Hi everyone,

I'm Sethy, but if you're reading this you likely know me. You also probably know that I just recently moved from Iowa City, Iowa, a longtime home of mine, to Seattle. Overall, I love it here so far and things have been great, but there is one big stressor that has been weighing on me that I'm struggling to take care of by myself.

In the beginning of August, on the second day of my three-day journey west, my car unexpectedly broke down in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming. I had just bought this used Camry a week prior, and since I knew that I don't know anything about cars, I took it to my grandpa's auto shop so he could make sure it was ready for a demanding trip. Once he said everything looked good and I had fresh oil, good tire pressure, etc., I took off. I thought I was set, but after a smooth day and a half, the car suddenly started shaking and smoking from the hood. I ended up having to get towed 25 miles to a small town where I waited at a hotel until the following morning to find out that my engine had sprung a crazy leak, dried out, and fried to death. Very unlucky, but I was blessed by an angel named Louise from the towing agency who offered to personally drive me, my stuff, and my cat to Salt Lake City where I was able to rent a Corolla to take me the rest of the way. (The dragonfly sticker is from the back of Louise's Yukon.)

I'm very grateful for Louise, for not getting into a harmful accident, and for the sympathy and understanding of the Camry's previous owner who actually ended up sending me some money to contribute to the repair costs. Still, while I was blessed with some luck in the midst of an unlucky situation, replacing an engine is very expensive and the timing was awful. I already felt a little dicey financially surrounding the move, being between jobs, buying a car, putting down a new rent deposit in an expensive city, and then dealing with the 50% higher cost of living. Regardless, I didn't want to give up on the car because I had already taken out a loan to pay for it, so I left it in Evanston, Wyoming to get repaired. After a couple of months of relying on public transit and my partner and/or my roommate to get me places, I finally flew back to my car yesterday and drove it here.

I'm fundraising to help cover some of the unexpected costs of repairing my car, which is essential for me to get around in my new city and to start my new life here in Seattle. I thought about crowdfunding the day this all went down, but I was hopeful I could swing it myself, pull some strings, and make it work. Unfortunately, it's been really hard to catch up and save that kind of money in the short time I've been here, adjusting to my new life and spending on other moving expenses like my bed and mattress, for example.

While I don't like having to ask for this kind of help, I'm not sure how else I can take care of this in time. Of course, no pressure, and I fully understand if you're not in a position to give right now. There are also greater needs than mine, so I don't feel quite right putting this focus on myself. That being said, some of the people around me have convinced me that there's little harm in asking for help, especially if we're willing to do the same for our community members. I don't think I would need much — if each of my friends were able to throw me $20, I'd probably be in a good spot. Figuring this out would be such a huge relief; it's been stressing me out ever since I got here.

Here's a quick breakdown of the unexpected costs:

Any donations will go directly towards covering the remainder of my car repair payment.

Thank you all so much in advance for reading and sharing. I'm really grateful to have a community I feel secure communicating with vulnerably this way, and to have chosen family that love me so much and support me in more ways than they realize.

Love you guys, thanks again,

Sethy