From time to time over the years I’ve been lucky enough to share a flat or house with friends, or to have friends help me out while in between homes. This is typical while studying, and in our 20’s, yet in today’s world it seems more common that people of all ages can suddenly find themselves in between homes, and staying with friends. It’s not always easy, and requires adapting to other people’s lifestyles. A lot of compromises have to be made. It teaches us tolerance and patience, and if we’re lucky, it builds strong bonds. It’s also an opportunity to learn new ways of doing things. It makes us more adaptable.
I left home at age 18 and lived with a friend at University. Sam and I had met in grade 11. When she heard I was moving to Halifax to attend Dalhousie University she immediately suggested we live together. And so we did. We got along great.
Sam and I lost touch when we each got married, and while I was living in Hungary she tracked me down over the internet and bought a piece of art from me. When I went back to Canada in 2006, I visited her in Calgary where she was living at the time, and it was as if we’d never been apart. She even offered to rent me the second bedroom in her flat if I decided to move to Calgary. Our lives had made us different people, yet that bond formed in our teens was still strong. We’ve kept in touch, and when she bought her house in Musquodoboite, Nova Scotia she offered to rent me a room. One of these days, I might just wind up sharing with her again!
Over the years there have been many flat mates and friends who have offered a place to stay when I’ve been in between homes. Everywhere I’ve lived, my life has been made easier by the kindness and generosity of friends. Some are people who I’d known for a long time, others were open and generous acquaintances. This seems a good time to say a big thank you to those who have shared homes with me, or put me up in between homes, or invited me stay when visiting their town. You people are the greatest!
How lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life!
There have been some real characters over the years, and think it might make interesting reading, or perhaps a series of monologues for a one-woman show. I had thought about doing A-Z flat mates and you can read about Alberto tomorrow!
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Alison Amazed 
What a great blog. I does make me feel sad when I reflect on the friends I have lost touch with over the years. Although I got lucky when I rented a room out to a friend, we’ve been married 10 years this years.
Wow! You did get lucky! Thanks for kind words about my blog. 🙂
Love to hear of lasting friendships. Most of my youth was as an Air Force Brat (kid of military family) so we were uprooted every 3 years. I’ve lost track of more friends than some people ever have. Yet I’m continually amazed at the kindness of those few I have now and that of acquaintances and strangers when the need is great. It was demonstrated last year for me. http://perlesink.blogspot.com/2011/03/blue-skies-kindness-of-strangers.html
Ahhh…it seems those of us who grow up moving around have a different human experience from those who grow up where they are planted. Does it make us more compassionate, I wonder? I’ll visit your post about kindness – I’ve also written about Kind People for the letter K in this year’s challenge.