After John and I married, I had a crazy idea. But could we really give up everything? By Fin Davies, 44
As I logged into my dating profile, I saw I had a new message.
Hey, I’m John. How’s it going? it read.
I replied back, and instantly we hit it off.
As time went on and we messaged more, we started to fall for each other.
I lived in London, and John was in Miami. But we made it work, regularly making the trip across the Atlantic to see each other.
When we’d been together two years, I had a question for John.
‘Will you marry me?’ I asked.
‘Yes!’ he replied, grinning.
We married soon after and I left the UK behind to move in with John in Miami.
'If you want space, go outside'
His three-bed home was really spacious, but I’d always fancied trying a slightly different way of life.
‘How would you feel about downsizing and living off-grid?’ I asked John.
Growing up, my dad was in the Navy so we’d travelled a lot and often went camping and backpacking. It meant I’d always favoured new places and experiences over possessions.
But while John was well-travelled, it wasn’t until he’d met me that he’d discovered the joys of throwing on a backpack and just taking off.
And now he looked worried about my suggestion.
‘I’m not sure,’ he said, hesitantly.
But we talked about it more and eventually John said: ‘All right, let’s do it!’
We soon sold his home and everything we owned, and bought a plot of land in Georgia, and a £5000, 304sq ft disused cabin, which we converted into a liveable home, with a wood-burning stove and second-hand furniture.
When we finally finished the shed, we couldn’t have been more thrilled.
‘What do you think?’ John asked as we stepped back to admire our work.
‘I love it!’ I replied.
‘I do too,’ he said.
It was the first big project I’d ever done — before that I’d never even picked up a tool!
But as we settled into our new home, John started to have reservations.
‘I feel I don’t have enough space,’ he said.
‘If you want space, go outside. There’s plenty!’ I replied.
And it seemed to work!
Years on, we still love every inch of our tiny home.
Living so closely together has been a challenge and it comes with a lot of compromises. But I always thought that if we could build this tiny home and learn to live in it, we definitely had a future.
Since building our tiny home, we’ve expanded our land and even have a koi pond and additional cabins, domes and a yurt we rent out so we can show other people the joys of off-grid living.
The last 12 years have shown us we don’t need a lot of money to be happy, and there’s nothing better than the satisfaction you get when you do something with your own hands.
Plus, having such a small home means it’s easier to clean!
• Follow Fin and John on Instagram @belovedcabin