Happily Homeless . . .

This is the first of an entirely new generation of posts for this blog. It starts with a new lifestyle for me.

Well, I’ve finally done it. I’ve joined the ranks of the Homeless. Yep! I left the old ranch in the northern Shenandoah Valley in favor of having no single place I call MY home. I should have posted this on November 1st, since that was my day of “emancipation,” but I’ve been busy finalizing my down-sizing, acclimating myself to a more nomadic lifestyle and, in general, developing an entirely new mindset.

I describe myself as “happily homeless by choice.” That means that I could still be settled in the place I left, I didn’t’ have to leave. I could have found a smaller place - house, cottage, apartment, condo, trailer - but I chose not to. So, am I living in a cardboard carton in a park or sleeping on a park bench or in some alley next to a dumpster or staying in homeless shelters on cold nights. None of the above is true. Actually, I have a room just outside of Winchester at a long time friend’s home that affords me privacy, space to relax, sleep and even set up a computer workstation to continue doing the many things I do in writing, publishing and audio production. I have a second room in Falls Church, VA in an old Air Force buddy’s townhouse. The room is smaller with a bit less privacy, but still comfortable, private enough and it affords me place to relax, sleep, and, again - set up another computer workstation. And, finally, I have an office to use in Fairfax, VA at another friend and long time client’s office complex where I have a third computer workstation set up to do the things I do. And, on occasion, when I need to do some work at a friend’s publishing business in PA, there is an office and a guest house for me to stay in when I’m there.

So, what don’t I have any longer? Well, I don’t have too much space for one person to occupy and take care of. I don’t have tons of useless stuff, books, things that I’ve been dragging around for as long as 40 years or more in some cases. I don’t have a contractual rent or mortgage payment every month. I don’t have real estate taxes to pay. I don’t have any utility bills. I don’t have household insurance premiums, I don’t have lawn and upkeep expenses. But, I do have FREEDOM. I think it’s kind of ironic that one of the places I’m now hanging my hat at is on Freedom Circle!

All of this is in preparation for my dream of becoming a full-time RVer in the near future. Stay tuned for the exciting adventures of the freedom loving, happily homeless, Virginia Sound Man - ME!

Enthusiastically,
Ed