Being Homeless

Being Homeless: Day 1

9:00am – 1:00pm

I’m comfortable. Even though it is getting up to the mid-90s, I am not hot and I have a solid supply of water. The backpack fits comfortably and provides good airflow and I managed to keep the weight below 20 pounds.

My backpack doesn't fit in the gym locker. It is larger than I anticipated. When I get the chance, I need to repack it and prioritize which items I place in easy-to-access locations.

I’m heading to lab now. I’m planning to boil some rice on a hot plate and have that for lunch. I’m hoping to get back to the gym later tonight and see if I can have them hold my pack behind the counter. If I can’t use the gym as a free storage center for my pack, it is going to make this a little more difficult.

1:00pm - 2:30pm

I forgot my phone charger. Hopefully I can get my phone to last until Thursday at the least!

I managed to cook rice on a hot plate in lab. Originally, I wanted to borrow one of our extra plates that lacks a power cord. However, the cable I brought didn't fit. I'll have to see what I can do later for dinner. Oh, and I must be the sloppiest, plastic knife-wielding rice eater there ever was. I should apologize to the wonderful glass window on the third floor of the CSB.

6:00pm - 9:30pm

Checked my lab again to see if I could get in and use a hot plate to make rice for dinner. No dice. Looks like I'm eating the rest of my bread ration for dinner tonight.

I did manage to get into the ML building. It only took me 6-7 attempts to find an open classroom, too. Here, I dropped my gear in a chair, turned on the projector, and proceeded to bust out some homework and study. Took a slight break to watch a little of Eternal Sunshine on the big screen, but was interrupted when my brother called and invited me to the last Darwin show (improv group) on campus.

11:45 - Sleep

Left the comedy show and walked toward my chosen destination for a night's rest- the K building. I did some awkward maneuvering (normally graceful so long as I don't have a fat pack) and climbed a fence and several flights of stairs. Next, I had to scale a ladder, and couldn't get my backpack to stop beating against the guardrail. All worth it though- I couldn't wait to wake up with the sun rising next to me.

Sleep - 4:00am

Just kidding. I couldn't sleep.

I made it to the top of K, but lying on the concrete surface high in the air was brutal. The wind wasn't letting up and with just the sheet coverage of my sleep sack, I was shivering. Still, I kept trying to sleep. Rolling, shifting my knees- I made attempts at every trick I knew. But I realized it would be better for me to retreat and find a place that was both warmer and comfier.

Spent a little time searching the rooftop for a heating vent or something, but couldn't find one. Climbed down the building with a slump in my shoulders and trekked to the main library, which is open 24 hours a day.

Just after the clock hit 4:00am, I put my feet up in an arm chair in one of the library's far back corners.

 

Being Homeless: Day 2

  

Sleep - 5:55am

Good morning.

One of the librarians placed his face awkwardly close to mine, and with a gruff voice that lacked sympathy, he stated that no sleeping was allowed in the library and that I had to leave immediately. I don't remember what I said back. I threw my things in my bag and headed for the gym.

6:10 - 8:00am

I already knew my backpack wasn't going to fit in one of the lockers. Luckily, I was able to convince one of the guys behind the equipment desk to watch over it for the time being. Before I did that, I made sure to lock up the items I needed and my more expensive things.

The gym was a haven. It provided a variety of things to do and allowed me to stay clean after a long night tossing and turning on a rooftop. I hadn't eaten, but I made sure to down a couple of bottles of water so I felt full.

11:00 - 2:00pm

Repeated my lunch plans from yesterday, boiling some more of my rice on one of the lab's hotplates. Finished work and headed to the upper floors of the science library to try and catch up on sleep. Put my head on a desk in the corner, guarded my gear, and napped in and out between studying.

2:30 - 7:00pm

I went to work at the S elementary school where I help out with the chess program. Today, Tuesday, was the weekly day for 1st-3rd graders. I laughed as they tried to lift up my backpack. It was bigger than most of them.

12:30 - 3:45am

Without planning out a possible place to sleep outside, I thought it would be best to avoid braving the outdoors and take shelter in the school library again. Using a privilege for Honors students, I reserved a private study room on one of the higher floors. I made a quick camp inside, moving three of the four chairs to form a makeshift bed in one of the corners. I killed some time watching chess and eventually, when I felt tired enough, used my jacket as a pillow and went to sleep.

4:45 - 5:20am

The librarian found me again. I woke up to a knocking on the window-slit of the study room's doorway. His face peered through. I growled inside, but did my best to shrug myself out of the sleep state I was just entering. I packed my things together and left.

I was supposed to continue this until Friday afternoon. That was the goal at least. However, due to the amount of sleep I've been getting (a total of ~3.5 hours in two days), I'm returning home. Finals are the following week and I can't afford to go into them on a mangled schedule.

 

Quick Reflection

Being homeless was more difficult than I expected. Naively, I anticipated being able to get a solid 6-8 hours of sleep on concrete in secluded places, or to easily avoid authorities inside the school's buildings. Clearly, that wasn't the case. I felt the basic prejudice against sleepers in the voice of the librarian that woke me on consecutive days and I felt the weight and baggage of my gear bearing down on me, altering choices that I normally would have made. And it was cold! I had to wear my jacket during the nighttime. My body was worn and my immune system was struggling, so keeping in heat was what I had to do. The cold also stopped me from sleeping on the rooftops- the sleep-sack I had was simply too thin and the wind cut right through. I know that there are students, both at the UA and at large, that attend school while living without a home. Man, it's a tough life. My wishes go out to them and the other homeless around our cities.

I understand why I see many people sleeping in the parks during the daytime. They can't get a good rest at night and the sun keeps them warm. The grass is soft and comfortable. The large sleeping bags and shopping carts people drag around contain what they need to get by, which is sometimes much more than a single pack. What if I needed to take drugs for a medical problem or if I had asthma or panic attacks?

There is this lady that always sleeps in the entryway of a nearby high school. She goes to sleep around 2:00-4:00am and curls up there for a couple hours before school starts. She has a couple of luggage bags she totes around. I wonder what her story is. I wonder if there is anything I can do. I've noticed her for a while now, but I've never known what to say or if I should approach her. Just being without a home for a couple of days has made me realize that I should approach her. I should start by breaking the invisible barrier that keeps people away from the homeless.

The next few days are my finals and then I am finished with school for the year. Afterward, it's time for me to get very serious about the MCAT.

Best,

Sam