If you don't live in a standard "normal" way, how do you live?

[curiositykilledthecatsplat]

Curious to know how people live if you don't live in "standard" way, how do you live? ie you live in a commune, you travel the world with your family etc etc

I never know which part of the world my husband is in. Not very strange not common either.

Lesbian single mother here. One child adopted. Also carer to my ex, who has Alzheimers. Between us, we are German Jewish, Jamaican, Irish and Barbadian. I have a very large extended family with five generations. Although Im in my late 50s, my grandparents are still alive. My gran has 40 descendants. My grandfather has an untold number as they keep popping out of the woodwork.

I never know which part of the world my husband is in. Not very strange not common either.

Why?

I know a family with 3 teenage kids who spend their lives sailing around the world. They're currently in Oz. Covid was tricky for them (& the whole sea travelling community).

@girlonamission are they rich? What do they do about schooling? Sounds like a dream!

@Psychgrad it's like most nomadic lifestyles ie people driving around in campervan. They will probably have sold most things at home to fund the yacht and initial supplies. Some people will have existing jobs that can they can do anywhere, others will have travel blogs/Instagram that make money (especially in they started a few years ago before everyone cottoned on). They will home school.

Obviously there may be some people who are just very rich living that lifestyle (though you're probably more likely to find them on a private yacht with crew), but the above is more like the sea travellers I have come across. I read an article recently about a couple doing it who did fund themselves with blog and video content and the work they had to put in on top of sailing was insane. They had to record, edit etc for YouTube making sure they were a few days ahead of themselves in content uploaded and schedules because they wouldn't always have internet. And they had to them make extra private content because they relied on Patreon for part of their income, and their patrons got additional regular content that wasn't publicly available. To be honest it made the lifestyle sound much less appealing.

@MamaOh OOoo thank you for bumping, I missed this and love to read life stories like this, I follow a few on Instagram, I’m very envious and really want to look at alternative living.

Also sorry for your loss ❤️

A close relative owns properties in 3 different EU countries. They retired and now spend their time travelling between each one with their horses - they go to the warmest place in the winter and the coolest in the summer etc. They pretty much live in their horsebox a bit like a tramp but are living life after a career spent in academia. I'm jealous of the freedom but worried about what life will look like for them as they age.

Aged 75, retired, bringing up a teenager. Enjoying life as if I was a much younger parent. Huge dog and difficult cat.

My partner and I now live in a static caravan and work on a UK campsite. We pay no rent or bills, have access to a gym, free WiFi, beautiful views and 5 minutes from the beach. We live very minimally, few possessions etc. This winter we are going travelling around Mexico for 3.5 months then back in march for the start of the new season. Prior to this we worked minimum wage jobs and paid high rent on a crappy, damp, cold house. So glad we made the change and stopped living 'normally'.

I was adopted too so it was easy for me. I always worked full time to 56 to buy a home be independent etc. Didn't have children or marry. Still work part time. My ward, as I call her as Social Services said there was no term to describe the relationship. ie not fostering, just I had a residence order for her. Try introducing someone on that basis. Thnak you for your interest. Don't leave it too long.

A male friend's partner became very ill, so I helped out as I had retired at 56, by looking after their tiny daughter a few days a week. Eventually the mother died and the child, then aged 4, just stayed. Unconventional and infuriating for social services who thought there must be something wrong - a black child in a white home. It annoyed them. The court case they pursued cost £10,000 which the judge made them repay to me. We have got on quite well without them.

I am a painter :) and have sold artworks all over the world.

I have never been married.

I was born in a foreign country, moved to the UK when I was still young and I have no contact whatsoever with my relatives (my choice).

Learned to horse ride when I was 48!

Vegan, feminist, lefty, animal rights campaigner.

So I think I probably my life would look fairly odd to many people....:)

In other ways I am fairly normal: I am a rather conventional in what I wear and how I look, very quiet and I have done some very bog-standard jobs to complement my art practice. So my lifestyle is rather unconventional but I am pretty down to earth and laid back as a person.

This almost felt like writing a dating profile!

I am fascinated by these initial capitals!

Fascinating thread

Submarine??

I am autistic and so is my partner and we bought 15 acres of woodland/ agricultural land at the start of Covid when land sales were stagnant and we had to decide between using a once in a lifetime (small) inheritance on a house deposit or 'other' investment that was an all in and no debt scenario.

We chose 'other' because neither of us are very comfortable with debt or our ability to service it reliably as people with autism. We were also overwhelmed by both the rental market and the housing market and WE are a self employed horticulturalist and a tree surgeon.

We now have a converted house (horse) lorry that we live in, have a two year old 60 tree heritage orchard planted, and a small business on land that we own outright.

Our life is very low impact and it is hard solitary work, but that suits our strengths and works to minimize the strain on our weakness'.