When we lived on the water with our kiddos, whenever we met new people and got round to telling them we lived on a boat, their jaws always dropped with the response: “But how do you have enough space!?”
In the 5 years we spent cruising on the water, only 6 months at the end were spent on our beautiful widebeam, Ophelia. We actually spent most of our time on 50ft narrowboats!
The illusion of space
I do believe that the more space we have, the more we fill these spaces to the brim with bits & bobs that aren’t really needed. We live in a culture that values BIG. Big properties, en suite bathrooms (for every bedroom!), big gardens, big cars, etc. etc.
We found, whilst living afloat, that even as our brood grew, we didn’t need huge amounts of space or huge amounts of storage. We kept what was precious to us and got rid of the rest. We lived minimally.
A life of purpose
We went to the library to borrow books. We went to toy libraries to borrow toys. The children’s clothes lived in little baskets, and when they outgrew their clothes, we’d take them to charity. We always swapped, never added.
Now that we’ve lived on land for a little while, I have to say that we’ve acquired a few extra things along the way—especially in the playroom. But we still regularly have little clear-outs and swaps, so our habit of living minimally is still there, just a little further under the surface nowadays.
Lessons from the water
Living on a boat showed us the truth that we’re constantly told the wrong message: we don’t need all this space. Don’t get me wrong, a widebeam is luxury. They really are like floating apartments, and when they’re on a mooring, they’re really no different to living in a sweet little apartment.
But some of my fondest memories on the water are from our narrowboat days. Cozy, intentional living with just the right amount of bits and bobs around—nothing more.
This note is a little nod to the idea that “bigger isn’t always better.” When dreaming about winning a sweet prize, it’s worth remembering that you don’t always need to go as big and bold as you can just because you can.
With love Jason & Mollie x
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