There is nothing quite so relaxing as the kind chirp of a nesting sparrow. Or the whistle of a light wind whisking through the trees. Or the rippling topography of the foothills soaking in the pre-dusk sun. This is where the mind can justly wonder.

This month, I’ve taken a short break from the day-to-day in the city in favor of some solitude in the desert. I’ve taken a small cottage in the high desert of Southern California for three weeks while I finish up the last round of edits on my book’s most recent draft. It is an irony that doesn’t fail to escape me–renting a vacation home in order to work on my book about living rent-free. The truth is, I can’t deny my desire for peace, solitude, and reliable air conditioning while I focus on putting together the biggest project I’ve ever undertaken.

In some ways this was planned for. I’d saved up a great deal of money over my first 500 days of home-free living–over $10,000 after paying off old loans–in an effort to put that money towards my future rather than to rent. While I was saving, I wasn’t sure what exactly that would amount to. The down payment on a home? Paying off my last student loans? Making smart investments?

I’ve always wanted to work creatively. Moving to Los Angeles a few years ago, paradoxically, stalled that dream, as I found myself spending more time at work and trying to pay for my living expenses than anything. But living home-free started to change that. Slowly but surely. In the past year, I have started making work for myself again, taking on some film projects and writing for the L.A. Weekly. And now, writing my book.

Taking a place in the desert for a few weeks has given me the freedom to dive right into working on that book. And I was able to do it because I saved up enough money, while I was working full-time, by living frugally. Had I not been living that way, I’d have left my last job needing to immediately find a new one. Now, I have some breathing room. And I’m using that to chase a dream of publishing my first book. Something I am hoping will be an investment in my future.

So as I finish up my time in the desert, I am thankful for the way things have worked out thus far and hopeful I can someday turn this dream into a reality. If so, I hope to share that in a way that will motivate others hopeful to make sacrifices of their own on the way to reaching their ambitions.

As for now, it’s back to my desert workspace for one last weekend of parched-ground paradise productivity. That that is well worth the payment.

– TOH