kind of investment to speak of. To make a home somewhere so often means signing up for a mortgage or non-stop payment. Kendra plans to build her Tiny Home when the sun comes back to Seattle. From there she hopes build a farm, create a community center and continue her passion of working in outdoor education and community healing. She may even start a food truck (or food cabin on wheels), or help you build your tiny home, or your dream. 

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of having a house on wheels to live and adventure in. I asked for one that Christmas, and awoke to a girly RV toy with little dolls. Dismayed, my tomboy heart deflated a little. "No, like a REAL house, on wheels." I was informed there was no such thing. I then realized I was going to have to build it myself. 

Twenty years later, I was working as an Adventure Guide in Central America, living in a plastic tarp off very little money. I was trying to figure out a way to acquire a homey shelter that could afford me the feeling of home wherever I went. Rent was a taxing idea on so few dollars, and I had college loans to pay off. I recalled my childhood dream, and began searching the internet for images of 'houses on wheels'. I found Tumbleweed, and was romanced by the visions of their economical warm spaces. 

Tumbleweed's Walden 

This spring I will be building the Walden, in Seattle, Washington. Once it's built, I plan to continue working in as a youth educator and performance artist and build a community garden and healing center with my partner. We hope to host events such as concerts, farm days, DIY workshops, summer camps, as well as host getaways for individuals and families. You can be a part of the process! Check out the fundraising campaign here. 

Thanks for your support!