Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Who needs a home?

I look around my apartment room and its barren except for a plain mattress and a desk with my computer. Lately it's been making me think about living out of my truck. Besides, I'm outdoors most of the time. I could totally make it work. Here's my current thought process:

Pros:
  • I need a camper shell. I can pick one up on craigslist for pretty cheap once I get paid next week. The cost of a camper shell is a flat investment and maybe one month's rent if it's new.
  • My truck is small, but I can make a makeshift bed inside the camper shell and sleep in there at nights. A buddy and I slept in the back without a camper shell in Yosemite and it was comfy enough, even when it was freezing outside. San Diego doesn't get that cold outside and after studying homelessness, I know that the times where you can possibly die while sleeping outside are the times when the city opens the winter shelters (that's how the winter shelters started, with a homeless person dying while sleeping outside and city officials responding by calculating exactly when the temperatures fall from 'discomfort' level to 'possible death' levels)
  • Since my truck is small, I can blend in well by parking on the streets. I'm also familiar with most of San Diego now since I've driven to practically every homeless shelter here
  • I'm in San Diego and there's homeless everywhere. I doubt a cop would take the time to give me a ticket for sleeping in my vehicle when there's people obviously sleeping on the curb.
  • I have all my camping equipment including sleeping bag and a mini camping stove.
  • I have one weeks worth of clothes, which means I can easily fit everything into a small box.
  • I'm paying about $600 a month on utilities and rent. While its relatively cheap, that's still like $20 a night. That's how much sleeping in a hostel costs.
  • Worst case scenario is that I crash with friends / family in the area if it doesn't work out.
  • My work has showers and since its a stereotypical non-profit, its mainly women working there. Except for one other guy, no one else really uses the guys' showers.
  • Freedom to roam wherever! When I go climbing or hiking, I don't have to drive 'home'.
Cons:
  • Problem: Nowhere to use the facilities at nights and on weekends
  • Possible Solution: Walmart or 24 hour fitness gym membership?

  • Problem: Personal Hygiene
  • Possible Solution: Keep 1 gallon of clean water at all times with a mini sink built-in that flushes into an empty 5 gallon tank?

  • Problem: Nowhere to store my surfboard safely and I'd have to return my friend's rock climbing crashpad
  • Possible Solution: ???

  • Problem: My smell... (Sure, I'll just blame this one on being homeless...)
Overall, I think the pros are outweighing the cons more and more. I think this will be the start of another great adventure!!! :)

1 comment:

  1. Schlafmanns like it!! If nothing else, you can say you tried it, which is sort of the point, right?? Let us know how it works out William!

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