It was a little over a year ago that I embraced the fact that I was becoming homeless and decided to look forward to the challenges that this would bring, rather than take the negative route and go down the path of depression and hopelessness.
At the time I was living in a tent in the grounds of an abandoned ruin of a country house that belonged to a former friend, and not knowing from day to day what the next one held.
With me were my two dogs, Ellie and Jeb, German Shepherd crosses and four goats, Dave and Stan, the bucks of the gang and Audrey with Little’Un the does.
I’d ended up back at this failed project after the opportunity of a lifetime turned out to the be job from hell, with, an injury that blinded me in one eye being the icing on the cake.
Let me introduce myself, I’m Mike, a Brit that lives in Latvia, and has done for the last twelve or so years.
I’d initially found myself at this place two years earlier, eager to be involved in the rather grandiose plans to rebuild it into a working farm and weekend lodge.
But, Janis being Janis it turns out that he was just full of words and his ideas, claims and promises had no substance.
So, when the offer of work for a large farming company, owned by a German who had relocated to Latvia appeared, I was keen to take it.
Sadly, things there were not as they were portrayed, forty hour weeks turned out to be ninety plus, the equipment constantly failed and the boss a tyrant.
It was during the repair of the conveyor for the grain drier that the accident happened.
The bosses son, who was running things on site, called me over to hold something while he cut it.
No safety glasses or gloves, I had to hold a piece of metal that was being shaped to fit at the bottom of a silo.
No sooner had he started cutting than something hit my eye. I walked away, cursing my own stupidity and headed home.
The next day when I woke I noticed that my vision was distorted and I had little bright flashes in my injured eye.
Long story short, the retina had been damaged and there was little chance of regaining my normal vision.
I got no support at my new job (which came with a house) and, when the transport was taken back, facing a fifteen kilometer walk to the shops I decided that I would just cut my loses and leave.
So that’s how I ended up back at the ruins with my animals.
This time though, with no work, and zero income.
So, one evening, I am lying on my ‘bed’ contemplating the situation, Ellie and Jeb are curled up at my feet. I realise that I have become homeless, I’m 58 yrs old with nothing to my name and simply surviving from day to day.
That’s when I decide ok, that’s great, let’s make it an adventure and see how far I can get in it.
I formed the plan the next day, it’s easy to get things done when there is no chance of being interrupted. I was going to build myself a gypsy caravan, get myself a horse or ox, then travel across Europe, heading West till I go to the Channel or the North Sea, then, I’d decide if I was going back to the UK or turning round and heading back.
And, that’s how it all started.
