A short while ago I was staying at a tiny 16th century cottage - all beautifully appointed with such taste and modern appliances - no LED lights or any need for a ‘brew shelf’
But it’s small. Perfect for one - or two if you are really good with each other. The toilet/shower is tight - if I stretch both arms out I can touch both walls length wise. The shower water goes straight on the floor which has a drain in the center. So it takes some practice to get it right. Yet it’s at least 5 times bigger than whatever the Ingrams have in that van.
My cottage is perfect - I climb up spiral stairs to the full size double bed - maybe even a king, but room for little else. Yet there is a decent chest of drawers.
I’m privileged to have it to myself & small as it is, it’s bigger than their van, yet the mere thought of sharing such a space with 6 others, including a bratty toddler & a baby who needs extra care gives me shudders.
When in my place, there wouldn’t be much privacy with using the bathroom. I’d have to turn the music up or wait until whoever stepped outside! And of course, who doesn’t need to go during the night at some point or at least early in the morning? We all know how unhealthy it is to hold it in for long periods of time. And of course - there are the periods which are often discussed… how the hell do they cope with normal bodily functions? Especially when it’s dark, raining & cold outside? Do the young girls go out alone? What about when they spent the night in the parking lot?
How the hell could they possibly wash every day? How to they relax?
I took a walk up to the canals with the narrow boats and looked in to one. Again, it was probably bigger than their van, but you could see the stove, fridge etc. The couple were enjoying their deck in the sun - proper boat deck, not wood on a van roof.
It’s only when you get up close to such places that you try to imagine seven humans crammed into such a small space - no fresh air during the night, no space to clean, to change clothes - to do anything! Weeks on end sleeping on ‘beds’ that must be so bad for their backs & their posture in general. It’s mental and physical abuse.
And then to have a bloody camera on you and nasty bitch of a mother…not to mention the ‘father’!
It wasn’t until I stayed in a tight (but beautiful) space that I tried, briefly, to imagine sharing it with even just one other.
Oh and another thing - there is a full size - actually huge bath tub in the main house. It’s maybe 10 steps and I only go when no one is staying there - even though it would be fine if others were around. But it’s of course, more private. I simply cannot and don’t want to get my head around having to use public showers and toilets for weeks on end.
‘Loving life’? Yeah right.