White picket fence? I’ll pass

Graphic by Bruna Costa

Being homeless for seven years has been an adventure for me. I’m enjoying my liberty and simultaneously building my resume. And America is supposed to be the land of the free, right? Well, paying to live on Earth just doesn’t sit well with me. I’m not interested in a lifestyle with a minimum wage while paying any type of rent. How did I get to this space? Meditation and yoga have led me to value the silence within. Peace is the only asset life has to offer me. Living a life based solely on faith has to be the greatest feat possible.

I say that because I wasn’t always homeless. And I’m not the stereotypical “homeless person.” I’ve worked the entire time I’ve been homeless, including jobs as a produce manager and in culinary management. I didn’t understand the value of money then. Now, in my thirties, I believe money is best used to maintain your health. A gym membership and a storage unit along with a phone bill are around $350 per month. That’s all you need as an adult. The homeless can accomplish anything with these few essentials. Having these ducks in a row along with any type of income will lead to financial freedom, the goal of every adult.

I was told several times it’s not about how much you make or how much you spend, but how much you can keep. So, what’s wrong with waking up on a bench or a bed under a stairwell or in an infested shelter, showering for work, enjoying my time there, and going to the gym when I get off? In my perfect world, living outside will be viewed as an advancement of humanity. So, let’s focus on the people of Earth instead of investing in Mars and the highest technology.

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