8:00 a.m. When I wake up, it’s really cold out. It feels about 25°. I tend to spend more time in my bed in the tent. It takes me a while to get motivated to get up. I don’t have to go to lunch at Lifebridge Salem until noon. I Catch up on work on the phone, updating blogs, and uploading videos.
10:00 a.m. I take some time and do a video outlining some useful items, and using the bathroom in the woods. I also do a quick video of the inside of my tent.
10:45 a.m. I pack up my stuff and head out of the woods. I ride the bike to the car, and I take the car into Salem and park near the library. The plan is to sleep in the tent city next to Wendy’s. I have all my travel camping gear in the car. I had asked some of the people that live in the tents if it’s alright if I camp there, and they said that was fine. When I get to the library I have some time so I just hang out and charge my phones a little bit.
11:50 a.m. I leave the library and I ride over to Lifebridge for lunch. I take some pictures on the way of a church and other things. I arrive at the Lifebridge dining hall. It takes a few minutes before lunch is served. We have quiche, potatoes, and vegetables. It’s a good meal and I have a parfait for dessert.
12:30 p.m. I venture back over to the tent City near Wendy’s. I talked to my friend over there and confirm that it’s fine if I set my tunnel for the night.
1:00 p.m. I head back to the library, where I continue to charge my big battery and phones. I finish up writing the blogs from the previous couple days.
3:00 p.m. I get hungry again and antsy. I decided to head out and get something to eat at Steve’s Market next to Lifebridge. They have hot food items that you can buy. I got two Chinese sausages and strawberry kefir. I try to diversify my diet, which is conducive to overall physical health. The kefir has bacteria cultures that are good for digestive health. I sit in the flag area in the center of Salem where many other unhoused people like to sit. It’s really cold and I’m the only one there. After I’m done eating I still have time to kill before dinner. I leave my bike locked up outside of Steve’s market, and I decide to walk for a bit and I do a quick video explaining that I’ll be sleeping in the tent city tonight.
3:30 p.m. It’s extremely cold and I decide to venture into the Witch City Mall. There’s a couple of teenage boys posted up at an empty mall cart, they have their bikes leaning against the cart. They’re heckling people as they walk by. They say something to me but I just ignore it. I use the bathroom in the mall and I post up on another empty mall cart. I remember when I was in Lynn I talked to a man who had been homeless for a long time. I asked him what he does in the winter, he said he just tries to find a place that’s warm. He said to me that when it’s cold out you’re going to go inside, you’re going to find someplace that’s warm and you will go in there. I see now how right that man was. I make a few phone calls, and I watch as the boys insult and argue with the mall janitor. Eventually shop owners come out and somebody calls the cops. The cops end up showing up, and they do a really good job handling the situation. They tell the boys that they need to put their bikes outside and they can come back into the mall. The boys claim that their parents are picking them up. As the boys walk by me I say to them, make sure you lock those bikes up because if you don’t they’ll be gone. I can see they have no bike locks. I figured that fear of losing their bikes was enough to keep them from coming back into the mall.
4:45 p.m. I decided to head over to Lifebridge for dinner. As I’m getting ready to leave the officer and a store owner pass me. I compliment the officer for handling the situation with the boys really well. The officer tells me he is glad I told the boys to lock their bikes up knowing they had no locks. I replied no prob. I continue on my way over to the Lifebridge dinner. I pass it Tibetan store, and I stop in to look at all the nice stuff. I take a picture of the starving Buddha.
5:00 p.m. When I get to Lifebridge there’s two officers inside. I moved my bike out in front of the Lifebridge building, and I hit my vape. The same officer I saw at the mall comes out of Lifebridge and recognizes me. He says, twice in one night! I said yeah it must be my lucky day. I got seated inside of the dining hall. They have spaghetti, bread, and salad.
5:40 p.m. I head back over to the library, and I charge my phone’s up. I go out to my car and I grab my travel camping gear. I rode my bike over to the tent city. When I arrive I lock my bike up to a tree. I yell out to my friend who is in the tent. It’s extremely cold and nobody’s outside. I let her know that I’m there, and she tells me it’s fine if I set up my tent.
6:45 p.m. Once my tent is all set up I sat outside for a while, it’s bitter cold. I decided to just lay down and get comfortable. I actually feel safe, even though I’m in the open in a populated area. I go to bed relatively early around 8:30 p.m.
