Tuesday 25 August 2015

After fight with landlord, woman starts living on trains

When others get off the train to go home, Leonie Muller, a German college student, stays behind. That is because she is already home: The train is her apartment, and she says she likes it that way.
Muller gave up her apartment in spring. "It all started with a dispute I had with my landlord," Muller told The Washington Post via email. "I instantly decided I didn't want to live there anymore and then I realised: Actually, I didn't want to live anywhere anymore."

She bought a subscription that allows her to board every train in the country for free.Now, Muller washes her hair in the train bathroom and writes her college papers while travelling at a speed of up to 190 mph.

She says that she enjoys the liberty she has experienced since she gave up her apartment. "I really feel at home on trains, and can visit so many more friends and cities. It's like being on vacation all the time," Muller said. Since risking the move, Muller's life fits into a small backpack in which she carries clothes, her tablet computer, college documents and a sanitary bag.

Financially, she benefits from living on a train: The flatrate ticket costs her about $380, whereas she had to pay about $450 for her previous apartment. Living cheaper, however, is not the only goal she has in mind.

"I want to inspire people to question their habits and the things they consider to be normal," Muller said. She is documenting the unusual experiment on a blog. Her final undergraduate paper will be based on her experiences as a modern train-nomad.

(Source: IANS, Cologne)

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