has anyone here been homeless before?

[skate_bored]

I got kicked out of college when I was 18 and my best friend enlisted in the marine corps to become a recon marine, I ended saying, “fuck it, I’ll go with you.” I became a regular grunt and he graduated recon school. He ended up getting medically retired before his first deployment, while I ended up doing three deployments. After my third deployment money was tight, my girlfriend at the time kept breaking up with me/cheating on me, and I was about to go to scout sniper school. So I said fuck it, I’m really good at this, I’ll reenlist and catch that 30k reenlistment bonus. My reenlistment didn’t go through and less than a month later I was living in my Ford Ranger with no job, in debt (I took out a loan expecting to pay it off with my reenlistment bonus), and no job skills what so ever.

I was alternating between my brothers couch and my truck in, crashing in San Pedro (where I’m from). My parents had moved to Dallas on my second deployment and I really didnt want to go to Texas, or have the funds to get out there. After roughing it for a few months I sold my home (my truck) and used what little money I got for it for a one way ticket to Dallas. Before I could leave though I was drinking A LOT and fighting a lot. I ended up spending some time in LA County Jail, then I made good my escape and crashed at my parents house for a little bit.

I was not doing well at all, but I knew a cute girl who lived in Austin and I always wanted to go there. So I said fuck it, I’ll go down there, kick it with her for a while, then swan dive off the clock tower, and it will be a wrap. I got black out drunk on the megabus ride from Dallas to Austin. The girl I knew literally found me in a gutter near the UT campus, and picked me up.

She helped me get on my feet, physically and literally.

Now we’ve been married for five years, have a daughter together and are buying our first house this summer.

what a fucking ending. and thanks for your service, as corny as that sounds. means a lot to me personally, dad and grandfather were in the service.

[Freelancevagrant]

I really appreciate all the kind words y’all. More than you could possibly know.

@matty_c Dude thank you, I’m glad it made your morning! There’s some darker parts that I omitted for the sake of not wanting to write a novel. But, that’s awesome you’re still talking to a few of em, I wish I still did. I got to spend a little bit of time in Darwin and Cairns back in 2013 and had an absolute fucking blast, I took my board with me when we went on the ship and I got to skate around and get blasted and hangout with the lovely people there. I introduced my buddy Gavin to a woman named Emma down there when I was doing my drunken schmoozing, and they ended up getting married and he lives down there now. I think they’re still together we haven’t talked in ages. 

@Deputy Wendell and @nevrwasben you guys all made my day a lot better because it was a fucking rough one, thanks y’all very much!

@skate bored dude thank you so much, I know it may feel trite to say but it’s always super humbling and appreciated when I hear it, so thank you, and thank your father and grandfather for me, if you get the chance. It’s a weird cross generational bond that develops that’s hard to explain. To the younger dudes that fought we all talk about how much gnarlier it would have been to fight in the jungles of Vietnam, the mountains of Korea or the jungles of the pacific.

[Betaphenylethylalamine]

I got kicked out of college when I was 18 and my best friend enlisted in the marine corps to become a recon marine, I ended saying, “fuck it, I’ll go with you.” I became a regular grunt and he graduated recon school. He ended up getting medically retired before his first deployment, while I ended up doing three deployments. After my third deployment money was tight, my girlfriend at the time kept breaking up with me/cheating on me, and I was about to go to scout sniper school. So I said fuck it, I’m really good at this, I’ll reenlist and catch that 30k reenlistment bonus. My reenlistment didn’t go through and less than a month later I was living in my Ford Ranger with no job, in debt (I took out a loan expecting to pay it off with my reenlistment bonus), and no job skills what so ever.

I was alternating between my brothers couch and my truck in, crashing in San Pedro (where I’m from). My parents had moved to Dallas on my second deployment and I really didnt want to go to Texas, or have the funds to get out there. After roughing it for a few months I sold my home (my truck) and used what little money I got for it for a one way ticket to Dallas. Before I could leave though I was drinking A LOT and fighting a lot. I ended up spending some time in LA County Jail, then I made good my escape and crashed at my parents house for a little bit.

I was not doing well at all, but I knew a cute girl who lived in Austin and I always wanted to go there. So I said fuck it, I’ll go down there, kick it with her for a while, then swan dive off the clock tower, and it will be a wrap. I got black out drunk on the megabus ride from Dallas to Austin. The girl I knew literally found me in a gutter near the UT campus, and picked me up.

She helped me get on my feet, physically and literally.

Now we’ve been married for five years, have a daughter together and are buying our first house this summer.

That's fuckin insane! Good on you(thanks for your service) and a huge shout out to your girl for being a great human!

What an end to a story! That's the type of shit that gives you hope in humanity. Also congrats on your daughter and I hope all is well!

[cky enthusiast]

sometimes it just takes one person to show you love to make you realize your value- esp coming from a checkered background. i def had that experience as well and it really changes ur world for the better

@Freelancevagrant i’m really happy for you mane

[EXTRA SPICY]

Like many in here, I too fall into the early 20's bounce arounds.

For the last 4 years now in the mid spring and summers I've been sleeping in the back of my truck for a few weeks on end by choice chasing around different aspects of western American ecology. It is an odd balance of knowing you've got plenty of stability but having society look at you like a dirtbag. Location to location makes the situation. Wyoming and Idaho were definitely a bit sus in terms of getting treated like shit consistently. Montana was overwhelming welcoming at times and adversely overly dickish in regard to the California license plates.

The methamphetamine and opio-etc. consumpstion rates and political divisions being stronger now makes it a bit different as well. Overall I think I had a blast bouncing around when I was younger with shit to do compared to willingly being Linus VanPelt while working.

[coldbrew]

I got kicked out of college when I was 18 and my best friend enlisted in the marine corps to become a recon marine, I ended saying, “fuck it, I’ll go with you.” I became a regular grunt and he graduated recon school. He ended up getting medically retired before his first deployment, while I ended up doing three deployments. After my third deployment money was tight, my girlfriend at the time kept breaking up with me/cheating on me, and I was about to go to scout sniper school. So I said fuck it, I’m really good at this, I’ll reenlist and catch that 30k reenlistment bonus. My reenlistment didn’t go through and less than a month later I was living in my Ford Ranger with no job, in debt (I took out a loan expecting to pay it off with my reenlistment bonus), and no job skills what so ever.

I was alternating between my brothers couch and my truck in, crashing in San Pedro (where I’m from). My parents had moved to Dallas on my second deployment and I really didnt want to go to Texas, or have the funds to get out there. After roughing it for a few months I sold my home (my truck) and used what little money I got for it for a one way ticket to Dallas. Before I could leave though I was drinking A LOT and fighting a lot. I ended up spending some time in LA County Jail, then I made good my escape and crashed at my parents house for a little bit.

I was not doing well at all, but I knew a cute girl who lived in Austin and I always wanted to go there. So I said fuck it, I’ll go down there, kick it with her for a while, then swan dive off the clock tower, and it will be a wrap. I got black out drunk on the megabus ride from Dallas to Austin. The girl I knew literally found me in a gutter near the UT campus, and picked me up.

She helped me get on my feet, physically and literally.

Now we’ve been married for five years, have a daughter together and are buying our first house this summer.

This brought a tear to my eye after a rollercoaster of a story. Congrats my dude and wish you continued blessings.