Last week I went by myself to a tiny house about 30 minutes away from Los Angeles, and it was lovely!
I originally booked my trip after having somewhat of a rough week – I wanted something to look forward to, a bit of quiet, and a change of scenery! I’d actually never been anywhere by myself before (save for a couple of nights at a hotel for work), so it was fun to have an experience all of my own.
I packed a suitcase with way too many snacks and not enough sweatshirts, and ventured up to the most beautiful tiny house up in Topanga Canyon. The decor was absolutely dreamy and the outdoor spaces made me feel like I was in a movie! Although, the lofted bed was my absolute favorite part.
While I didn’t exactly take a full vacation from work, I planned around the trip so that I’d have some more down time than usual! I watched my favorite movie (Like Crazy), read a ton, journaled, wrote down some long term goals, tried to hone in on some questions I needed to ask myself career-wise, and just enjoyed the house.
I even went for a quick hike in Topanga Canyon Park since it was just 5 minutes up the road, visited two local coffee shops (Topanga Living Café and Café Mimosa), and got takeout from the Reel Inn in Malibu one night.
In terms of the Airbnb itself, it had everything you could possibly need – a comfy couch, kitchen with a mini fridge, hot plate and toaster (just remember to bring your own coffee), bathroom with a spacious shower, suuuuper comfy bed with the softest sheets, and even a grill!
My only qualm about the house is that it’s actually extremely close to the main house, which I believe is also rented out. I got lucky in that no one was there (it was a random Monday + the city was on lockdown), but I imagine that if there’s a group of people there, it could get pretty loud. There isn’t a ton of privacy with the gauze curtains which again, is totally fine if you’re alone, but something to take note of!
All in all, I think going on a solo trip even if it’s close by or just for the day, is super beneficial. I’ve always been someone who likes to be alone (hellooooo introvert!), but I’m actually not so great about slowing down. The cool thing about being by yourself is that you have no reason not to – once work is done for the day, or especially if you take a day off, you can do anything you’d like. There’s no one else to consider and the world is your oyster!
I’d say the biggest thing I learned on my trip is just how important it is to take time to do what lights you up. I’m big on self care, but this goes even beyond that – it’s about making everyday life feel more special on a regular basis, especially since the past year has been so strange for all of us! While it’s amazing to take a trip, and I miss travel like crazy, I don’t actually need to go to a tiny house to do things like read, watch my favorite movie or get my favorite takeout for dinner. I can do those things any time! And I should.
For a full Airbnb tour of the Topanga Bungalows tiny house, feel free to watch my vlog below. It really was the cutest thing and now I want one for myself!
Have you ever been on a solo trip before? Or a tiny house?
xo Jordan