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The Nomad
Story by Joseph Chambers
Art by Manuel Ramirez

It was winter of 2003 after a short 25 days in the county when I came home to find out I was homeless. With the dreams of seeing the world this is the story of why some call me “The Nomad”.

I went from the back seat of a small ford to a homeless shelter in New York City. I loved it there despite having to go to a shelter every night. The city was everything I expected, but this adventure only lasted two and a half months. I mean, NYC is not the world, even though I already established a nice size group of friends. Where to go next?

The Salvation Army in New York told me that if I had a place to go, they would buy a Grey Hound ticket for me. So a few days' later I came across an idea which would involve one of my internet friends. I asked this girl I have been talking with for about a year if she wanted to finally meet. She quickly agreed and asked “how?” So I told her I would need her address and that a man will be calling in the next day or so.

Three-days later I am on the Grey Hound off to San Jose, California. I have never seen the west coast and I was excited. I arrived at about ten pm on a Saturday night and I slept outside. The following day I wept because I was hungry and asked what looked to be homeless. I asked a man where I could find a shelter. He told me where to go and pointed me in the direction.

I loved San Jose a lot. I found out about a lot of programs and befriended a lot of homeless youth that are still there today. I stayed in San Jose about a year. Despite the fact that South West Detroit is my native homeland, I to this day call San Jose home. My first time I tried to relocate it was to Reno. But somehow I missed home and I found myself back less than a month later.

I have worked a little here and there. Places like Manpower and Labor Ready. I found God in San Jose and a great group of friends. But I still lived in my dreams. I wanted to leave. I didn't have much and I needed money to move. No questions; but I came up on $1,900 and found myself back on the Grey Hound to Mexicali, Mexico.

I got my taste for new and exciting adventure and wanted more. So I was not in Mexico for more than two weeks. After I got on the bus in Calexico I have lived in many places. Actually, let me give you the order: Dunlap TN, Brooklyn NY, Boston MA, Queens NY, Philadelphia PA, Newark NJ, Ft Lauderdale FL, Chicago IL, Detroit MI, Chicago, IL, Mexicali Mexico, Detroit MI, South Haven MI, and now I reside in San Marcos TX. Can you tell me now why I am called “The Nomad?”

Today I live in a wonderful apartment which the lease I took over ends August 10 th. From here I plan to go back home to San Jose for a week or so than visit my grandparents in Dunlap TN. From there I should be flying out to London for six months for school. It is a Discipleship Training School with a program called Youth With A Mission. (YWAM) They call for radical youth to tell people about Christ. I feel I am very radical.

Well, this is as personal as I can get, huh.