To Be Without A House

Almost every time I talk to my dad on the phone, he usually asks me, "When are you planning to quit acting like a homeless person and come home?"

I usually laugh that he considers this a homeless person's lifestyle. I just think of this as bike touring. Even though I dismiss his comments as a joke, his voice does ring clear when I encounter a few situations, such as:

• after waking up in a church courtyard, when I go walking to public park bathrooms in my pajamas,
• making a small tuna sandwich with a bread roll while sitting on the ground outside a tienda,
• anytime I find myself using the last bit of soap to wash a few clothes in a bathroom sink.

I should mention that I have always admired the homeless for their ability to survive the elements and for dealing with nasty people, of whom we all can sometimes be towards them. While attending UC Irvine, one group of students organized probably one of the most awesome events I have ever participated in. It was a homeless awareness sleep out. Basically, they put down a bunch of cardboard near the flag pole on campus and had a sleep-over outside. When else would this location be legal to sleep at? And what other way than this could be better for helping students to really feel homeless? Granted, they provided plenty of pizza for people and the event was in Irvine, so no actual homeless people participated.

This was a photo contest submission for valentines day back in college (circ. 2008). I won some tickets that I never claimed. 

I tell myself that I am bike touring and that sometimes it does indeed require odd sleeping locations or going without showering for a few days. But I do believe that one day I will return to a house that I can call home. And yes, I will shave my beard too!

Matt

P.S.