Hey there, folks – it’s Amy checking in. Remember us?

Yeah, so it’s been a while. The little house has been sitting still, alone, since last May – patient; in waiting. Standing by while I tried to repeatedly figure out how to approach the next steps of the build and growing weary of the toil the project was taking on me mentally. Somewhere along the way, my mental fortitude started to waiver. The day-in-day-out of going solo at the build site (when John was working during the week) combined with the hesitation of making the “right” decisions resulted in my getting stuck, and that feeling evolved into somewhat of a depression. I found myself in severe need of a break from the project, but sometimes if you let it, life has a way of showing you what you need.

In early summer, John and I traveled to Colorado to vacation with his family, which was a welcome respite. A whole-lotta mountains and little bit of big-wide-yonder was truly a breath of fresh air. Then in July, we made the decision not to renew the lease on our apartment in midtown Atlanta and temporarily move to my parent’s place (where the tiny house is parked) until the build was complete. Somewhere in the mix, John also accepted a lucrative new job opportunity, which kept him very busy and out of town for weeks at a time. I kept myself distracted with renovations on my parents’ house, rearing an organic vegetable/flower with my mother (bless your heart, you blazing Georgia summers), and continued the downsizing of our belongings (because you never truly know how much stuff you have until you have to move it)

At the end of August, I picked up a couple of freelance design jobs. After a couple months of working closely with one of the studios, they offered me a full-time position as part of their talented team, and I found myself at a crossroads. Going back to work before the build was completed hadn’t been part of our plan, but the daily social interaction and small victories that it had afforded me was restorative. With the tiny house still half-built there was still a lot of work to be done, but ultimately John and I both agreed that my returning to paid-work was good for my well-being and that we’d be hellbent on finding a way to finish the tiny house even if it took us another year.

So, as I sit here in retrospect looking back at the year’s ventures, I am exceedingly grateful, even despite the setbacks. Grateful for the ability to struggle, to fail, to be able to continue to learn things about myself and grow, albeit via tough lessons. I’m thankful that I have a supportive, patient partner and family. Thankful for new opportunities, new friends, for the support that we’ve continued to receive from all of you around the world, and so very thankful for the chance to start again. What are you grateful for, friends?

A photo posted by Amy & John (@tinyhouseofthesouth) on Feb 1, 2015 at 10:58am PST

Wishing you and yours the best in the new year – to a transformative 2016!

Stay tuned!

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