I had a chance to chat with our homeless friend Michael again today. Here are my notes of that conversation:

So I’ve heard you found an apartment?
That’s true, I’m officially no longer homeless. I moved in last night.
How would you describe your homeless experience?
It was, as I expected, exciting for the first week or so. Each night was an adventure because I didn’t know where I’d be sleeping. As the days became weeks, however, it began to lose it’s appeal. I was “sans-abri” for 22 days. That’s a long time.
What’s the biggest thing you learned from your experience?
Dirty laundry in a garbage bag in a car is a bad thing, a very bad thing. I nearly passed out on one occasion from the pungent smell. There’s a reason why laundry bags have holes in them. You need airflow!
Anything else?
Yeah, I had thought that I would be saving some major cash. Turns out, that was quite wrong. It’s expensive to live on the streets. Dinner at 7-11 can cost fifteen, twenty dollars if you don’t want one of those greasy, tough hot dogs that have been spinning on the metal rollers for days.
Where did you end up sleeping?
Friends and family mostly, though I did hit up hotels for three nights.
Ever sleep in your car?
No, though I was tempted. I disliked having to inconvenience people by asking them if I could spend the night.
Any defining moments during your experience?
About ten days into this thing, on one particular day, two of my friends at different times both told me that I had crossed the line from unique into eccentric. I didn’t know what to think about that. It made me remember the famous line by Salvador Dali, “The only difference between me and a madman is that I’m not mad.” Think about that for a moment.
Other thoughts in retrospect?
Yeah, if it had been warm out, I could have slept in a sleeping bag under the stars, but with the frigid temperatures, that really wasn’t an option.
Tell us about your new place
The apartment complex is really nice actually. I have two cool roommates, one who speaks French. They’re both into World of Warcraft, which means they have no lives. I paid a little more to get the master bedroom, oh and I have my own bathroom. It’s a sweet deal.
Now that your life is a bit more stable, what are you going to do?
It is more stable and that’s refreshing. The first thing on my list is go back to the gym. It’s been a while. I’ve got to get back into shape now that soccer season is over.
Parting words for our readers?
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to thank you for having me on your site. I’m a loyal fan. I love the blog, the games, the videos. Thanks also to my friends and family for putting me up; you guys rock!