I'm a 34 year old who lives on a boat in the canals of England. It was the least expensive way to buy a home and allows me to lead an extraordinary life.

• Elizabeth Earle is a freelance author and illustrator in England who lives on a 70-foot narrowboat.
• Because she doesn't have a steady income, she was unable to qualify for a mortgage.
• Earle said living on a boat is cheaper than a house, but licenses and insurance also come at a cost.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Elizabeth Earle, 34, about her experience living on a 70-foot narrowboat from the 1920s in the English countryside since April 2022. Earle is an author and illustrator from Warwickshire, England. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Living on a boat was an absolute accident.