939 Miles

There's nothing like timing a global pandemic and the loss of a job with moving across the country with no backup plan. That sounds like the absolute worst decision reading it out loud. Follow along with me here. By the end, you'll rethink that.

I didn't even realize there was going to be a pandemic. I didn't watch the news or follow along with world events very well, but it was quite clear when I got the call not to come to work for two weeks due to them temporarily shutting down, I knew it was serious. Following that, an updated "extra two weeks off" came. Next thing I know, it was a month later and nobody knew exactly what was happening anymore. Masks, global shut downs, panic, toilet paper shortages - which I still don't understand honestly.

So, middle of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Picture it. Everything is shut down, nobody visits anymore and a hug becomes a possible death sentence; What absolute chaos. The worst part is having to sit around and do nothing for weeks, which makes you think about more than you ever have before because you've run out of things to even think about! You start flipping though Pinterest trying to find projects, scrolling through Facebook looking over old trip photos, poking around you friends timelines and seeing their pre-pandemic vacations while getting jealous. You now realize there is so much you haven't seen or had the opportunity to do.

I don't know about you, but I personally sat in the cold with hot chocolate and a single tear streaming down my face when that reality hit. I was broke, jobless, mid-eviction and moving into my mothers again. It was a definite low time. I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere or could do much of anything in my life. So what came next? Scrolling Pinterest (of course.)

Crochet. Pixel art. Scrapbooking. Beading. Gaming. Skip a few more ideas along that path. Van conversion. VAN. Conversion. Mighty interesting topic that I know a few people have talked about in the last few months, so I dive a little deeper. If I could get a fixer upper, this magical board that I have made with ideas would become my new home. Do we see the issue here? Cue the previous paragraph with "broke..." Fortunately, Craigslist has a vast supply of things that you don't need to scroll through because you find things you shouldn't, but not necessarily a bad thing because it was at this point, the plans were beginning to change into something a little more interesting.

Looking through the van became a full-time job because I was hooked on the idea, until I ran into an RV I fell in love with. A whole 30-foot, drivable home. By this point, I was saving every nickel, my tax return, the couch pennies, and anything else you could think of. This RV was going to be mine. Where would I park it? I didn't care. How much was insurance? I didn't care. Did Pittsburgh even have places to rent for an RV? I didn't care.

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Now, before we go any further, I would like to add a thank you for reading this far and a warning that you shouldn't do this just because I did, although it is most certainly possible. So let's continue!

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

I had just enough. My mother, brother and I drove 70 miles to pick it up in the most country-yet-city landscaping I'd ever seen. Quite an interesting place, quite honestly. The gentleman I met was nice, was only selling to upgrade, etc. Meanwhile, I am in love. I'm not leaving without it and that's that. So, we go, sign it over, drive back to my moms apartment before realizing... I have no where to park this behemoth. I didn't particularly care before, until it was a real situation. I didn't know how to run the generator attached to the RV, turn on the heat or air conditioner, or work much of anything else inside. I may or may not have ended up back on Pinterest to learn a lot more than I realized I needed! Shout out to them.

So, skip a little here and there about the sleeping arrangement, I ended up in my best friends driveway until I figured out what I wanted. I'm very grateful I had the opportunity to sit down and figure out what all I needed and wanted to do.

Oh, Facebook market. Hours of browsing and messaging people around Pittsburgh to only realize that I have the opportunity of a lifetime to take everything I own and drive off with it; both metaphorically and realistically. I always loved the beach and many years ago, I fell in love with Florida, but I knew I couldn't afford near the beach. RV lots are expensive still. So after weeks of digging, I had realized that every time I doubted a place I found and said "I won't be able to live there and survive," I'd pass it up, save it, and move on. I found myself coming back to all of those exact postings saying "I can do this!" it would be gone. After about 30 of those scenarios, I found a place and messaged with no other knowledge of it. Nothing. All I knew is it was in Florida and gosh darn it, I wanted to be in Florida.

When that answer came back "We would be glad to meet you" came through, I was on my way. Two days later, I left everything I had ever known, except what fit in my new home, exactly 939.2 miles behind.

♦○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○♦

It's been five months. The pandemic is still at an all time high and today is our US presidential election, but I made it to Florida with less than a wing and a prayer; thriving. I left everything good behind, but I also left everything bad and started completely over with nothing except a future and happiness. It's possible.

Reading about people doing this all the time while being broke was had and I couldn't believe it until I did it. You really can do anything you put your mind to. Until next time. - From Florida.