I'm 55, and am about to come out of a 30-year relationship. No children. My H is controlling/abusive and difficult, and he doesn't know I'm planning to leave. I've been really struggling to find a rental property to live in while the divorce and finances are dealt with (at which point I will buy somewhere for myself: there's enough equity in the marital home for me to buy something small) and someone on another thread suggested long-term AirBnB.
Well, I found a lovely AirBnB house, beautifully furnished and decorated, and fully kitted out with everything I'd need. No broadband to set up, no bills to pay. I can walk out of my marriage with just my clothes and laptop, and I wouldn't need to engage in any pointless and frustrating wrangling over furniture with my H. I've booked it for 2 months, thinking that would give me some extra time to look for a standard rental.
But ever since I booked it, there's this little voice in my head, which is getting louder and more insistent(!), asking me why I don't just forget the idea of a standard rental and live in AirBnBs for a year or so? And now this little plan is forming of moving around every couple of months. I work for myself, so I only need my laptop to work – I could live in and explore different areas of the UK. Wake up next to the ocean, and spend my weekends taking beach walks (without my H fretting about sand getting in his shoes), going for long breakfasts in cafes and read the papers (without my H complaining that we really need to get back as he's got jobs to be doing on the house), spending an entire day reading (without H slamming doors because he doesn't like me relaxing), exploring hiking trails, open water swimming, going on local tours, meeting up with local hiking groups, visiting museums and art galleries, trying new restaurants. But mainly, it's an opportunity to get away from my own area that I've lived in for 30 years, to lick my wounds, to have some lovely experiences away from my home town, and to just focus on pleasing myself for once.
I've costed it up, and on average the various AirBnBs I've looked at would cost me around £300-£700 a month more than a 'standard' rental in my area with bills. Plus fuel costs from driving around the country. So I'm looking at it costing me say around £10,000 extra over the year. Money I could probably do with saving for eventually buying a house. But I don't want to save it. I want to fuck it and spend it, and accept that I'll just have to buy somewhere tiny when my year is over. I'll never again be in this position where I have so few commitments: no property to be responsible for, very few possessions, no relationship.
I know it's totally self-indulgent, I know it's a year where it's all about me me me, no bills to worry about setting up, no house or garden maintenance to do. I know it's not very sensible. But I've been sensible for 30 years, and more and more I'm thinking, Why not?
I have two friends IRL I confide in. One thinks it's a totally awesome idea; the other thinks it's too risky and I should save the money: also, I'm 55 years old and the time for adventure was 35 years ago.
AIBU? Should I save the money towards a house and forget the idea? Or should I go for it?