We have a camping stove -- two burners. Count 'em. Two. Plus a makeshift sink/counter area, a half-fridge (like the ones people keep in their kid's room, or rec rooms? Yeah. That's our tiny box of heaven), and a plank of wood they attached to the wall that can serve as a dining room table/plank, or be lowered for 'more room'.
Proof of camper burners.
I think that this chapter is yet another test of Jorge's and my relationship. We went from Insta-Routine (living together two weeks into the relationship) to Long-Term Living in Valparaiso to Uprooting Everything to Backpacking Together (almost 2.5 months on the road) to Settling in a New City. All the most infamous stressors to a relationship (difficulties of routine; moving to a new city; traveling together; language barriers) we have faced.
Yet somehow, we seek more stressors. In the settling process, we have approximately 5 square feet to ourselves should we choose not to live inside the butt of the other.
God forbid we get into a fight, because the hanging crinkle door doesn't slam well. Plus, our neighbors will hear everything and that's embarrassing.
All that aside, we've been managing well. It makes me think of those Eco-Friendly Houses, where people essentially move into a shoebox to save energy and reduce the amount of crap they own. We're just doing it in Lima. I mean, hey, there's energy-saving lightbulbs here. Sorta counts.
Despite the lack of space and proper kitchen, Jorge and I have been conjuring some really freaking tasty meals. I'm talking, tastier than anything we've ever produced before.
Our stir-frys? Legendary. His torrejas de acelga (chard patties)? Insanely good, and vaguely gourmet. All the Argentinian soups, stews and more that we've thrown together on a budget and with, need I remind you, only two burners? FANTASTIC.
Jorge's basil-chard patties--a gourmet touch that
created a flavor I literally couldn't stop eating.
I don't know what it is -- maybe the ingredients are tastier here. Or maybe our tight quarters are squeezing something new out of our concoctions. Maybe Jorge's been unemployed for so long that he has turned to culinary innovation as a way to pass the time. Who knows.
Jorge's chicken-beef-black bean taco mixture was a big hit for our Taco Night.
Please take note of the Plank O'Wood Dining Room Table/Countertop.
Has anyone else noticed the common thread here? It's mostly Jorge's culinary prowess that's taken a flying leap. Let's be real, he's been doing all the cooking! Seriously, what a great stay-at-home Dad he'd be. *strokes chin* Hmmm...
Aside from the tasty adventures we've had in our Two Cubic Feet of Kitchen, Jorge has spent some time innovating household items from trash. We're big up-cyclers (well, okay, JORGE is, I lack the creativity to do this), and he's come up with some ingenious solutions to the lack of certain items in the shoebox...I mean...mini.
This old water bottle serves as a silverware storage space after washing.
This is a dustpan made from a wine bottle and cardboard.
It works like a charm!
Sometimes, temporary living situations can bring out the best -- and most creative -- in a person.
Not all people, though, because let's be real, I've been mostly reveling in his great ideas, eating his awesome food, and catching up on all the work I missed from almost 3 months on the road!
Bottom line is, folks: you don't need a lot of space to have a home. We miss our place in Valpo, deeply and severely -- but we've settled in just fine to our new 2 Cubic Feet of Kitchen, and it'll do until we hit the next mark on the map.
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