The Story of How I Unexpectedly Ended Up Living in Two Places in Aix-en-Provence, Southern France

Hello, this is Sakaguchi. I live with my family in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France.

In mid-July, there was a fire in another apartment in the building where we live, and as a result, we haven't been able to live there for a while.

Repairs are mainly needed for the kitchen and bathroom, so we have been living in AirBnBs for some time. We recently went to Croatia for a vacation, but until we left for the trip, I was busy every day dealing with the insurance company, being present for inspections, and discussing future plans with the owner.

Since the plumbing is unusable, we can't sleep there, but we don't have to pay rent until the repairs are finished, and we are allowed to use the room freely. We are living a life where we stay in an AirBnB with the family, but return to our original apartment when I need to do work that requires concentration.

Unexpectedly, our life of living in two places in Aix-en-Provence has begun.

Living in two places within the same city

Since Aix-en-Provence is a tourist destination, there are many AirBnBs, but because it is the vacation season, they are rarely available for long periods.

Because of that, we are moving about every 10 days. This is our second room so far.

We are living less than 100 meters away from our original apartment, but just by being 100 meters away, the shops we use change, and just by being on a different floor, the view is completely different, allowing us to enjoy this city from various angles.

Life is interesting; a year ago, I never thought I would be living in the south of France with my family, and a month ago, I never thought I would end up living in two places like this.

There are some minor inconveniences, but it's not often in life that you get to move houses every 10 days. Especially when it's in a foreign city in the south of France.

This current experience is connected to something in the unseen future

Come to think of it, a little while ago, my daughter said,

"I want to produce lots of lovely rooms and rent them out to various people."

She was talking about wanting to run an AirBnB business.

This was before the trouble happened, but perhaps this experience of staying in different places will be useful in the future. While looking at the AirBnB search screen and asking, "What kind of house should we move to next?", I am searching while listening to my daughter's opinions.

I don't know what will lead to what kind of future, or what meaning it will have.

But if we live each moment to the fullest, it will surely lead to a better future. I have a feeling that this current experience and life are connected to something unpredictable.

*The photo is the view from the room we are currently living in. It is on the top floor of the apartment, and there is an attic room separate from the living room, and from the window, the terracotta-tiled roofs of the old town spread out. This kind of scenery is something I was only able to encounter because we changed rooms.

Yuki Sakaguchi

■ Click here for my self-introduction

■ Click here for my Southern France immigration diary 🇫🇷