Why I Tried This Stupid Idea
Alright, so look. Partner and I hit this point where home just… wasn’t working anymore. Too many people, thin walls, the whole disaster. Felt like we were stuck in a rom-com with zero privacy. We kinda blurted out one night, “Where the heck can you go?” Boom. Decided to actually figure it out, step by step, like a dumb scavenger hunt.
Step 1: Dumb Obvious Brainstorming (Mostly Failed)
Grabbed some cheap takeout and just sat there listing places. You know the usual suspects everyone whispers about:
- Parks at night: Sounds adventurous? Yeah, tried the little wooded spot by the river. Got immediately paranoid about park rangers, homeless folks, and bugs. So. Many. Bugs. Also, way colder than expected. Failed immediately.
- Parking Garages: Thought level 5 of the mostly empty mall garage was genius. Total flop. Security cameras everywhere felt like being on a reality show we didn’t sign up for. Plus, every single car that drove past sounded like police. Sweaty palms, zero fun. Aborted mission.
- Road Trips (“Just Pull Over!”): Drove way out past the suburbs looking for some deserted backroad. Turns out, either it’s farmland (creepy for trespassing) or way busier than you think. Found one spot, car lights hit us like prison searchlights 3 minutes in. Not relaxing. At all.
Seriously, felt like we’d watched too many movies. Real life ain’t that convenient or sexy.
Step 2: Getting Creative (And Cheap)
Fine, dumb ideas were out. Time for Plan B: Money. Briefly considered splurging on a fancy hotel room downtown. Yeah… looked up prices. One night was basically a week’s grocery money. Nope. Not sustainable, plus check-in is awkward when you’re only there for the room. Hard pass.
Got desperate enough to actually think about “day use” hotels? You know, places that rent rooms for just a few hours? Tried researching online. Sites were sketchy AF, reviews screamed “bedbugs,” and honestly, walking into a place specifically for that felt kinda… bleak? Didn’t feel safe or clean. This whole “find a place” thing was turning into a depressing chore.
Step 3: The Only Thing That Actually Semi-Worked (So Far)
Just… got incredibly lucky. My buddy Jake mentioned months ago that his cousin had a workshop space downtown. Old garage he fixed bikes in sometimes. Partner and I were complaining about the hotel prices again and boom, lightbulb.
Swallowed my pride and called Jake. Awkward as hell. Went something like, “Hey man… uh… weird question… is that workshop ever empty? We kinda desperately need… space. From people.” Laughed awkwardly for way too long.
Miraculously, Jake didn’t hang up. Said his cousin was traveling for two weeks. Garage was dusty, cluttered with tools, but it had a door that locked from the inside and… more importantly, no neighbors nearby and zero cameras. Crucially, cousin was cool with Jake using it, and Jake trusted us not to wreck the place.
Coordinated schedules like a spy mission. Met Jake for the key exchange in a coffee shop parking lot (felt super shady). Got the address, went over at 9 PM. Place smelled like oil and old tires. But. It. Was. Private. Had blankets we brought just in case. Was it romantic? Not really – cold concrete floor is still concrete. But the sheer relief of uninterrupted time? Priceless. Only reason it worked was pure luck and knowing someone with a spare, forgotten space.
So… Was It Worth It?
Honestly? This whole “finding a place” mission was way more hassle than I thought. Most obvious ideas are traps. Good spots need privacy, security from snooping/LEOs/cameras, and affordability. Finding all three? Damn near impossible unless you get stupid lucky like we did with Jake’s cousin’s garage.
It worked once. We got the space we desperately needed. But it ain’t a long-term solution. Now I just stress looking at hotels again and hoping for a sale, or wondering if buying a super soundproof shed for the backyard is actually affordable. The search… continues, I guess. But mostly? It sucks and makes you appreciate home a lot more.
