I was 21 years old when I took the leap from the safety net of my hometown and all things familiar and known into the great unknown and wild world. I had tested my toes in the water and done some traveling but at 21 I decided to leave the east coast and move out west. Wide eyed and bushy tailed I set out with my boyfriend at my side heading into the sunset in our oil guzzling Dodge Caravan filled with a few things we needed and lots of stuff of which we had absolutely no need. We slept in what we affectionately called the “bat cave” with one of us sleeping on each of the back seats with loads of all our beloved stuff in every nook and cranny around us. We had about $1500 between the two of us and though we realized that was going to make for a tight budget we decided if we didn’t just up and go we would never leave. This decision was remarkable for me in that I made a pact to myself to never let fear of not having enough money ever hold me back from going after my dreams.
I have managed to keep that pact to myself but it has not been at all easy. We made it to our destination of Northern California and made our home in the redwood forests. By the time we made it to Arcata we were down to our last $20. We promptly bought a bottle of wine and some snacks and rang out cheers that if we had to be broke somewhere this was the place to do it. The next day with the buzz gone and reality settling in we went to the community forest seeking the wisdom of the mighty trees hoping they might impart upon us a wondrous plan for how we were going to make money and find a place to live. We figured we would take turns applying for jobs while the other person sat in the town square and played guitar to busk for money. We made enough money busking to eat and by oil and gas for our van but that was about it. We continued living in the bat cave and used the homeless shelter to shower while we looked for gainful employment.
It took some time but we were persistent and were able to patch together enough odd jobs to get us by until we found full time employment. We met lots of people who became great friends playing guitar in town square and one day connected with a couple we recognized from our home town who were looking for roommates. We moved in to their house and settled in to establish ourselves in the community.
I think back to this time in my life with such gratitude for the life lessons I learned that helped mold my character into to being the strong, confident woman I am today. There were many hungry days of eating nothing but rice and peanut butter or pasta with nothing but sauce and tofu. There were many nights of sleeping out in the sand dunes or in the forest and waking up to rain (the old Caravan finally had enough and died). Then once we moved into our home and didn’t have a car we started biking everywhere which was amazing on a sunny day but in Northern California in the winter meant nasty rain and winds. I remember the bridge between me and where I worked had three inclines and declines where it crossed Humboldt Bay. So many nights I crossed that bridge coming home from work with the rain coming down so hard and the wind howling that I had to peddle hard to get down the declines and put forth all my might to peddle through the inclines. It didn’t matter the adversity I faced, I was so happy to be free and living in such a beautiful place. There were times I was frustrated and not entirely sure what direction I was heading in life but I never lost sight of appreciating the wonders I experienced everyday living in such beauty and how free I was to embrace it all. I have to thank my younger self for daring to be bold and for laying the groundwork for me to have experienced many more amazing and life altering adventures since I left home. Do you have anything to thank your younger self for? Leave me a comment and let me know.