Hindsight is 2020: Pandemic Shed Life
On September 29, 2019, after painstakingly renovating it for an entire year, I finally moved into the shed. The next morning, waking up to the morning light streaming through the windows that I had installed months prior, I felt incredible. It was a little bit surreal, to be honest. Typhoon’s Starting Over echoed off the still-empty walls while I made the first of many cups of coffee in that 9x12’ rectangle with the low, slanted roof. If I could have known what the year ahead would bring, I would have run away screaming. But at the moment, everything felt full of promise and hopefulness.
The first meal I made in my newly installed kitchen was fittingly humble, rice and beans. Not because that’s all I could afford, but because I was totally satisfied with something simple and nourishing. Christening this new space with this particular meal, really felt like the beginning of a new chapter. I was ready to start writing my own story rather than just putting up with the cards I’d been dealt.
I started off strong. I adopted a dog. I took a road trip to Montana. I was crushing it at work and putting every extra cent toward paying off my massive student loan. 2020 was going to be my best year ever. Or so I thought…
Lockdown happened. I got furloughed. Protests over police violence shook the country to its core. California was on fire. We woke up one morning to a sky so choked with smoke that it stayed dark all day. It felt like the world was ending.
Working from home and Zooming with friends
But it wasn’t all bad. There was solidarity, connection, and a brief escape from the city. I learned so much about myself and the world and my place in it. I utilized the CARES Act to take a penalty-free withdrawal from my 401k and paid off the rest of my debt. (I wasn’t sure I was going to get my job back). I stayed safe and alive, as did all of my loved ones, which in itself is a privilege too great to even comprehend.
I got my job back and shivered my way through the winter with no heat. I cooked “Shedsgiving” dinner for one and even got Samin Nosrat to answer my question about whether you can cook a turkey in a toaster oven (spoiler alert, you can’t). I lost my shit and shaved my head and gained 15 lbs. just like everyone else did and I survived as best I could. When we got the word, at the end of one of the hardest years of our lives, that our landlord was selling the house and we would have to move, I was heartbroken and relieved at the same time.
This rechargeable LED lantern that was my only light source.
While I had been looking forward to stay in the shed for at least another year or two, and using my low overhead to save funds toward a more permanent tiny house (on wheels), the truth is that shed life during a pandemic was really hard. In a world where I traveled all the time and was rarely home, living in such a small space made sense. Before COVID, my job had required me to travel at least 2 weeks out of almost everyone month, often more. All I needed was a place to crash when I was in the Bay, which was rarely. But being home all day every day in only 108 sf. was wearing on me. I was ready for a little more room to spread out, for central heat and running water and WiFi that consistently worked.
It was hard to say goodbye my little urban cabin that I’d worked so hard on, and I broke down in tears more than once. That said, living there had accomplished it’s intended purpose: I was finally debt-free! Not only that, but I learned SO much in the process. All that knowledge will make my next build that much easier and better. If you’ve followed along from the beginning, you know how many technical skills I acquired during the renovation process. On top of that, I got a chance to try out tiny living and confirm that, for the most part, I can hang! I know what I can live without, and what creature comforts feel worth the extra time, money, and square footage. As rough as certain parts of the journey were, I honestly wouldn’t do anything differently.
On January 30, 2021, after almost a year and half, I moved out. I packed the last load of items into my truck and drove across the Bay Bridge to a warm and welcoming home in San Francisco. I took a long, hot shower and spread out in my new bedroom that in itself is almost twice the size of the shack. My new roommates and I made pizza and drank wine and watched a movie in our living room, and I shook my head at what a wild ride life can be. With 2020 in the rear view, I set my sights on a new horizon.
Thanks for following along on my shed renovation journey! I’m writing this all in retrospect. At the time I was working on and living in my shed, it was technically an illegal dwelling, so I was inclined to keep it on the DL. I am not in any way endorsing building or living in a less than legal ADU, but since laws vary in different states and cities, I thought I’d share my story in hopes that it inspires and informs folks who are able to do this in a way that complies with local ordinances.