when I wondered if Tiny Haven would make it...

Have you ever stopped and thought about where you were - WHO you were - this time last year? Or even further back?

Most of the time, I am very future oriented. I am thinking of projects and ideas and laying the building blocks for creating what I want to create. But sometimes, I also think or look back on where I was for some perspective.

Recently we have been very busy expanding Tiny Haven. We now have two locations - one just outside of Harpers Ferry WV and one in Bluemont VA in Virginia wine country. We are essentially opening six new spaces at around the same time. So there has been a lot of moving parts, a lot of running around, a lot of me walking into a room or space and saying to myself, “what am I doing?”

I sat down this morning to journal, which I find helps me process all the thoughts and emotions I feel. I found myself writing about how I GET to do this, how I choose to do this work, and that even when things get a little crazy, I also know I can decide how I show up.

That felt empowering enough. Then I got the idea to pull down two of my past journals. I turned to April 30 in both, and low and behold I had an entry for the same day both one and two years ago.

Two years ago, in 2019, I had just gone through a zoning variance meeting with the county, to get our (original) property zoned as a campground. We had quite a few neighbors who were opposed to it, and it felt like running the gauntlet. Ultimately, even though we did get approval for the zoning variance, the amount of work (and money) we would need to put in to that particular piece of land felt like too much for what we anticipated getting out of it. Plus, the whole thing with the neighbors felt icky and made being in that spot not feel worth it. So I was getting ready to sell that property.

But I had also recently finished a contract with an organization and I was looking down the barrel of how am I going to keep going financially. So I was also talking about (and taking steps towards) selling our airstream and tiny houses and going to get a full-time training job (I used to work in training development). The funny thing was…. all I wanted to do was get into a position where I could make money to build Tiny Haven. Even though I was talking about selling the tiny spaces I had just recently brought into my life, I still could not let go of the dream…

I’m glad I didn’t.

We ended up on a different property, one that was much better suited for what we wanted to do. We started building it up, putting in the infrastructure, and were so excited to witness how many guests were coming in and the great feedback we were getting. It all felt like things were starting to work out when… the pandemic hit. Bookings disappeared. We literally were operating on a month by month basis and I was freaking out to figure out how to make sure our expenses were covered. I was one of those business owners who was applying for any loan or financial support I could get. All while wondering Tiny Haven would make it.

Both of those days were April 30, one and two years ago.

I wish I could go back and have saved myself some stress and told myself it was all working out, even if I couldn’t see how at the time.

Although those two times feel quite different than where I am now, there was also a common theme that still appears to this day. I GET to create my own life. I get to choose what I do with my time and energy. I get to decide how i show up. Empowerment doesn’t make problems go away, but taking ownership always pays off in the long run, because our life is a reflection of who we are.

So while I appreciate that it is important to be present and to look ahead, I also agree with this quote by Jodi Picoult:

“I don't know whether you can look at your past and find, woven like the hidden symbols on a treasure map, the path that will point to your final destination.”

We are not at the final destination and nothing is permanent. Our dreams will change, because we all change. But next time you wonder if what you love is going to make it… put some more love into it and just see what happens.

~ Danielle

journey of "ginger" the tiny zen house

Jonathan and I used to look at photos of tiny homes before we went to bed every night. I used to think “I could never live in a space that small!” But as we continued to feed our tiny house obsession, I started to realize that I could do whatever the eff I wanted - including live in a cute little well-designed tiny house.

we had a list of all the things we wanted in a tiny house, which included:

• lofted bedroom (we love lofts!)

• farmhouse sink

• big bathtub

• retro fridge (apartment size)

• cozy comfy living room area

• small closet

• bathroom storage

• combo gable roof (the pitch of the roof has two different angles)

• lots of windows!

• french doors

• white shiplap walls

We were also deciding how big we wanted this tiny house to be. We actually took out a tape measure in our then living room to get some scope. What started out as a 28ft tiny house became a 20ft tiny house. Bigger isn’t always better and we wanted to A) be able to move the tiny ourselves with relative ease and 2) build something within our budget.

The question then became - were we going to build this ourselves or hire a builder? We decided to hire Perch & Nest to build our tiny home. If you are thinking about hiring a builder, things you want to look for are: experience building tiny homes, aesthetic you like, their design and build process, cost and your budget, and location/transport of your tiny house.

Since her build in 2018, Ginger the Tiny Zen House has been featured in a parade, a tiny house festival, on Tiny House Expedition and Tiny House Lifestyle Podcast, and on Tiny House Talk before settling into her home at Tiny Haven near Harpers Ferry, WV.

Ginger is 20ft long and weights approximately 10,000 pounds. We moved Ginger ourself with a Chevy Silverado 2500 (we recommend a 3500 if you are thinking of moving one yourself).

We named her “Ginger” because a kid watching her in the parade yelled “look, mom, a ginger bread house!” and also for the nourishing ginger root, which has many healing properties.

If you are looking for some modern tiny luxury, book your getaway in Ginger the Tiny Zen House at Tiny Haven!

why we went tiny

why we decided to go tiny...and build a business around tiny house and airstream experiences

Jonathan and I have been together since 2012 and have been on many adventures in our relationship. A few years ago, we were sitting in the kitchen of our “regular” house, which we loved, but we were feeling called to do something different. We knew we wanted a different lifestyle and alternative way of living that allowed for more creativity and freedom. We can be homebodies but we also love to travel, try new experiences, and connect with cool people. We wanted to live with both roots…and wings.

A big dream of ours was to create a community and a retreat space. When looking into lodging options for this idea, Jonathan’s dad got us hooked on the email newsletter “Tiny House Talk.” We would religiously read and click on each of the links each night before going to bed. After weeks of this, we realized we may want to actually live in a tiny house! At first I was a little hesitant to live in such a small space (Jonathan was all about it), but over time, I started spearheading the project. We started making a wish list for our very own tiny house on wheels.

At first our dream tiny started out as 28ft long with two lofts and all the bells and whistles. We even measured our living room to see what 28ft would feel like! But as time went on, we realized that a smaller tiny would be much more manageable for us. We wanted to be able to transport it ourselves, and so after more research, we deemed that 20ft was the perfect size for us to include what we wanted, while still tiny enough for us to pull with our Chevy Silverado 2500, that we call “Lil Blue.”

We got so excited about tiny houses that we decided we wanted to build a business around them, so we could share our love of these unique spaces and lifestyle with others.

We hired a tiny house builder to custom build a 20ft tiny home I designed, that we now call Ginger. This tiny house has a very “Zen” feel, with shiplap walls, a combo style gable roof, farmhouse sink, stock tank tub, and a retro SMEG refrigerator.

While the builders worked on Ginger, I also bought a renovated 1976 Airstream Ambassador that I stumbled upon on eBay. I have found that the airstreams that are already renovated and in good condition go quickly, so I jumped on the opportunity, even though this particular airstream was clear across the country in California.

I actually drove “Lil Blue” out to California by myself to buy the airstream… even though I had never towed ANY trailer before, let alone a 29-ft 7,000lb camper. But I did it! I named the Airstream Gypsy, meant in an endearing way as a wanderer. I brought her home to the West Virginia/Virginia/Maryland area we are in now and did a few more upgrades, including a Nature’s Head Composting Toilet, new electrical outlets, a new rooftop AC unit, a fresh coat of paint inside, and adding sealing to the doors, windows, and roof.

Our final addition to our tiny house family was a solidly built DIY-built tiny home that we purchased in Louisiana. She is also 20ft long with a sleeping loft and has all the aesthetics that we love. We named her Egret, after a white bird that is common to marshlands.

Living tiny has been an easy transition for us. Building the business has had its bumps… including needing to completely move the business (and all the tinys) to another property due to zoning and neighbor issues with the first property we purchased. But we have found that where there is a will, there is a way, and we’ve adapted. We are excited to now have two tiny houses, a small cabin, and our airstream on AirBnB in Harpers Ferry, WV and Bluemont, VA.

We can honestly say we love all our tinys and after a lot of travel and moving them around, it feels good to see them all enjoyed.

If you’re curious about what it’s like to live tiny, come stay with us! We are also happy to talk more about our journey and answer your questions about tiny house and airstream life. Tiny Haven is located near lots of outdoor activities (hiking, biking, rafting, zip lining) and great breweries and wineries. We are skilled at creating fun and memorable spaces and experiences for couples getaways, special occasions, and people looking for a relaxing solo retreat.

We are happy and proud of both our decision to live tiny and to make a living from hosting tiny home experiences. This is us, living with roots AND wings. 

See what tiny living is all about and book a stay in one of our tiny houses, airstream, glamping tents, or cabin at www.tinyhavenliving.com