The best part about spending the night in a converted NYC taxi, in one picture

Living in a van - more specifically, a converted taxi cab in Long Island City, Queens that I found on Airbnb - was much harder than I imagined.

I only spent two nights 'living tiny' before I happily moved back into my overpriced Manhattan apartment with a newfound appreciation for the handful of young professionals sleeping in vans to save money ... but there was one unexpected perk: the views.

Monday's sunset temporarily painted the Manhattan skyline pink:

Here's one more, from my perspective:

Despite the sweet views, I probably won't be joining the van dwelling community anytime soon ... but major kudos to those who are making it work.

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