Linda May’s Road to Self-Reliance

Linda May turns economic desperation into a mobile life, then pursues a lasting home of her own.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Life Without a Cushion

A Life Without a Cushion The narrowing choices Linda May moves through many jobs without building a pension or savings. Low wages and unstable hours repeatedly leave housing costs beyond reach. A fragile future When her Social Security estimate proves too small for rent, she searches for a way to keep working without surrendering nearly all her income to housing.

Choosing the Road

Choosing the Road An escape from the trailer In 2010, isolated in New River, Arizona, Linda May briefly imagines ending her life. An invitation to Thanksgiving dinner interrupts the crisis and makes clear that her circumstances must change. A mobile plan After discovering Bob Wells’s advice, she buys a used motorhome and applies for seasonal campground work. Living in a vehicle becomes a practical bridge between low-wage jobs and independence.

Land for the Future

Land for the Future A place of her own After years of imagining an Earthship, Linda May buys five acres near Douglas, Arizona. A remote video tour confirms that the land is more promising than she feared. A beginning, not a finish She plans to clear a building site and start with a greenhouse, relying on friends and modest resources. The book ends as the project moves from long-held dream toward practical construction.

Before 2010

2010–2013

2016, after the Kentucky job