Here I am again with another update, one that I’m excited about against all my strongest instincts telling me that optimism won’t end well. After being rejected from the apartment complex and coming to the dreadful realization that other housing would probably turn us away for the same “reason”, I turned to Craigslist. Browsing that site is an anxious habit I’ve had for awhile now. It’s one of the ways I can look for a way out of whatever bad situation I’m in at the time, and for free or cheap stuff that can fix whatever particular problem I’m having.
Figuring that we have slim chances at best of getting approved for an apartment until we’re financially stable enough to build credit, I stopped looking in the housing section and started browsing instead for vehicles. I’ve been sharing a minivan to live in for the past seven months (on and off), and it’s impossible to make that work comfortably for four people. It is naturally driving all four of us, all on the autism spectrum, insane. Luckily the other day during my anxious Craigslist scrolling, I found a suspiciously cheap RV.
It’s a vintage motorhome that was originally made in the 70’s, then later refurbished at some point in the 80’s by a company which has since gone under. When we went to check it out this week, we were impressed: most of the interior is pristine, and stepping into the vehicle feels very much like entering a time capsule. The outside has minor rust damage, wasps have moved into one of the nooks and crannies outside, the roof leaks, and the AC is nonfunctional. Very importantly though, she runs just fine, her problems are reparable, and she can sleep the four of us–a bit crowded, but a huge improvement from a minivan. I’m not afraid of the (possible) Polistes that have taken up residence; we were right in front of their nest and while a few wasps buzzed around to investigate us, they weren’t aggressive. The roof is the biggest problem, but it’s the dry season here for at least a couple more months, so there should be time to treat any possible mold and repair the leaks. Apart from that, another concern was that there might be asbestos lurking, but the refurbishment in the 80’s seems to have replaced most of the components likely to contain the stuff.
My partner is in the process of purchasing the RV with funds she had saved up to pay first and last months’ rent on an apartment. Once it’s in her name, we’ll find a safe place to park the vehicle to live in and work on. There’s a small propane-powered kitchen, meaning we won’t have to rely so much on fast food for meals, and assuming we can get hookups, there’s a toilet and shower too–very much a gamechanger for homeless trans folks who are varying levels of terrified of using public, gendered facilities to wash up or use the restroom.
Anyway, that’s the news! We’re lucky enough to have money, but not lucky enough to have robust credit scores or stable housing, so the best we can do right now is upgrade from #VanLife to RV Life. It’s the Millenial/Gen Z version of the American Dream!
By the way, if you like my writing or are at all sympathetic to my situation (or both), and you have an extra dollar or two, I’ve suddenly decided that it’s actually not “selling out” or somehow bad to ask for help. My CashApp is $fernywolf and my PayPal…well, I haven’t used that in over a year because I had to switch to a different cell company and my number suddenly changed, and I had 2-factor on, and I just haven’t really had the “umph” to do what I need and call them about it…so CashApp is pretty much my only option right now! Anyway, anyone who gives any amount can request a pencil doodle from me and I’ll do my best. Thanks for any support at all, whether it’s financial or just by reading or following!
Fern is Homeless 