Sarah Jade struggles to identify anything negative about her #tinylife.  When pressed, she acknowledges the difficulty with finding somewhere to park, given the state of laws governing tiny houses.  For Sarah, that’s the only true downside of the life she embraced a year ago.  Of her house, she says that every time she steps across its threshold, she feels her grandmother’s spirit.    Moreover, she sees herself reflected in every inch of her surroundings.  Unquestionably, this pleases her.

Sarah identifies herself as a “life-long educator”, and even though you might assume she’s too young to have such a refined focus, she’s being completely truthful. She started on the path towards living her passion at the age of 14 by starting a business raising money to help foster families in her home region of the Hudson Valley in New York. Raised by a single mother whose own life work centers on activism, Sarah learned both personal responsibility and the helping spirit at a very early age.

After getting her Associates’ Degree at SUNY – Ulster at eighteen, Sarah headed to SUNY – Courtland intent on become a phys-ed instructor in the six-year program.  But the curriculum did not challenge her, so her mother suggested that she come home and try another path. Sarah did, and as a result launched her second business, “Power Up”, an athletics-based leadership program for kids.  She taught them empowerment and organizational skills using outdoor activities.

Two years later, Sarah headed down to Virginia where her experience with not-for-profits enabled her to work as an explorer’s educator, teaching environmental science through outdoor activities to under-served children in Richmond. When that program came to an end, Sarah made the fateful decision to travel in her car for three months, from which she learned that tiny living would be perfect and perfectly do-able.  She signed a contract with a tiny house builder, then headed to Austin to work at the Jewish Community Center as an “inclusion counselor” with the summer program.

Problems with the build drew her back to Virginia.  She speaks graciously, even kindly of the builder, despite having had to call a halt to the process.  She took delivery of her lovely home sans shower or a functioning hot water heater, and cautions anyone who decides to start their own tiny journey to vet their builder with extreme care.  “Ask for references,” she instructs. “See completed projects.  Get an objective, professional inspection of critical aspects such as plumbing.”  She pauses, and gazes for a few minutes out of the western window.  “And make sure you like the person you hire.”

While Sarah was tending to the issues with her build, Sarah’s mother had been at Standing Rock. Sarah’s eyes sparkle as she describes the scene recounted by her mother.  A line of picketers faced an equal line of armed law enforcement.  Then one man stepped forward with a drum, and began to beat.  A row of animals moved forward behind the officers. Silence reigned, other than the steady beat of the drum.  “I wish I could have been there,” Sarah says in a soft voice. It’s clear that she is proud of her mother, but also that she has her mother’s grace, and her mother’s fire.   She gets her grateful spirit from her grandmother Bette, who left her a small inheritance which she used to finance the house build.  She says the house “is Bette”, but looking around, its owner’s stamp cannot be ignored.  Jade plants, a simple scarf, a poster from the Women’s March on Washington-San Francisco — these are pure Sarah.

Sarah took delivery of her tiny house in the Hudson Valley area of New York.  She spent the next eight months working at Seed Song Farm, a not-for-profit, trading work at the farmer’s market and tending the chicken for a parking spot and hook-ups.  Towards the end of that time, her mother came to live with her.  When Sarah decided to head west for the winter, her mother stayed to take care of the tiny house.

Sarah took a job at Zion National Park in Utah. There her tiny journey took on a bi-coastal dimension, for she met Alex, and the two soon began spending hours on end talking and getting to know one another.  As fate would have it, Alex haled from Concord, California. When he got a call that his mother had broken her foot and needed help, Sarah didn’t hesitate.  She offered to drive him home.  Here, she discovered the glory of Northern California, and got to know Alex’s family.  She flashes one of her endless smiles, thankful for the welcoming reception she got from Alex’s family.

Sarah researched places to live tiny in NORCAL, and came across Park Delta Bay’s website.  She likes the beauty of the park, but even more, she appreciates the friendliness of its residents.  The community appeals to her.  She’s already attended a game night and looks forward to working in the Delta Bay Community Garden.  A neighbor has been helping with her plumbing issues and also loaned Sarah a small set of steps. She has landed a job in Sacramento, working with young women caught in sex trafficking and struggling to change.   In earnest tones, she talks about wanting to find a way to convince the girls to give up the street life.  She admits that her task will not be easy. But at 23, having been an educator for nearly ten years, and being the skillful navigator in her own incredible life, Sarah seems to be the perfect person for the job.