Where I live
Good Question.
Before and since traveling in South America, I have been quite nomadic. Getting in touch with my roots really, ironically. Growing up moving every three years may contribute to the ease at which I float around. Combined with my priority to exercise the freedoms of being young, to travel and have adventures, I am a rolling stone. And a rolling stone gathers no moss.
For the time being, I don’t really live anywhere.
For the last two years I have been living in different places for a short amount of time. I wanted to break it down, as my living situation plays a huge role in my most frequently asked question, “How do you afford to live like this? How do you afford to travel?”
Where I Have Lived In The Last few Years
2016 -2019
July ‘16
I left Ann Arbor, MI after four years of university. For the ladder two years I lived in an amazing house with several good friends, a house we lovingly call 508. My dad covered my rent here, for $450 a month I shared the largest room with a close friend.
The rest of July was spend in the San Franciscan guest room of family friends, 14 days on a Green Tortoise bus traveling through several national parks, and a visit to our family house in Northern Michigan.
This summer concluded with me moving to Brooklyn, NY.
September ‘16 - June ‘17
After two weeks crashing on my sisters couch while looking for a space of my own somewhere in Brooklyn, I found one. A quaint room in Crown Heights, with a huge window facing a relatively quiet courtyard. I exceeded my initial budget but with beautiful sunlight and a pair of cool roomies, it felt right.
Rent was $1060 plus utilities, Brooklyn like everywhere else is expensive.
June ‘17
I moved out of said apartment and into my sisters place for a month and a half. This was insanely generous because it allowed me to save a month and a half of rent money, around $1600. I attempted to repay their kindness with pup sitting, doing the dishes, buying beer and making dinner.
July 2017
My job as a nanny was coming to an end and I wasn't sure where to go. Not wanting to overstay my welcome at my sisters place, I figured I might finally try WOOFing upstate, or go to Mexico? Then I got an email about filling a vacancy in a job I did my junior year of college, working as an academic peer advisor to incoming freshies.
Sold. I went back to Michigan, moving from my sisters couch to one of my best friends couch. She is the most generous person I know.
August - September ‘17
I lived at our family summer house in Charlevoix, MI, a house that has been in my family since the 60’s. I spent days on the beach with my cousins and then for the first time ever, I had the house to myself for two weeks. It was glorious. I spent evenings making dinner for one. Then made a fire, brewed a cup of tea or opened a cold Michigan craft beer and worked on a puzzle.
I was also helping plan my eldest sisters wedding. I was her eyes and ears on the ground, as she was getting married there in mid September. Post wedding, I stayed for the rest of september along with my parents before heading back down to Ann Arbor.
October 10th ‘17 - February 18th ‘18
A flight from Detroit International Airport (DTW) delivered me to Botoga, Colombia. My Entry point into the continent and the beginning of four and a half months of travel. From Colombia to the far southern reaches of Patagonia, I went. So I lived here and there, mostly in hostels and stayed with a few friends along the way.
February 18th - May 1st ‘18
Over four months later, I flew back to Brooklyn to visit with my biggest sister, she lives there permanently. She has become something like a base camp for me, from which I plot my next move or travels, and spend time with my beloved. My one true love, my prince, my muse. Thurman, our dachshund.
I came back to Brooklyn to help an old and favorite friend produce his first feature film. It took March to plan, and 22 days of shooting across April.Then he drove me to Michigan in his tiny yellow car.
May - August ‘18
I met up with my sister, Eliza, in good old Ann Arbor, Michigan. We both wanted a place to space the summer, and somewhere a little less expensive than Brooklyn. I also needed to find temporary work that would replenish my travel funds. I got in touch with the owners of The Lunchroom, my most beloved vegan restaurant to see if they were hiring for the summer and shortly there after got myself a job.
It wasn’t much, but this job was just enough money for living and saving at the same time, which is huge. And just as important, they were cool with me possibly leaving at the end of the summer.
Eliza and I subleased a house from a friend, for $450 a month. We worked and I took a statistics class to complete my requirements to apply to midwifery programs. We had little dinner parties with my college friends and I bought a blender and drank lots of smoothies.
Staying in Ann Arbor also meant that we got to visit our favorite summer spot, Charlevoix, MI a few times. It is a magical place.
September - November ‘18
I was looking for a sublet in Ann Arbor after deciding to stay a few more months awaiting a doula-baby. I figured some student going abroad would have a cheep room for rent, but I couldn’t find anything for less than $850. The cost of housing is even crazy here in Ann Arbor. More so, it meant I wouldn’t be saving enough money to make staying worth it. And thats how I ended up back on my friend Hailey’s couch.
Hailey is the most generous person I know. Not only did she invite me to crash in a new living space, but she organized for her parents to bring me a little bed. She set me up in the corner of her living room and asked for nothing in return. Of course I tried to contribute to her rent, but only a tiny bit, and make up for the rest by trying to be a good roomie. Luckily her apartment and our schedules allow for a pretty ideal roomie situation. We remain best friends.
Her apartment is amazing, filled with charm and character. Funky old kitchen cabinets, high ceilings, and blue tiles in the shower. It was a special place to spend a couple months. Thank you hails!
WHERE TO next?
After a pit stop back in Brooklyn to visit with my sisters and some friends, I am heading to Europe.
My parents live in Frankfurt, Germany so I will round out 2018 with them. Then after a few weeks I plan to head out on some travels. No idea where I will start, Europe is filled with the most amazing, and only slightly overwhelming diversity. In climate, food, culture, peoples, activities. It will be a second grand adventure!