Co-living, Co-loving
Captain’s Log #002
What’s Co-living?
It’s really just a fancy word for something that humanity has done ever since the beginning of time. But it’s also the modern response to a behavioural epidemic of social disconnect and loneliness the world is facing .
Throughout my life, I’ve done all kinds of co-living arrangements; the longest one I was simply born into: a family home consistent of my parents and brother. But I also experienced co-living with maids in Singapore, co-living in a student dormitory in Cornwall, then in a flat with strangers, then in a house with friends. And finally now, co-living in a co-living, co-working space in Blackpool. Heaps amount of co-living, I’m almost a co-living expert. Co-living, Co… — Okay I’m done.
When reflecting on my living arrangements, a fundamental difference is choice: my childhood home was a given, my student houses a necessity and this Blackpool space an active decision. And after just a few days of a new co-living, I already identified some aspects I love.
Firstly, whilst my housemates are up for hanging out and chatting, there is a lack of responsibility to be always available. The student hall trademark of guilt and FOMO is almost eradicated and there is freedom to live your day your way. With a focus on ‘co-working’, there is also a general consensus that people are busy during the day and gather in the evenings.
Secondly, you meet incredibly interesting people, from a long-term traveller specialising in VR to an Australian who decided on a whim to leave everything behind. The majority are coders working freelance, with the outlier doing finance for TikTok — of all companies. In this short amount of time this group of people had diverse discussions ranging across culture, consciousness and coffee. But we’ve also played boardgames, established inside jokes, crashed a birthday party in the local Café.
Maybe the most beautiful thing is the awareness that we are all temporary.
I don’t need to be worried about someone’s wacky beliefs. I can just embrace people for who they are, without expectations, as we connect with the same values of community, diversity and authenticity. And we can peacefully part ways, knowing we will most likely never see each other again.
Overall, I don’t think I could live like this forever. There are some travellers who have been ‘on the road’ for over 12 years. I would miss the comfort of my routines, and a familiar environment. I much rather build a long-lasting local community instead of wandering from one to another, always a guest looking in from the outside.
From childhood homes, to student houses, to travel abodes — I think the perfect living arrangement I haven’t quite found yet, and is waiting for me sometime in the future. Until then I shall witness these diverse communities, soak it all up, bring my learnings into the next co-living space — whatever and wherever that might be!
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
