April Showers bring May....road trips?!

Trigger Warning: self harm, suicide

Welp...

I think you all are due for an update, especially since my posts are probably gonna get even weirder or even more sporadic in the next few months than they are now. And this is why.

For the past several months, some of you know that I'd been living with my partner's family in their home. Back in October, they put the house up on the market and even though it didn't sell at the time, pretty much everyone hightailed it out of here - leaving me with only my partner and his dad. These two do not get along at all - they scream at each other, they've almost come to blows a few times, and he's constantly calling the cops on us (for mere arguing) and threatening to get restraining orders/kick us out. It's been tense, it's been depressing, and I actually starting seriously contemplating suicide again. I think I might have done myself in too, if I hadn't resorted to simple self-mutilation - I have more scars these days than I'm proud of.

At the end of March, we all finally came to an agreement. The house is on the market again and we have constant showings - which means for at least a few hours everyday we have to clear out so a realtor can take people into snoop around and decide if they like the place or not. This was cramping everyone's style and so my partner and I began looking for different places to stay. Unfortunately, no one we know has any space to offer even temporarily, the shelters cost too much money, and all subsidized housing is backed up until September.

Still, my partner's dad offered to let him own the truck we've been using in exchange for vacating the premises. Basically, he would transfer the title of the pickup to my partner and then we'd have 30 days to find different lodging. There was a lot of emotional turmoil over that one, because where were we supposed to go? - but in the end we agreed.

And recently we came up with a plan, of sorts. We'd get a camper shell for the truck - ☑, build a platform in the back for the sleeping, store our stuff underneath, and live out of the vehicle for the next few months. See, we're going to the Seattle/Olympia area this August to get set up for university out that way, but it was the meantime that concerned us. So instead of trying to find overnight parking spots where the cops won't harass us at night in this uppity little suburb, we're just gonna start driving. Do an extended road trip thing. Make it an adventure.

Will we have enough money to fully support this venture? Maybe. Will we have all the creature comforts we're used to having? Definitely not. Do I have to pare down my belongings and get rid of so many treasured items? Unfortunately yes.

This decision hasn't been an easy one. The trip itself won't be easy. But I can only take comfort in knowing that it'll be temporary and that homelessness doesn't have to be part of that slippery slope.