03/15/2026
Today is a milestone I hoped never to reach, but that I am also quite proud to have made it to.
500 days ago today, I moved out of the apartment I rented foolishly after having to leave my house in 2023, and into my vehicle.
I couldn't afford to rent on my own, but I was forced to move quickly, through some intense trauma and grief, and did the best I could to give myself a stable place to start over.
I am a person of my word, and haven't missed any payments on any bills for over 20 years, so when I couldn't afford rent, I maxed out my credit cards, and eventually took out a loan to maintain my integrity, and to avoid an eviction on my record.
Knowing this wasn't sustainable, when it came time to give my 60 day notice about staying or leaving, I checked the box that would end my lease after one year. Without any other affordable and accessible housing options available within driving distance to the studio, I prepared to move into my vehicle.
I hope the lessons I've learned since then can help you, as we travel this big planet together. 💜
☀️🌧️⚡️500 days of homelessness ❄️💨🌈 Lessons I have learned since moving into my vehicle
- If you take everything just one heartbeat, or one full exhale at a time, you will actually get through everything you don’t think you can get through
- The movement of your breath and the pumping of your heart are the only things you can truly count on, and even they are impermanent
- Dogs are therapists
- The sun keeps shining.. it’s just our relationship with it and our perspective of it that lets us receive it or not. Peace and joy are like that too. Sometimes you have the power to change your position and get in the light, and sometimes you have to accept the darkness until you have access to the light again
- When in doubt, hold the wheel tight and keep going
- Planning is helpful, as long as you aren’t attached to the plans working out
- Home is not a building or a place you go, it’s the place within yourself that you can return to any time you remember to pay attention to your breath. Our practice is returning to it as often possible.
- A lot of people care more about feeling like they’re helping than they care about actually helping; that isn’t a reflection of your value or worth
- It doesn’t matter what you deity or religion you have faith in… having faith that things will work out and that you are protected IS the magic itself
- Physics follows focus; thoughts are the tool with which you create your manifested reality - think about the struggles and they get worse; think about the blessings and they grow - your mind is a magnifying glass
- Having a garden brings light to the darkest days; watching things grow creates hope and excitement
- It is important to invest in things that brings you joy - *especially* when money is limited
- If you expect anything from anyone, they can disappoint you; practice acceptance instead and move toward what aligns, and away from what doesn’t, lovingly
- Wherever you go, you bring yourself with you
- Cheating and lying can make you outwardly successful, and having integrity can make you homeless…. have integrity anyway. It’s better to lose everything in your life, but keep your integrity, than the other way around
- People are going to judge you no matter what you do, so give up trying to prove yourself to anyone
- Figure out what keeps you grounded, centered, and connected to whatever higher power you can conceptualize, and make those things a priority, and then trust that everything else will work out
- Everything is always working out, even when it doesn’t seem to be. Keep breathing, let go of your grip on everything, and watch the story unfold, in awe
- Being responsible and trying to control everything won’t protect you when the world sweeps itself out from underneath your feet; you’ve got to learn to fall off unstable grounds, so you can sooner find better soil to grow in. Don’t let your roots rot trying to cling to things that are hurting you.
- Even a wilted plant with rotted roots can find light, nourishment, and new growth, when given new conditions
