Tiny house adventure #1 Cozy Casita Retreat

 When the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020 I started watching tiny house shows.  I was fascinated by what you could do to create more space and making the space more functional.  Most of my adult life I have lived in apartments except for about 12 years I lived in small homes.  In Nashville my apartment was 765 square feet and I really liked the floor plan.  I had downsized from my house of 7,500 square feet and to be honest I like apartment living and they are basically tiny homes.  When watching the tiny house shows I thought that it would be a great idea to live in a tiny home when I retire.  Think about it,  why not design my own tiny home and downsize some more if need be.  I know that I must have a stove and oven with a regular refrigerator.  I also must have a washer and dryer.  This sharing with others in the building or laundromats isn’t the way I want to go.

So when it finally looked like I could travel again I started planning a trip to Nashville.  I decided that I would check out Airbnb.  I had never used it before.  I thought I found a place that would be suitable until the owner sent a message to remind me that there was no refrigerator or microwave.  I thanked her and promptly canceled the reservation.  It was then that I found the Cozy Casita Retreat. It is a tiny home and I was so excited.  The nightly rate was competitive with hotels so I decided to go for it and give a tiny home a trial run.  

The tiny home is in the owner's backyard in a quiet south Nashville neighborhood.  The bed was in a loft, which was fine other than the ladder.  That is another thing I already knew when building I would want stairs in my own tiny home.  For a week though the ladder was fine.  The owners had put a rubber floor mat at the top of the ladder, what a knee saver!  It did rain while I was there and I couldn’t hear it in the loft at all, which kind of surprised me.  The bathroom was tiny of course but I got along fine.  The sink reminded me of the sink in my home in Kewanee.  That bathroom was tiny too; but the shower was in the basement unlike this tiny home. There was plenty of counter space in the kitchen and the sink was a nice size.  The couch was comfortable and it could be pulled out into a bed.  It was nice to sit and read or watch TV and not be on your bed like in a hotel room.

In the mornings I would sit at the breakfast nook (that’s what I called it) eat my breakfast and look at the pretty backyard.  I would also write my morning pages at that spot.  It was the perfect spot for a meal or to write.  

Outside were two rocking chairs which were perfect for sitting outside and reading.  There was also a table and chairs that would have been great for having a meal or writing.  They have lights throughout the backyard which makes it very appealing at night.  There is also a fire pit but I didn’t use it during this stay.  

The Cozy Casita was a great place to call home for a week while I was in Nashville. Not only was it in a great location it was also comfortable and I took some time just to hang out and relax there.  I would definitely stay there again. Sam and Paul were great hosts, too.  I did watch a show called tiny bnb during my stay and there are several others in the United States that I would love to check out.  Maybe this will be my new adventure when traveling is to try out tiny homes.   

 After returning home I did see that there is a tiny home hotel that will be opening soon in East Nashville. It is called Ironwood Grove https://www.ironwoodgrove.com/  and the tiny homes look really nice.  The downside is the news report said they start at $220 a night.  There are 6 homes  that are 250-350 square feet.  I would love to try them out but I think they are overpriced.  

So think about trying a tiny home for a new adventure.  I am so glad I gave it a try and still want to have a tiny retirement home. I think I need to start making my floor plan and make adjustments as I try these homes out.