ADU, Travel, Community
Lina Menard
Maui, Hawaii

After A Week Long Send Off, My Round the World Trip kicked off with eight days in Maui visiting my sister Sarah who has split her time between Hawaii and Alaska for many years. What an epic way to start this adventure! There was mist falling when my sister greeted me at the Kahului airport on Maui a week ago, so she teased me about bringing the rain from the mainland. We headed straight for Paia where she presented me with a young coconut and a lei, accompanied by the chant for the gifting-of-a-lei.

Maui, Hawaii
Tiny House, Travel, Planning
Lina Menard
Lucky Penny Moves to Walla Walla

A number of circumstances collided recently to compel me to move the Lucky Penny to my property in Walla Walla where I have a ground bound small house called Valencia Cottage. So on Tuesday trusted tiny house movers Linh and Stephanie Pham helped me move the Lucky Penny safely from Portland to my place in Walla Walla.

Lucky Penny Moves to Walla Walla
Minimalism, Workshop
Lina Menard
Downsizing Tune Up

As I packed up recently in preparation to travel cross country in my Honda Fit, I did some downsizing… It was harder than it had been during my last couple of moves because this time I had more stuff. I’d been living in a bigger space…My apartment was a studio, but it was still about 6 times bigger than the Lucky Penny! I talked with several people about the experience and a handful of them said “oh my goodness, I need to do more of that!” So I’ve decided to offer a 6-week Downsizing Tune Up…

Downsizing Tune Up
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O'ahu, Hawai'i

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O'ahu, Hawai'i

I’m realizing it’s going to be hard to capture the last week in words… When I arrived in Hawaii two week ago, I didn’t know I’d be attending Spirit Fest, but as several people there told me with a wink or a twinkle in their eyes, I was right where I needed to be… It was a few days before the event that Cambria, the event logistics coordinator, mentioned they could use one more volunteer. Sarah checked in to see if I was interested. I said I was, that I’d love to be helpful, to be part of something. So glad I was!

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Maui, Hawaii

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Maui, Hawaii

After A Week Long Send Off, My Round the World Trip kicked off with eight days in Maui visiting my sister Sarah who has split her time between Hawaii and Alaska for many years. What an epic way to start this adventure! There was mist falling when my sister greeted me at the Kahului airport on Maui a week ago, so she teased me about bringing the rain from the mainland. We headed straight for Paia where she presented me with a young coconut and a lei, accompanied by the chant for the gifting-of-a-lei.

A Week-Long Send-Off

A Week-Long Send-Off

I’m writing from the San Francisco International Airport as I wait for my flight to Hawaii. And I’m feeling extremely grateful that I’ve just enjoyed a week-long send-off by many loved ones as I embark upon my Round the World Trip. I’ve begun my four month(ish) international journey by road tripping to California to drop Raffi off… It felt apropos to begin this adventure on Leap Day (Feb 29, 2024). This Round the World Trip is indeed a big leap for me! Here’s to living my little life while exploring this great big world!

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Lucky Penny Moves to Walla Walla

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Lucky Penny Moves to Walla Walla

A number of circumstances collided recently to compel me to move the Lucky Penny to my property in Walla Walla where I have a ground bound small house called Valencia Cottage. So on Tuesday trusted tiny house movers Linh and Stephanie Pham helped me move the Lucky Penny safely from Portland to my place in Walla Walla.

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My International Travel Capsule Wardrobe

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My International Travel Capsule Wardrobe

This week in our Downsizing Tune Up E-Course we revamped our wardrobes. So my personal challenge this week was to complete my international capsule wardrobe. My itinerary isn’t finalized, so I’m not yet sure exactly what I’ll be up to, but I’ve got a decent enough sense of it now to get packed. Over the years, I’ve learned How to Travel with Just a Carry On and I’ve gotten pretty darn good at packing densely.

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Downsizing Tune Up

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Downsizing Tune Up

As I packed up recently in preparation to travel cross country in my Honda Fit, I did some downsizing… It was harder than it had been during my last couple of moves because this time I had more stuff. I’d been living in a bigger space…My apartment was a studio, but it was still about 6 times bigger than the Lucky Penny! I talked with several people about the experience and a handful of them said “oh my goodness, I need to do more of that!” So I’ve decided to offer a 6-week Downsizing Tune Up…

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2023 Review & 2024 Preview

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2023 Review & 2024 Preview

I haven’t known how to start this update…

And yet, they say, that the place to begin is where you are.

Right now, at this moment, I’m in Walla Walla, WA at Valencia Cottage, the ground-bound small house that I purchased in my 20s, the house that taught me how to make home… And I have big adventures ahead of me. Last night I booked the plane ticket to my first international destination (Japan!) for my upcoming Round the World Trip!

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My Apartment at Punalu'u

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My Apartment at Punalu'u

On Tuesday, I moved from My Brattleboro Landing Pad into an apartment on the property of my friends Erin Maile O’Keefe and Kevin O’Keefe…Now Erin and Kevin live in their tiny, which is considered a detached bedroom by the town. The house is occupied by some great folks, too, and now I’m in the apartment, which means that I am once again living in a tiny house community. This is the third one I’ve lived in, after Simply Home Community and Going Places.

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Tiny House Design (Online)

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Tiny House Design (Online)

In early 2020 I traveled to Yestermorrow to teach the 3-day Tiny House Design at Yestermorrow (Feb 2020) course with my friend and colleague Erin Maile O’Keefe… It seems strange to think back on that now, how that was the way we always taught design classes, in real life and in close proximity. Amidst the global pandemic, we pivoted and by June we were able to offer a Tiny House Design (Online) course. It immediately filled and a waiting list was started.

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Giving Thanks in 2020

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Giving Thanks in 2020

I realized this morning when I woke up with four (mostly) unscheduled days ahead of me that a Thanksgiving blog post has become a bit of a tradition for me… I know for many people around the world this has been an extremely challenging year… And yet, I strongly believe that gratitude can be transformed into generosity and dedication to the wellbeing of our planet and its people. So let’s be grateful for what we can be and dedicated to creating more to be grateful for.