When we first named this journey “9026,” it sounded catchy, but behind those numbers is a whole story of shift – in space, in mindset, and in how we live day to day.
It all started with a 90m² apartment , our comfortable, “normal” life, with every modern convenience at our fingertips: hot showers at a twist, electric cookers buzzing away, endless tap water for dishes, and lights that switch on without a second thought. But now, we’ve traded that in for 6m² of living space inside our little minivan. That’s right: 9026.
And that shift is massive.
We became amateur meteorologists overnight. The sun isn’t just “nice” anymore; it’s essential. It powers our batteries, warms our water, and lights our lives. So yes, we now feel the clouds rolling in, track the sun’s position like ancient farmers, and celebrate sunlight like it’s our birthday.
In this tiny space, every drop of water, every watt of electricity, every inch of storage matters. It’s no longer about convenience; it’s about creativity. We’ve had to rethink everything, from how we cook (sometimes with wood and fire when the sun hides away), to how we wash dishes (spoiler alert: water is gold), to how we charge devices (each percent of battery now feels precious).
Take our rice cooker, for instance, the one we trusted like a best friend. Well, turns out it’s an energy-hungry beast that devours battery life faster than we can say “dinner.” And air frying? More like air crying when we realized we had to make a choice: warm meal or charged phones?
Our solar panel became our new “power boss”, generous when the sun is out, frustratingly stingy on cloudy days. It forced us to calculate each watt, plan ahead, and become ultra-aware of how we use power. Phone, lights, laptop, drone — every device got its own “budget.” And showers? Let’s just say, our solar shower made a dramatic exit (literally blown off by wind), and now we’re learning what it means to really value hot water.
And somewhere along the way, we started seeing things differently. “9026” isn’t just a physical downsizing, it’s a magnifying glass on how we live. It’s about being resourceful, aware, and deeply connected, not just with ourselves, but with everything around us: the wind, the trees, the animals crossing the road, the shifting sky.
We’re learning to live with nature, not just next to it.
Sure, it’s not always easy. Sometimes it’s messy, inconvenient, even frustrating. But it’s also incredibly freeing, grounding, and eye-opening. We’re no longer just living, we’re learning how to live better.
This is the spirit of “9026.” A reminder that with less, we can feel more.
Welcome to 9026, where a small space holds a big lesson.
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