I’m an art therapist here to talk about life after a PhD, starting over, and living in a camper in the San Francisco Bay Area #introduceyourself

Hello Steemit!

I’m Amy. Last week I bought a camper that I plan to live in for a year with my dog Prudence. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is the most expensive place to live in the United States. My living quarters have been steadily shrinking in the ten years I’ve lived here, but this is the first time that my home will actually be situated on wheels.

The camper was a bit of an impulse buy, which I saw with more clarity after plans fell through with the friend who said I could park it on her property and live in it. But I’ve been looking, with only a minimal amount of panic. I put an ad on Craigslist, I’ve been asking anyone and everyone for advice (or a bit of land?). I’ve researched every RV park in the area. Something will work out. And just look at this thing. I’ll be completely off the grid, somewhere.

You might be wondering why I would make such a big life decision on a whim, especially when it means parting ways with a steady rent situation in the Bay Area.

About two years ago, I finished my doctorate in art therapy. The thing I’m most passionate about is my work with teenagers who have experienced trauma. But the first year out was pretty rocky. I guess you could say I was in a vulnerable place--trying to figure out who I am and what I want to do with the rest of my life.

And then BOOM.

On a day that started as ordinary as any other, my partner sat me down to tell me that he had been having an affair for six months. He was in love with someone else. In that moment we were on our way to the final inspection for the house we had just bought together. We were able to back out of it, and he moved out the next day.

For the past ten months, I’ve been teaching myself how to start over. My partner and I were together for ten years. As I was signing the final paperwork for the camper, somewhere across town a judge was stamping the final paperwork for my divorce. I didn’t plan it that way, but then again none of this was part of the plan.

These past ten months haven’t been all bad. I’ve been training for a marathon, which is a big deal for me because I am NOT a runner. I’ve been learning about cryptocurrency. I’m still figuring out who I am and what I want to do next.

And my dream is to become a writer, so here I am.

This is my first shot at writing a blog, but I invite you to follow me on this wacky journey.