After leaving my home state back in fall of 2015, my life has been a rollercoaster of moving into a 29 foot 5th wheel RV, briefly traveling, unexpectedly settling, the passing of my father, living in a yurt, moving into a 43 foot 5th wheel RV, a bit of traveling, moving in to a 39 foot motorhome, and then transitioning into an extended stay hotel where I’ve been for the last three years. It’s been a series of RV parks, campgrounds, boondocking, and hotels for 78 months, or approximately 2380 days. I never intended to take this path, and yet here I am.
I am really pleased to say that, two days ago, I signed a one-year lease on a house with my husband. It is in a quiet neighborhood near a state forest just outside of my state’s capitol. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, small yard, single car garage, and an unfinished basement. The property is on a well with septic so it’s one less utility bill to worry about. The yard is unfenced, which is less than ideal with three dogs, but the quietness of the location is what swung the decision to rent this particular house.
The move initiates in five days. I’ve set a goal of being out of the hotel, with our bed moved from our storage unit to the house, and having attended to two safety items I’ve identified regarding the dogs, by the end of seven days. Those two safety items are fairly simple: 1) a mat at the bottom of the basement stairs to prevent the dogs from skidding, slipping, or splaying on the concrete floor, and 2) using a temporary product, probably a static-cling film, to frost the glass of the rear sliding glass doors.
At the upcoming walk-through and acquisition of keys the plan is to submit three proposals to the property management for consideration by the owner. First, temporary fencing – probably using some type of T-bar and Tenax product or “hog wire”. Second, adding some type of product to the basement stairs to increase the friction on the treads, as they are currently bare wood. Third, covering the ceiling of the basement with some type of poly sheeting, stapled to the beams overhead to sequester the exposed insulation.
This is a big step forward. I’m crossing a threshold that I could not have navigated even just a year ago. My mental health has been rough for many years. I have finally reached some success in bringing about a higher level of executive function and mood stabilization. My journey is one of trauma healing and this new home will create the physical, mental, and emotional space to grow further into a healthier, capable person.