An Apartment Ashore and a Boat for a Few Months: Is a Short Stay a Real Try?
A short stay is a way of asking a question.
Picture a couple named Ruth and David. They rent a small apartment on land. They also spend a few months living on a boat. It is a loose plan. They do not call it moving. They call it trying.
The story I read describes an arrangement like this in Turkey, and the feeling attached to it is ease. I find that interesting, because we usually talk about a move as a heavy thing. Here it is light.
Why light can be wise
I think a short stay lowers the cost of being wrong. If you sign nothing large and carry nothing heavy, you can leave without a story of failure. You simply say, "We tried it."
Having both a place ashore and a boat also gives two views of the same coast. One is steady and rooted. The other is open and moving. Together they may tell you more than either alone.
The worry about leaving early
I know some people feel that if they go home after a few months, they have lost something. They worry about what friends will say.
Ruth and David might talk about that:
"Will people think we gave up?" Ruth asks.
"We found out what we wanted to know," David says. "That is not giving up."
I agree with David. A short stay is a way of asking a question. Leaving is one of the answers. It is a fair one.
What a few months can and cannot show
A few months can show you the daily rhythm. It can show what the mornings feel like, and whether you enjoy the pace. It can show how you feel when the novelty fades, at least a little.
It may not show a full year of seasons. It may not show how you feel in the lonely weeks. So I would be careful in drawing a big conclusion. But a small one is useful. You may learn that you love the place, or that you miss your own street more than you expected.
Leaving well
If the answer is to go, I think the kindest way is to leave on good terms. Thank the landlord. Say goodbye to the people you met. Keep the door open, in case you return.
If the answer is to stay, you have lost nothing by starting light. You can sign a longer agreement with much better information.
Either way, the stay did its job.
You could…
- Decide before you go what you hope to learn, and write it down.
- Rent for a short time first, and keep the rest of your life flexible.
- Notice how you feel in week two and again in month three.
- Say goodbye warmly if you leave, so the place stays a good memory.
What did a short stay teach you that a visit never could?
Tell us in the comments