To Oregon and Back

I haven’t written for a couple of weeks – not because I haven’t been doing anything.  In fact, I’ve been moving around quite a bit and just lost track of time.  Unfortunately, I’ve lost track of my budget, too.  Here's the update.

Since my last entry (“Hunting and Gathering” in Oregon), I continued my drive north and met my parents at their new home in McMinnville, Oregon.  What a fantastic community they have found!  Green, friendly, quiet, safe, clean – classic Oregon.

I returned to the San Francisco Bay Area for about a week – once again bouncing around between hotels and Airbnb hosts.  One host couple – Nick and Andrea – was particularly friendly, generous…and talented as it turns out!  Check out Andrea’s music at Andrea Belita on YouTube. She has already recorded an album, and I can’t wait to see how her music career develops.  Thank you, Andrea, for giving me a special live performance of your new single, too. 

In late July, I flew back to Oregon for a family reunion at my parents’ beach house in Manzanita.  The 10 of us packed the weekend with beach walks, hikes, jigsaw puzzles, board games, and lots of snacks.  Good times!  I stayed over in Portland, too, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite cities.  So many cool little neighborhoods popping up!

I’m now back in the Bay Area, house-sitting again for my friends Melissa and Griff at their beautiful home in the quaint East Bay town of Orinda.  This is the perfect place to get some peace and quiet, and plan for my upcoming 3-month adventure in Croatia.  I leave in just over a week! 

Staying at this house for an extended period of time will help me try to get back on budget.  I won’t be spending money on accommodations, and I can do some grocery shopping and home cooking.

Ah, yes, my budget…  I try not to talk about my spending, except for some high level comments in the article Business Insider published about me. 

Let’s just say that I have learned a valuable lesson about my new lifestyle.  Well, maybe it’s less of a lesson and more of a reminder.  The SF Bay Area is SO expensive!  Especially if you are jobless and homeless!  My choice to stay here from June 6 to August 17 was a mistake.  Despite a fabulous volunteering opportunity Glen Ellen, two great house-sitting opportunities in Menlo Park and Orinda, and free housing with my family in Oregon, I have spent way too many nights in hotels and Airbnb over these last two months.  

My future “breaks” between adventures will have to be shorter, and perhaps in a cheaper location within spitting distance of the SF Bay Area – so that I can pop into my storage unit briefly to change gear, but then get out immediately.  A geographic version of "hot potato" so to speak. 

While chartering a 42-foot sailboat in Croatia for 2 weeks isn’t going to help me get back on budget, I’m hopeful that my other 10 weeks in Croatia will be at the other end of the spending spectrum – volunteering in exchange for accommodation. 

And hopefully it will be the kind of accommodation that floats on the water and moves with the wind…

Beach walk at low tide.  I found five sand dollars!

Hoping the tide doesn't come in too quickly...

Sunset at Manzanita.