Cohabitation

Is it possible to move out of a significant other's house without breaking up?

Lemondrop has an interesting essay by a woman who moved in with her boyfriend -- and then moved out.

Her reason? When they lived together, their relationship turned turned into a marriage. Neither of them wanted that. An excerpt:

I wasn't unhappy. Just instead of a sexy courtship where I'd jump out of bed to brush my teeth in the morning, it turned into a comfortable marriage where we'd discuss our finances over dinner, then have a glass of wine with a DVD. We talked about our cat a lot. We were married in every sense but legally.

And I don't want to be married. Because I love my boyfriend, but I still have a lot of partying to do.

The decision to stop living together was mutual. From the essay, it seems like the couple is still together.

But I think that's the exception, rather than the rule. I could never leave a failed living setup and keep the relationship going.

Could you?