A warm stream of water stroked my face, gently dissolving my salty tears of happiness. After a year of relying on neighbours, friends and family, what joy to finally have that first shower in my own house!
The past two months have counted many first times. And while they followed struggles and hurdles, going two steps forward and one step back, each first time caused a release of emotions that has made for an enerving spring. Fitting out the bathroom has been much more challenging than I'd expected. With nothing standard, as always with repurposed things, the water systems to and from the bathroom sink and composting toilet, and ensuring the water pressure going into the shower would be safe, proved more complex than I had imagined. But the bathroom is finished and such milestones the first time brushing my teeth, having a pee, and taking a shower (not all at the same time)!!
Not only changes in the bathroom have made for significant life changing events. I now have an actual stair case to the mezzanine!! That means no more near death experiences stumbling up onto the wobly ladders after having had a drink, and almost peeing my pants when zombying down the ladders at night.
And while Ive enjoyed cooking all my meals in the camper van (aka mr. Bojangles) over the past year, he's allowed a little breather. Although not completed yet, the kitchen is fully functioning with a stove, running water and a sink, an oven, and a fridge. Such a luxury! My first oven bake, the first time doing dishes, and space enough in the fridge to hold food for more than just two days.
The house was de-virgined in so many ways! Just to name a few:
- First meeting
- First time hoovering
- .. and mopping the floor
- First time washing my cloths
- First scratch on the floor
- First Kambucha brew
- First physical therapy treatment
- First time singing in the shower
- First accident by a todler on the composting toilet
- First easy morning on the sofa
- And my first birthday party!
Exactly a year into the build I can proudly say I have all comfort and functions you need. So last weekend was a first in all that time where I felt I could sit back and enjoy where I am. To really allow myself to just be present, free of expectations and free of the pressure that only I am guilty of putting onto myself.
But don't worry my friends and followers from all over the world, I won't abandon you just yet! Luckily, I'm still sat on plenty of pictures and videos of the various projects over the past few months that I've not got round to sharing yet. One of them is this creative plant-lamp I made, using wine bottles and a steel wheel from a yard-sale-market:
