Filmed and edited by Paul Jackino. Music: “In a House” by Koji Kondo, from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
In 2017, I became a homeowner and moved from a rental in Forestville, New York, USA, into this house on the edge of Fredonia -- ready to build something of my own. Every repair, every project, every hour of effort would finally be mine. And so I got to work.
I ripped up and replaced the floors myself. Replaced the furnace motor -- mostly on my own, with a little help from my dad. I designed a bookshelf, and with the hands-on talent of my friend Dan, we built something truly special. I remodeled the bathroom with generous help from my friend Chayse, who brought the skills and heart to make it happen. I tackled plumbing, electrical work, and built hundreds of rocket stoves in the garage.
I lived here. I grew here. I cooked countless meals, hosted good friends, and shared quiet conversations that turned into lifelong memories. I had a housecat who roamed freely. I walked often -- to the State University of New York at Fredonia campus just two minutes away, to the Village Commons downtown about 20 minutes on foot, and to the banks of Canadaway Creek, just a couple hundred yards down the road.
The lifestyle here reminded me of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Link’s days in Kokiri Village -- simple, self-sufficient, connected to nature and community -- mirrored what I had here. That rhythm shaped me.
My neighbors were part of that rhythm too. Alex next door would pause mid-mow to chat with me in our yards. Penny across the street and I would often meet at the mailbox, sharing a smile and a sigh about the deer eating our hostas.
By February 2025, I knew it was time to move on. I didn’t feel the need to keep holding onto the house -- I felt ready to sell and ramble on, to embrace the next phase of life. So I put it on the market. With a lot of help from my mom, we spent May and June getting it as clean and presentable as could be. The house went under contract in early June -- at full asking price.
This video is a tribute -- to the life I built here, the help I received, the growth I earned, and the peace this place gave me.
The music is “In a House” by Koji Kondo, from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It’s more than fitting -- this house was my own Kokiri Village.