Hey there, it’s Aksel! Welcome back to VibePinas. Today was one of those days that really puts things into perspective. We finally took the plunge and did something we’ve been talking about for a long time: we moved into our house in Ronda.
Now, when I say "house," I need you to use your imagination a bit. If you’ve been following our journey, you know we’re building our dream home in stages. What we moved into today is actually what will eventually be the laundry room and part of the balcony. We’ve put up some temporary plywood walls to enclose the space, giving us a "lucky" little studio apartment-style setup while the main house is being built.
The day was a whirlwind of activity. We had to move everything from our previous place, and let me tell you, the Kia was packed to the absolute limit! We brought up the bed, the fridge, my office gear, and all of Liam’s toys. It’s a tight squeeze, but we managed to get the essentials in. I’ve even set up my "On Air" sign and my computer in the corner—it’s not a fancy office yet, but the view out the window is better than any corporate office in Norway.
Living here now is a bit of an adventure. We don’t have the main kitchen finished yet, so Jessa has been amazing, setting up a temporary cooking area outside. We’re essentially "glamping" in our own home. We have electricity and a basic bathroom setup, which is the most important thing. It’s simple, it’s raw, and honestly? It’s exactly what we needed.
I know some people might look at these plywood walls and think we’re crazy. I’ve seen the comments from the "Internet Police" questioning why we’d live like this. But for us, this is about freedom. By moving in now, we stop paying rent elsewhere and can put every single peso directly into the construction of the main house. We are building this with our own cash, day by day, with no loans and no debt hanging over our heads. That peace of mind is worth more than a finished house right now.
The best part of the day was seeing Liam explore the land. He has so much space to run around here. Even though we’re tired and living in a construction zone, seeing him happy makes all the heavy lifting and the long hours worth it.
Tonight is our first official night sleeping under this roof. It’s quiet up here in the mountains—just the sound of the wind and the insects. It feels like a massive milestone. We’ve gone from buying "Typhoon Land" covered in fallen trees to actually living on our property. There’s still a mountain of work ahead of us—literally and figuratively—but we’re doing it together as a family.
Tomorrow, the work continues. We need to organize the storage unit, finish the water connections, and keep clearing the land. But for tonight, we’re just going to relax, enjoy our new "studio," and appreciate how far we’ve come.
Thanks for being part of this crazy journey with the Dahl family. It’s not always pretty, and it’s definitely not finished, but it’s ours. Until the next one, bye-bye!
