somewhere past this setting sun

>from a serene evening in Oregon. i feel belonging here and know at once my belonging anywhere is temporary<
i am poor. there. i said it. although quite exhilarating, moving cross country has sucked the life out of my finances. on top of that, when i first arrived here, this area received its worst snow storm it has had in about 30 years. i decided to keep quiet and not let anyone know that it possibly followed me from the midwest. my car was stuck in the apartment parking lot for days, and since i don't have the internet at home, i felt somewhat stuck with job searching. those dog days have passed and now i am working a job i found through an employment agency. but that is actually all beside the point. my first measly paycheck comes tomorrow, and i will still be poor. i have found myself in a stream that leads to an ocean of debt and struggle. i remain convinced that i possess the tools that will help me swim out successfully.
so i do not complain. but the reason that i am really ok is that i am not alone. we, many of us, are working jobs not suited to our particular tastes. but they pay the bills. or not. but either way, our mouths are not entirely empty. we chew, we swallow, we digest, we give back to the earth. and we do it all again.thrice a day. quite honestly, the wonder of life's simple complexities should marvel us more frequently. and everyone has to do it.
i am not alone. my roommate and my boyfriend are also struggling with meager funds. i would much rather us all be poor together than the contrary. we have to be creative with meals and activities and energy use. we have to learn again to enjoy the little things. it is worth a warm fuzzy to enjoy a small piece of chocolate for dessert.
and. as far as wealth, we are not nearly as poor as the so-called least fortunate on the planet. my stomach may feel more hunger than it is accustomed to, but that is not such a terrible thing. my mouth is not empty and i am not alone.