A World Journey in a Micro Unit

You’ve already heard it. One door closes; another one opens.

In my case, a roof fell down and a door crashed in Monterey, California’s powerful, life-changing early Spring rains. Two years later, not one but two doors and a window opened, specifically a set of French doors and a sliding door.

The roof and walls were part of a garage, storage area on one end of my two-bedroom guest house. I’d lived in the house for a few months decades ago but most of the time, the house served as a rental. The storage area, a communal one, held a washer, dryer, and a hodge-podge of whatever anyone on the property needed to store.

When this corner of the guesthouse needed to be rebuilt, a friend overseeing the project suggested I made a little space for me to stay when I was in town. Sounded like a good idea to me and it has been, despite delays and setbacks of various kinds. Now, two years later, after a contractor walked out, varying levels of worker incompetence and unpleasant tenants next door, the space is tolerable for me to live in when I’m in the area.

By many people’s standards, it would not be acceptable but I’ve experienced, even tolerated several places with less than perfect living conditions. How much do we really need to be happy? Mainly I wanted a place where I could shower, sleep, and be left alone with no annoyances. I didn’t want sheet rocking or the walls filled in everywhere as I wanted book shelving to fill in the spaces. Also, I have learned that living in a place helps you…