Liya
Part 1
This is a picture of my van as I'm cleaning it and so I have some of my things out on the floor, and my van is parked at a park which is a pretty good space for taking everything out and putting it back in.
I had just done laundry and after I do laundry I take out my duffle bag which I keep the clothes that I'm wearing over this week or a couple weeks and then I have a suitcase of different clothes underneath and so I kind of switch clothes out after I do laundry. This picture is the process of that. I have my suitcases and other things underneath my mattress, so I have to be really organized and careful to put things away in a precise way that leaves the mattress as flat as possible.
The town of Arcata is pretty supportive, no one gives me dirty looks or anything so I feel comfortable opening my car for everyone to see my life and that helps…just the general population of Arcata is pretty understanding, which helps homeless students like me feel comfortable sharing their experiences and not feeling afraid of being intensely judged.
I think it helps that there is a lot of nature around. People see a bigger picture of life and it's easier to be understanding of people in a different situation than you. It's interesting because we have so much open space here but then we also have such a lack of housing.
These parking lots are great in the day but I can't park there at night, when police are patrolling and making sure nobody parks there. There’s no use for them at night. They could be put to use and it would be really helpful. I understand how it could be troublesome if people wanted to park there for a month and never move but if they were 24 hour spaces, that overparking would not be an issue. I would be open to paying a reasonable price to park somewhere safe. I wish there was a trailer park, but for people living in their cars.
Part 2
The location here is at a park again and there's a propane stove on the stump and there's some water boiling and then there's a box, with a cooler and oil and some other food items inside of it and there's a little jar on the ground that has kombucha in it. This is my outside kitchen. I was making tea for new kombucha in this photo.
My friend gave me the stove and she gave me the propane that came with it and I'm still on the one that I've had this whole semester. Usually I make oatmeal or can soup or can beans.
I think that it is important to stay healthy and to be mindful of diet. I did have a phase where I was eating fast food everyday just because it's easy and cheap and it's there, it's available but I feel better when I make my own food.
Oh Snap actually helps me a lot because they give me free food. I usually get like canned beans and then recently they've been having fish, canned fish. Oh Snap is a life saver!
From experience I know how easy it is to get into a phase where I just eat whatever is available but I think that this kind of choosing more actively what I eat and really caring about it is a source of resilience because it takes effort and it also just keeps my body strong so that I can feel good and feel energized.
I know Oh Snap needs more funding, especially after all the programs are being affected by budget cuts. I feel like this is really helpful to homeless students because I meet a lot of people who are also living in their cars or couch surfing through Oh Snap and it is another way to connect with community too and new ideas for cooking. In all of this, it just helps to be healthy, and stay healthy.
Part 3
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So this is me and I'm laying next to my little rat baby. We have a book under us too and it is kind of comfortable, we're laying together in a snugly way. It's nice to have a little animal that can hang out with me. He has a cage that he stays in if I'm not in the car.
I think it's important to find sources of inspiration and sources of support. For me, it's having a pet and reading. Living in a car is not a limitation. It just means I have to be extra resourceful.
I think another thing that could support my current situation is having more access to electrical outlets. There’s been less in Arcata recently, they’ve been closing them, but outside outlets are helpful for when I’m trying to get my assignments done at night. If there were more outdoor plugs, and a trailer park for people living in their cars, then living in a car would be more structured.
