It was not difficult to leave DC last August. There were people from whom i didn’t want to separate, but i was ready for a new life.

i was not ready for a second new life the following August. We’ve all been through it with this pandemic, and mine is a story of heavy isolation on a slippery slope toward a full mental breakdown, followed by the serendipitous last-minute purchase of a vehicle i could sleep in. i kept those tickets to Florida that i’d purchased in winter, and i don’t regret traveling one bit. That was how my 12th month in Maine began.

When i returned from seeing my best friend and her family—vacationing so hard!—i could no longer be home in the way i was before. A new life began without much planning, and it was startling. It felt abrupt despite being desperately necessary, and long yearned-for.

But everything has been falling into place. People appear, animals need tending, and it seems like everybody is getting ready for hemp and weed harvest. Like a toddler with cubes and spheres, i test out pieces of my new life to see what fits. And like a lucky little forest creature, i have been collecting many different pieces. Opportunities all.

Last night i got to be a part of a really lovely gathering. Today they told me to take anything i wanted from the garden.

i slept eleven nights straight in my car; tonight i will sleep in a bed. i’m so excited for this but more importantly to be in Erin’s new Vermont home. Being able to be close to loved ones like her and Candice felt nearly impossible not long ago. i am so very, very grateful.