I lived in a camper van outside my grandfather's home to help him feel less lonely. The move also helped me grow.

"When I got long COVID, I moved back in with my parents. I slowly settled into life back at home for the first time in eight years and had a routine of dinner and TV with my parents in the evenings, along with the occasional weekend coffee with a friend. Time crept by, and I couldn't imagine what the next steps of my life would be. I wasn't sure if I would recover, return to work, or live alone again."

"Someone else who was losing their independence was my grandfather. He was no longer able to drive, and so he was stuck at home in a rural area with only himself for company. My granny had died the year before, shortly followed by his dog, and so he was lonely and dependent on us for help. That's when I came up with the idea of moving into a camper van just outside his place."

"When I suggested living in the camper in Grandad's garden, people thought I was being ridiculous. To some extent, I was. I was fortunate enough to have parents with whom I could live at home in a warm, comfortable house. But instead, I chose to move into a tiny house at the start of Autumn because what I really needed at that point was independence."

I developed long COVID and moved back in with my parents, settling into a routine of dinner and TV and occasional coffees with friends. Weeks passed and uncertainty grew about recovery, returning to work, or living alone again. My grandfather became increasingly isolated after losing his wife and dog and could no longer drive. I decided to move into a camper van parked outside his house to regain independence and provide him company. People thought the idea was ridiculous, but living in the tiny house allowed me to test living separately, rebuild confidence, and eventually start dating again while easing my grandfather's loneliness.

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