On Thursday, May 21st my mother passed away suddenly in the hospital, leaving me to manage the house and bills without the benefit of her income as I was her fulltime caretaker.

As our home is designated as senior living and I was allowed to stay only on the condition that I was her caretaker, I will not be allowed to stay here long term. I am making this drive to ensure I have enough money to settle my debts, maintain the house, care for our three cats, and help in the considerable costs associated with managing the death of a loved one as well as moving while I work through this difficult time and try to figure out new living arrangements and find work.

UPDATE: JULY 6th, 2026

I was forced to sell the home at an unfavorable price because the property owner wanted it removed and replaced. July 31st is my move out date. As such, I am looking to move out of California where living costs are prohibitively high and am looking for jobs and housing in the Portland area of Oregon. As I am currently unemployed, apartments I've spoken with are asking for guarantee of a year's worth of rent up front, which, while not insurmountable, exceeds my current cash on hand after moving expenses are accounted for.

I am about $4000 short, not including utilities and food, but once achieved and I'm able to get a foothold in the area, finding work and long term stability will become significantly less complicated.