Tag Archives: new york city

Life in a studio – a year and a baby later

Posted on by
Reply

Lately, I’ve been craving a creative outlet. The most creativity I’ve used recently involved figuring out how to amuse my infant or keep him from hurting himself. So what can I do? Well, reviving this blog seems like a good start. However, how do I find the brain space to write meaningfully? With such little and fragmented sleep, I don’t feel coherent enough to properly convey my thoughts. At times, blog ideas pop into my head while I’m in bed trying to fall asleep. But when free time comes about, I want to exert the least amount of energy as possible (read: mindlessly reading internet articles, browsing social media or binge-watching tv shows). Those ideas are left unwritten.

In search of inspiration on what to write, I looked over some old posts. I ran into this one written after I just moved into a studio apartment. It was the month before I realized I was pregnant. It amused me to read over my reasons for choosing to be in a smaller space. Mind you, generally, I laugh when reading what “younger” me finds important enough to document. But, what I found hilarious was how much I emphasized the importance of having “less stuff” in the post. Since we decided to stay in the studio after the baby, it has resulted in the complete opposite of that. So I thought it might be fun to post an update on how our space looks now.

First of all, I know. We’re crazy. We tell ourselves that all the time. But we had several reasons for staying in a studio even with a 3rd member of the family. First of all, the price of the rent is still pretty good considering the area where we are living. Secondly, our baby was 1.5 months old when our lease was up. We had so much going on that we were in no position to plan or execute a move. Lastly, which is really the biggest reason, we were very idealistic. We figured a little baby couldn’t possibly need that much space. Right!? Well….

See below for a visual on how the space compares from then (January 2016) vs. now (October 2017): 

pre-baby studio

This is how our space looked like pre-baby

post-baby studio

This is how our space looks list with an almost 1 year old on a particularly cluttered day. Note the poopy cloth diaper on the diaper pail.

Though we are realizing that we could use more space and a separate bedroom, I do hold to the opinion that living in a studio with a baby is still absolutely doable. If any of you are considering it, I want to encourage you on that decision. In fact, depending on your baby’s temperament, your experience may even prove to be easier than ours. It does have its challenges, but you certainly learn a lot of patience and creative problem-solving in the process. For example, I’ve rearranged the layout of this studio at least 5 times to accommodate the baby’s changing needs.

Honestly, living in this studio with our baby feels like one of those experiences where we’ll look back and just laugh at ourselves. Yes, it was a tough year, as most first years with a first child normally is. We also have the added challenge of our little one’s personality being more restless and emotional than the others his age. (Probably personality traits we’ve passed down to him.) But as hard as it was, there have been plenty of fun times this year – good friends made, adventures in new places, lazy weekend mornings with baby etc.

Our lease is up in a couple of months and we are planning on moving to a bigger apartment. We’ve had a lot of good times bonding and growing as a family in this small space. I know we’ll look back on this last year with fond memories – at least the parts I can remember through the fog of sleeplessness.

Would any of you parents or parents-to-be consider living in a studio? Would love to hear your thoughts. And stay tuned for more posts on studio living with baby.

When Less is More

Posted on by
1

After being back in the U.S. for 2 months, I can finally say that I have a “home”. The lease was signed last month and I worked on turning it into a cozy abode. At the moment, this place, all 500 square feet of it, feels perfect.

Before coming here, my husband and I expected that a move near one of the most expensive cities in this country would be a challenge. We wanted to find a way to keep a lifestyle close to the one we had in Madrid. That meant the place had to be affordable, close to reliable public transportation and within walking distance to restaurants, groceries etc. It also meant keeping a simple, relaxed way of life by a city known for being the complete opposite.

IMG_6688

Many people may consider this rented space too small – the kind you get if there’s not enough money to spend for bigger or the kind you keep before you have kids. Not to mention, as a rental, this place seems far off from the ideal. After all, many people in the U.S. would consider owning as a checklist item for adulthood. However, our apartment in Madrid was all of 52 sq meters (560 sq feet) and the condo we owned in Austin was 516 sq feet. So, the only differences are that there is no separation for the bedroom and the nearest bakery is several blocks instead of 2 doors down.

After taking into account our life goals and personal tendencies to travel and move around, having this small place fits what we need. Here’s just a few personal reasons why less is more:

1) Less space to clean = more time for preferred pursuits
I know I’m not alone when I say that I do not enjoy cleaning (except washing dishes which I find weirdly relaxing). But it is a necessary evil. So the less time spent doing it, the better. It means there’s more time to go take a walk, read, binge-watch Netflix or catch up with a friend or two – anything but cleaning!

2) Less stuff to worry about = freedom to move around
After two transatlantic moves in two years, we’ve trimmed off most of the excess accumulated over time. Before the moves, plenty of clothes and household goods were donated to friends and charities. What we have left is more or less what we need/want. Plus, since the place is a rental, we don’t have to wait around for a buyer to take the place off our hands like the one in Austin. Though we have no set plans to leave in the next couple of years, it’s good to keep the possibilities open. Who knows when a great opportunity might come this way? If it does, we’re ready.

3) Less room for things = save money for traveling
While in Madrid, I barely went shopping. It’s not from lack of good stores. Quite the opposite. But there were better uses for my euros and the apartment had little space for unnecessary extras. With so many places to explore nearby, the money instead went into the travel budget. Now, I realize it’s hard to escape shopping in the U.S. It’s so easy with online shopping and credit cards accepted everywhere. That’s one of the biggest temptations I noticed when I returned. However, what will really make me happy, a brand new dress or a check in my “places to visit” list? Okay, that’s a hard one because I love dresses. But at the end of the day, it’s more fulfilling to be on a plane to a new place than put a new dress in the closet.

Overall, less keeps things simple. It’s one less thing to think about on the to-do list. One less room to furnish and clean. One less accessory to consider. One less toy to pay for. One less (insert item here) cluttering (insert already overstuffed part of life). The simpler you keep life, the more time you have for little pleasures. And that ideal is the best part of our old life in Madrid that we hope to hang on to no matter where we go.