[8.17.22 Newsletter] Life for the Past Three Months
This newsletter was sent on August 17th, 2022; about one year ago from today. It has been minorly edited to fix my bad grammar, but is otherwise left untouched. At the time of this letter, I was living in Broomfield, CO. Many things have changed since this was written: I am no longer living in Broomfield, dating Cosmo, or working an in-person job. I won’t go into detail about any of those things at this time (I’ll post that newsletter soon), but I will say that I am very grateful with where I am at right now. Despite these changes, I wanted to share this newsletter as it expresses my genuine thoughts and feelings at that time.
08.17.2022
I am going to stop promising to write on a set schedule because that is just not happening. So until I find a way to make money from sharing: infrequent stories will have to do!
I moved to Colorado in June and it has flown by. Between working and living in a set place, it has been quite a change. Not a bad one as my habits have positively changed with this new stability. I’ve picked my old hobbies back up, started new ones, focused on habit building, and have been eating a bit better. I still have a long ways to go in all of those areas, but its been much easier than trying to balance life while living in a van.
The move to Colorado wasn’t the most pleasant experience, considering it was a 17 hour drive that I was doing alone. Thankfully, I was able to keep my bed cleared despite all of the things I packed and was able to sleep along the way. I started my drive in Eagle River, but stopped at Milwaukee for a night to see a few friends before tackling the longer part of my trip. I drove to Nebraska where I opted to stay for the night. I was supposed to stay at a Cracker Barrel but got spooked by another group that was parked there. They had a full camper and looked like they had stayed there for quite some time. I heard the sound of broken glass and decided it wasn’t worth me being near some drunk folks in a random parking lot. I left immediately and drove another 40 minutes to the next truck stop and stayed there. Was that dramatic? Maybe, but one of the best ways to stay safe as a solo female is to trust your gut and not take any chances.
The next day I drove the rest of the way to our place in Colorado, stopping a few times to nap and pick up more apartment necessities. I arrived on June 3rd, got as settled as I could, then started my new job on the 6th. Not a whole lot of time for exploring.
So far work has been alright, it was a bit boring to start, but I have asked for additional tasks and things are starting to pick up. I am working as an Office Coordinator which is essentially a front desk/receptionist role. The people are great though, it is a small office and everyone was very welcoming. We have frequent group meetings and at least one “Wine Down” (aka drinking and hanging out) each week. Training took a few days but I feel very adapted now.
Our apartment is really nice, it has a ton of natural light and a balcony for all the plants that I’ve been wanting! We also have pool and grill access which we should be using more frequently.
Outside of work I’ve done quite a lot. I’ve painted a few things and started sewing again. I’m a big fan of reusing old materials for the art I’m creating. I have found new ways to turn old papers and maps into and collages, and I almost always use thrifted materials for my sewing projects. I hope to expand on both of these mediums as it is challenging and a way to eliminate more waste.
I’ve also taken up climbing. Nothing too crazy yet, just indoor climbing at a nearby gym. I have a weird relationship with heights but I’m starting to get past that now. There’s just something about relying completely on a stranger to not drop me 60+ feet off the ground that makes me a bit “uncomfy”. It’s good though, a nice challenge and a way to meet more people.
This past weekend, I took my first van trip since I moved. I drove 5 hours south to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It was really nice to go camping again and I feel more motivated than I was before I left. Hence this new email and the posts I’ve been working on. I’m hoping to do more weekend trips as the weather starts to cool down. I’ll try and share more in the future, but like I said, I am going to stop promising that for now!
