Hello you!
Have you seen those tiny houses? There are beautiful coffee table style books of them, filled with these minute homes people actually live in. They’re perfectly designed (supposedly) and make the most of every inch.
The apartment where I’ve been living in Paris was quickly nicknamed ‘the shoebox’. Chloe who I sublet it from wouldn’t send me photos of it when I inquired as she said it needed to be seen and the energy needed to be felt. She was right. As soon as I walked in I understood what she meant. Have you ever felt that with a space? Like it was just meant for you somehow? There was an energy, a very positive happy energy amplified by the south facing light flooding in from the large French window over the tiny balcony. It was minute at 13sqm (140 square feet) but it was perfect. The rent was cheap, I didn’t have to sign a contract with it being a sublet and I felt safe. I knew it had been sent to me for a reason, I believe that you see, that the right homes (and people) find us.
I’ve called the shoebox home for six months now. It’s the smallest place I’ve ever lived, even smaller than my university room in halls. It consists of one room with a tiny shower to the right with a sink. The toilet is across the hall. It’s private but the landing is shared so you run the risk of bumping in the neighbour (who is friendly) or his girlfriend (who is much less friendly) on the way.
There is a sofa bed, a bench, a foot stool, a plant stand, a white square table complete with two chairs and fitted wardrobes with mirror fronts. The kitchen is at one end of the room and has a sink, cupboards, a hob and a fridge with a top freezer section. My kitchen is literally at the foot of my bed. I can make a cup of tea, open the doors, and get straight back in. It’s heavenly.
The balcony is too small to sit out on but you can stand on it and from there you’ll see the Val-De-Grace and at night you’ll see the lights of the Eiffel Tower shining from behind the buildings on the other side of the street. The shoebox is nestled in the 5th arrondissement of Paris with the Jardin du Luxembourg a mere 9 minute stroll away. In short it’s perfectly situated in one of the most desirable areas of the most beautiful cities in the world.
I’ve had the most fun here over the summer but I always knew it would be temporary and Chloe would eventually return. At first I felt sad about her coming back and my end date to leave being fixed, then I felt afraid and eventually excited. Endings are after all beginnings too, and beginnings can be wonderful. Even though it was never a long term solution, more like a step back to take steps forward in the long term, I’ve learned a lot from living in such a tiny space.
I don’t need as much space as I think - I already knew this but it’s been fun putting it to the test. My cottage in the UK was around 75sqm so I’ve lost a lot of ground. I’ve lived in bigger homes than this but the shoebox is by far the smallest. It’s been interesting to notice how I’m no less happy here and have made just as many wonderful memories, which is all that matters.
When you’re in need of a reset smaller is better - When we feel overwhelmed the less we have to manage the better. It’s safe to say I felt overwhelmed when I decided to move to Paris. The last thing I needed was extortionate rent to pay or a big place to furnish or clean. I needed a nest to feel safe in, where I could start laying foundations and experimenting with this new life I had in mind, one tiny step at a time.
Less space makes us more selective about what we allow into it - I knew I’d have to think carefully about what to bring, what to leave and what I needed vs wanted with me. It’s been educational to realise what I missed, craved for and asked my mum to bring over or post to me: books mainly, my yoga mat, a tarot deck and my crystals. Having less always means selecting more and this is how we learn to live more intentionally.
People will judge you based on what they can see you have - Like most cities, and places in general, Paris is full of snobs. People want to know two things about you very quickly - which area you live and how many square meters you live in. When I tell people I live in the 5th their eyes light up. Oh she’s rich, I can see the cogs turning. When I tell them how many meters my place is they laugh. One even said haha she lives in the 5th but I know the truth, she lives in a tiny house. And? For all they know I have seven figures in the bank but choose to live here because it makes sense financially and I value location over size. It’s funny to observe but I don’t mind being judged or laughed at. How other people judge and perceive us often says more about them than it does about us.
A tiny space of our own can be just what we need - I recently heard a divorced woman on a podcast talking about the exit tax when you start over in life and it rang so true. There is an exit tax. You cannot transfer what you had into what you can have. There is a transition period, a great black hole of the unknown and it’s scary. Scaling back in these situations is the smart thing to do. Financially it makes sense and the pressure is off. The last thing my new life dream needed was pressure. It would have suffocated it. No, like a new sapling, it needed space to breath and grow so it could eventually flourish.
I’d like a washing machine and a proper bed - One of the biggest decisions I have to make each day is what time I put my bed out. I will discuss it numerous times with Hope and it can be an issue of great debate as well as amusement. The laundrette has its perks like no machine to clean or maintain but ideally I’d love a washing machine. I’m thinking 25sqm is my ideal studio size and what I’ll aim for next. There’ll be plenty of space for a washing machine in that.
I hope sharing these lessons reveals a little more behind the curtain of those pretty tiny houses we seen in the coffee table books, shares the reality of overhauling your life and reassures you there’s another way to live outside of the bigger is better and makes you more successful stereotype.
When I walk back from the park with Hope and turn the corner onto my road I look for the pink geraniums on the sixth floor knowing this is my balcony. I smile every single time I see them and it’s honestly the happiest I’ve felt in a long time. I know I’m almost home, that I live in Paris and I’m making life happen on my own terms in a way that feels good for me, that this is only the beginning and the best is yet to come.
Lots of love
Jessica xxx
We’ve owned very big and very small, and no question, we prefer small. So much so, that when it came time to get serious about real estate, we opted for three “postage stamps” (our version of “shoebox”) in Los Angeles, Boston, and Bruxelles (the latter does have a 4k square ft garden, but you can get to it from the front door in less than 10 seconds). The best thing for us old geezers is how tiny spaces force you out into the world, either your neighborhood or farther, when otherwise you might relax and languish. We are always on the move, exploring and learning, a process made all the more rewarding by getting rid of our cars. We’re still looking at adding a fourth shoebox, probably in Mumbai, where we spend a lot of time. But you have to keep moving forward, or you die.
You have taught me how to see magic whilst staying grounded in the most challenging situation. When I lived in Paris over 6 years ago, I faced so many similar challenges but I didn't know how to share it nor to whom I could turn to.
Past me as well as present is grateful that you keep on sharing with us your life journey.