I have found a recent obsession with HGTV (Home and Garden Television) and while watching this channel, I have begun to think about what kind of house/living arrangement I’d like once I’m out in the “real world” and can afford a place of my own. Of all the shows that I have binge watched, "House Hunters" is one of my favorites, only beaten out by its spinoff show, "Tiny House Hunters." *Sigh* I adore this show, and it appeals to my incredible sense of wanderlust. I have created a list of all the interesting places in which subjects of the show are looking for houses, and then "Tiny House Hunters" has enabled me to envision a small home in one of these incredible places like, Colorado Springs, Colo., or living on an apple orchard somewhere in Oregon! There is so much potential, and with a tiny house, there is room for endless possibilities!

What humors me the most when watching "Tiny House Hunters" is that these people have chosen to downsize and give their realtor the square footage they would like, yet, when they actually go and see some of the houses, many of them utter comments like, “It’s a bit small.” It makes me laugh. Do you not know what tiny means?

Here in the U.S., so much of our media is blasted with images of keeping up with the Joneses’ — telling us that we want/need everything to be bigger, better, faster, newer, etc. Since when did we become brainless? Since when did it become OK to mindlessly go along with what the media is telling us? What’s so great about the tiny house movement is that it encourages us to think about what really matters. What is a house really but a place to sleep, eat and relax, so why do we need all this space?

For those of you who love to travel (like me) you can even get a tiny house on wheels — think trailer but with more character and charm.

Tiny houses are attractive to me because there are so many varieties that it is inevitable that you can find one that suits your personality and needs. There are yurts, sandbag houses and houses made out of salvaged materials. You can even get a starter home, and then as your family grows or your needs change, you can add rooms on in a practical and as-needed basis.

Our environment is begging us to take better care of it, and by living in a tiny house, perhaps one with a compostable toilet, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint and Mother Nature will surely thank us.

Some may say I’m crazy for wanting to live in a house that’s less than 1,000 square feet, but it’s better than living in an overpriced apartment for maybe a few more square feet. The least crazy aspect of a tiny house is its affordability — pay in cash and live mortgage free! Small house, less maintenance, more time to enjoy life and spend money on experiences instead of piles of bills. Look into a tiny house, and you may come to find that living off the grid is more appealing than you might have originally thought. Plus, they’re just so dang cute.