I still needed to draft blueprints, and I didn’t know how to start the actual process of putting nails to wood. However, part of me was still unsettled.ĭespite having the foundation of my tiny house ready to go, it was almost like I was still exactly where I was three years ago when this project was just an idea.
I had been able to experiment, iterate, and push through failure. Reflecting on what I accomplished up to this point, I certainly knew far more than I did when I began this journey with Big Picture. Seeing the trailer sitting there was a huge relief. After six months and many rounds of negotiation, my trailer traveled across Pennsylvania and New York and was safely delivered to my friend’s backyard. I knew this was a huge undertaking, but the complexity of this project suddenly became a lot more obvious when I had to arrange the transport and delivery of my new trailer. Of course, saving money was only the first hurdle. This would be the foundation for my future home. Working two jobs, 20 hours a week for the last four years paid off! My first purchase was a custom-built, 18-foot trailer from Tiny House Basics that cost a little over $4,000. In late May of 2019, my savings account hit $10,000-enough to make initial purchases for my build. I eagerly seized this moment and spent nearly three years devoting significant time to figuring out everything I could about building a tiny house. Through Big Picture, I now had the very real opportunity to pursue my passion of researching, planning, and saving funds for this project, while earning high school credit. I also hoped actualizing my dreams would inspire others to chase their own. My tiny home would have more than enough room to hold my big dreams, and I needed to prove to myself that I could bring to life the idea I had spent years constructing in my head. And, the act of building this with my own hands would provide me the opportunity to learn valuable skills that I will use for the rest of my life. A space I could decorate with my own flair, complete with mason jars and knick-knacks. Belonging to a generation facing rising costs of living and college tuition, I could be debt-free with a space that is uniquely mine. Living in a world that is increasingly challenged by threats to our sustainability, a tiny house offers a simple, environmentally-friendly living space along with financial independence and mobility. But Jim, equally excited as me (and to my mom’s surprise), replied, “Yeah, totally!” My mother immediately responded with, “No,” and a nervous laugh.
In my free time, I had been researching tiny houses and was wistfully dreaming of building one myself. “Can I build a tiny house?” I asked, excitedly. When we got to the topic of projects, Jim told me and my mom that I could study anything. We discussed logistics, community, and the many opportunities offered through Big Picture, including the chance to take college classes. We talked about the ways in which Big Picture centers learning around youth and their interests. I learned that their role was to help learners along their educational journey, not shape it. The use of the term advisor (as opposed to teacher) immediately sparked my curiosity.
I sat down with one of Big Picture’s advisors, Jim Shields, to explore if I was a good fit for their program. That’s when I heard about a program called Big Picture South Burlington, which operated out of my public high school in South Burlington, Vermont. We needed something else to kickstart my learning. During 8th grade, my family and I decided to try homeschooling but I still struggled to stay motivated. I had some success at various unconventional, outside-the-box schools, but nothing fully clicked. I spent most of my youth searching for an education approach that worked for me.