New Mexico Part II

 I stopped into the first Starbucks I've seen since first crossing the Arizona-New Mexico border. There are very few here! I asked the cashier and she said it's because the population is so low. They might be found in Albuquerque, but not in outlying areas.

I'm finding this to be true. It's amazing how much bare land there is here. I tend to be attracted to the smaller highways due to less traffic, less semis, and thinking there might be interesting landscape to see. Not really. Miles and miles of flat semi-desert land sometimes with mountains in the distance. Once up in the hills which are considered mountains here, one finds more shrubs and then taller trees and it becomes scenic and beautiful. At least all the roads, highways, and freeways are drivably maintained. 

Yesterday after leaving the Albuquerque food co-op, I headed east and then south to Fort Sumner. Tiny little town. I had hoped some remnant of the fort was there, but only the cemetery now exists. With Billy the Kid's grave! I love Wild West history and as I drive some of these tiny highways, I imagine what it was like to ride a horse and be a cowboy back in the 1800s. It might take hours to drive to Fort Sumner, but it must have taken weeks on a horse!

.

There was also a Billy the Kid Museum in the middle of town capitalizing on the tourism brought to the area by the gravesite. I asked the cashier what was in it thinking maybe (probably not) there was anything historic of Billy the Kid's. She said there were all kinds of wonderful things, including cars. CARS? Billy the Kid didn't drive a car! I didn't bother to pay $8 to see a car not driven by Billy the Kid. I know from reading biographies there isn't much on Billy the Kid except one photo and legend.

Next I headed to Roswell on my tourist loop. Main Street is filled with alien stores...and lots of tourists. I stopped into one that wasn't swamped with people just too look and bought a postcard for a pen pal that said "Ask me about my butthole. Probed in Roswell." LOL! I couldn't help myself. Too many tourists on the sidewalks and not a whole lot of places to park a giant van so I left.

Next drove to Cloudcroft which is up in the mountains. Camped in the Lincoln National Park at the James Canyon campground right on Highway 82. Very beautiful and quiet in the mountains.

Heading back to Arizona. It's definitely warmer there. My test-traveling adventure is almost over just in time for Christmas!

Gas Station Fragrance Video Warnings!

 I came across this at a gas station in New Mexico, but I'm pretty sure they are all over. I wonder how many people actually pay attention to the message?

New Mexico!

I was eager to head OUT of Arizona after a month of stressful hell. I'd never been to New Mexico and since it's winter in most states, I knew southern New Mexico was dry and sunny. Everyone warned me regardless of the sunshine, it's much colder than Arizona. I woke up to 21 degrees this morning, but the weird thing I cannot yet grasp is there is no ice and no frost! It's dry cold!

Roads here are spectacular. They maintained them. Many of the highways look like national park roads with exceptionally smooth surfaces. This is so different from Arizona with the potholes as big as cars and patches that make the van shake so bad I wonder if it will fall apart. And in Arizona one is expected to drive 75 mph on these bad roads!

My first stop was Silver City. Oh, I love this town! It has a killer historic district that feels like a little hippie town with new age shops and a food co-op! There are bike shops and lots of bike warning signs, every kind of art, and a college that has a "Lifelong Learning" program. The surrounding mountains are filled with trees taller than five feet. There are a lot of BLM campgrounds - I stayed at the Continental Divide Trail campground off Highway 90.

I ventured north out of Silver City to the Gila Cave Dwellings. Highway 15 is scary with drop offs and no center line, but the scenery was beautiful when my heart wasn't racing and my palms sweaty!

 Since I hadn't seen water for nearly two months, hiking up the mountain to the cave dwellings was a treat with the babbling creek running parallel to the path. So beautiful and peaceful. I camped at the McMillan Campground and the Cherry Creek Campground for two nights.

My next tourist site was City of Rocks which is just south of Silver City. I love being a tourist.

Next I headed to Albuquerque. They have the La Montanita Food Co-op filled with all kinds of health and not so healthy foods. I splurged. One thing I loved about this co-op is the bathroom sign:

To be continued.....

VAN LIFE!!!

As soon as the psychopathic landlady started poisoning me with scents through the heating system, I panicked. Where can I go to be safe? I slept in my car a few nights, but tiny cars are not comfortable. I needed to survive. How? What can I do?

The stink started on a Monday, stopped on Tuesday, started again on Wednesday and Wednesday night I thought I should check Marketplace for safe space options. OMG! My dream van was staring right at me! Ford Transit Passenger Van with most of the seats removed and a BED in the back!! It was BLUE, not white as too often they are! I have been looking for a van since selling my old van in January unable to find anything in Washington. Here we are in Tucson where vehicles are not so often moldy, but I did not get too excited knowing how problematic used vans are for me. I wondered Would it work? Does it have air fresheners? Is it still available? Does it stink? Is it moldy? I contacted the seller who was very nice. He said someone had offered him lower than his asking price and plans to see and possibly buy it Saturday. He said if I want to pay the full price and can come soon...I made an appointment to see it the next day.

He was not home, but his adorable wife was with her two small children. She kept saying, "My kids are so taken with you and they are NEVER friendly with strangers!" I felt like I had known her for a lifetime. So comfortable. I asked about air fresheners in the van and she looked confused. Absolutely not! The van belonged to her mother-in-law who was a chiropractor and adamantly opposed to perfumes or scents of any kind! I sighed with relief then cheered enthusiastically. OMG! Perfect!

Meet Big Blue! Brand New!

I test drove it. Then asked if I could have it inspected, but it would involve driving the van back to the city. She said, "Sure! Take it all day! We were going to have that done next week." I took it to the Ford Dealership who did it for free which saved the owners money. Ford said it's in great shape. I bought it that Friday!! Easiest purchase I've ever made. How long did it take to find a van? If it's meant to be...!

I slowly started moving into it, not quite sure what I would need or what I was doing. I did an overnight test at a BLM campground outside of Tucson to see how it would work, if it would work, if I'd have any reaction. It was glorious. I started sleeping in it every night in different free or cheap camping sites in the greater Tucson area: Mt. Lemmon, Colossal Cave Mountain Park, Redington Pass, Tucson BLM, Patagonia BLM.

Mt. Lemmon

By the time I moved completely out of the apartment, I was ready for full time van living.

Well, not really! It was a steep, steep learning curve and although I have researched van living for at least two years, I felt so unprepared! The van didn't come with a manual and they are hard to find, so I don't even know how to work everything on the dash! It's disorganized, dirty, and dusty. It's a lot of driving. Parking this massive blue whale in the city is nearly impossible. OMG! How do I cook? How do I store food? How do I work? How do I shower? How do I pee?

I started slowly buying supplies I might need, careful not to go crazy buying the wrong things so it's been a slow process. I was warned wasting a lot of money is a weakness of all new van lifers. My priority was power so I could cook and work. I bought a Bluetti and took weeks to figure it out. (Bluetti sucks when it comes to instruction or support!) It can be charged with solar power, an AC outlet, or through the car cigarette lighter which is slower. Then I bought a rice cooker. Did you know you can cook a ham in a rice cooker? That was a tip I received from a truck-driving woman at a truck stop laundry.

BLM Tucson

Internet was a little more difficult. I started working at the local library and at various Starbucks. This also afforded me the luxury of charging up the laptop and my phone. Learning to type on a laptop was a learning curve all by itself, but I did it. Soon I plan to buy satellite internet with a roaming feature, but they are expensive so I'm researching it.

Lowell, AZ

I have yet to take a shower...it's been three weeks! But I do sponge baths every now and then, wash my feet all the time, and wash my hair in a cold bucket of water every couple of days. It's still a challenge, but I'm learning.

There are plenty of negatives which I dwelt on at first as I swam aimlessly in all this unimaginable stress. I'm finally starting to see the positives: NO CRAZY LANDLORDS!!!, no rent, no utilities, freedom to travel, when I moved out of the apartment what couldn't fit in my little car I moved with the van, I can transport my bike in it, and I'm meeting other van lifers in campgrounds all over!

Full Moon in the Morning

I stayed in Tucson for a few weeks to finish some work, then I headed out on the road. I was so happy to get away from Tucson and charging up the power supply through the van is much more user-friendly.

Can you believe this? I can't! I am living in a van! I look forward to spring and warmer weather when I can venture out and north. For now I'll stay where it's warmer and drier! Currently I'm in New Mexico!

And I'm safe. No matter what the future brings, I have a new safe space.

At the Continental Divide

Tucson, AZ

Tucson has been at the top of my list for residential locations for a long time. After a month and a half, here is my summary:

BAD STUFF:

Psychopaths. I realize the psychopath destroyed my outlook so I'll put her at the top. I am hoping the memory will fade and my love for Tucson will return, but for now, being in the city makes me sick to my stomach.

Traffic. Lots of vehicles and lots of bad drivers. Tucson has a bad reputation for weird signage making it difficult to find locations. It's non-stop stress to be cautious and not get in a wreck. As someone who came from a tiny town with no traffic, this has been a challenging adjustment.

Roads. The Republicans don't like to spend money on anything so they don't maintain roads. The potholes are as big as cars, the shoddy patchwork makes driving dangerous, and they still expect people to drive 75 mph on the freeway!

Republicans. Too many of them here not wanting the government to do anything but expecting the government to control everything? How exactly does that work? How did Dump win? It shocks me. 

Expensive Restaurants. Anytime I go out to eat it's $20 to $30 for a meal! Now I accept the fact I rarely ate in restaurants where I used to live so twenty years is a long time so prices have increased, but it never ceases to amaze me how much money one can spend eating out.

Internet. The internet service options suck.

GOOD STUFF:

Biking. Bike trails, routes and paths ALL OVER THE CITY! Most streets are designated bike paths and intersections have stop lights for cyclists. There is the 50-mile loop all the way around the city. It is a biker's dream. Lots of clubs and bicycle enthusiasts.

Art. Lots of art clubs to join. The great weather supports plein air painting. Lots of museums and galleries.

MCS. There is a large group for chemically sensitive people called HEAL. They have a newsletter and host potlucks. When I attended my first potluck I felt like crying the whole time. People just like me gathering in a social context. We could group and didn't have to worry about being poisoned!

Health. A lot of people profess miraculous cures being in this dry, warm climate especially regarding arthritis or mold toxicity. I have a lot of hope.

Radio. They have a great pop radio station.

People. Most people are really nice, exceptionally nice.

Health-oriented Stores. Lots of Whole Foods, Natural Grocers, and Sprouts along with health food stores and a food co-op! The food seems to be a little more expensive than where I'm from.

The Psychopath

I arrived in Tucson on November 1st ready to take possession of the little apartment owned by the pathological lying bully of a landlady, now referred to as "The Psychopath" or abbreviated, "Psycho". My plan was to lay low, be quiet, avoid contact, and not incur her wrath for any reason. During the lease negotiations, everything I said or questioned she perceived as a personal attack so my plan was to be invisible. I kept her abreast of my progress: arrival in Tucson, unloading of storage, then approximate arrival at the apartment. She wasn't there. My greatest fear is she just wouldn't hand over the keys and I would be homeless. I texted and waited.

Twenty minutes later as we sat in 100-degree weather, she arrived, no apology, but clearly unmoored by seeing my friend with me. She talked incessantly and at length repeating the same stories I had already heard, giving me detailed instructions on what I could and couldn't do in the apartment, how to clean things, what cleaning products to use. I just kept thinking, give her time to adjust to a new person and she will be fine. This compulsive control over every detail was odd to say the least, but my friend assured me elderly people are just like that.

My first panic was realizing the mattress was scented! The apartment was partially furnished. I requested some things to be removed: the small table too small for a desktop computer, the towels and kitchen supplies. With only 194 square feet, every object was restrictive. Psycho was not having it. I told her I didn't want to feel like a temporary guest, but rather, wanted to feel like I was home and if I would be signing a one-year lease this was important. (The ad for the apartment offered a month-to-month, but I think she took one look at my credit score and said only a one-year lease was available.) After much deliberation, she did remove more than I expected. I wanted the mattress so I wouldn't have to buy another and upon initial inspection, there was no stink. I decided to take the plastic mattress covers I used to pack items and wrap the mattress in plastic. I would feel like a toddler sleeping on crunchy plastic, but I could do this for a year.

I made the mistake of sending her the Inspection Report that was attached to the lease, listing every issue with the apartment anticipating she would blame me for every problem once my lease was up because that is exactly what a dishonest piece of garbage would do. The appliances, windows, and floors were filthy. There was long black hair all over the bathroom. Damage to the walls and the paint job was horrifying with three different types of paint, four different colors of white alone, and paint splatters all over her precious floor. (Calling out the bad paint job was important as she kept harassing me about painting, convinced I would paint behind her back, AND she left a can of paint under the sink! That felt like a set up.) I attached it to a very friendly email. She said I was exaggerating and lying. She claimed she had photos she took before I moved in. I didn't respond as I was trying to be invisible. I didn't tell her I took over 150 date-stamped photos as my proof. I tried to ignore all the dog shit she never cleans up on the courtyard. The dog's new toilet was right in front of the gate where I have to walk to get off the property. I took daily photos of date-stamped dog shit.

Psycho never did relax. For the next three weeks she watched me (security cameras all over), sometimes showing up at my door when I returned. I wondered if she had cameras in the apartment, but I never found any evidence. Complaining, demanding, warning, and texting constantly. I tiptoed around the apartment afraid to touch silverware that would clatter too loudly.

Then the harassment began. She decided I need to pay for renters' insurance. I needed to buy new rugs for the apartment since she claimed I hated her rugs. (I did NOT say I hated her rugs, but that I had a rug that matched the color of the walls.) She wouldn't let me handwash nor hang clothes in the courtyard and that I should go to a laundromat. Then she accused me of continuing to wash clothes and dump the water in the courtyard where her dog was getting muddy. She constantly threatened me if I didn't remember to close the gate and lock it. Two weeks into the month and she demanded an inspection giving me 48 hours notice. She never showed. Around this time, she decided I was using too much internet data, and I needed to start paying for internet service. I tried keeping my head down, not to incite her anger and her unhinged temper tantrums. I was honestly afraid if I defended myself or voiced my opinion, she'd accuse me of elderly abuse. I was so stressed I was constantly shaking, unable to eat, and did everything possible to not be in the apartment. I made an appointment with a lawyer.

Then Psycho did the unthinkable...Monday morning something strongly scented started wafting through the heating system. Now, Psycho likes it hot. She would jack up that heat to 85 degrees. I didn't mind. She told me early on if it gets too hot to close the vents and open the windows. I really don't mind hot. I moved to get out of cold. I wondered if this stink was scented laundry detergent, but it smelled too strong like air fresheners. Not only did I close the vents, seal them with plastic, open the windows, point fans out the windows, bought and turned on an air purifier, and wore a mask while in the apartment. The stink smelled like the bed. I carefully sent her an email letting her know I was deathly allergic to scented products and asking for her help with this. She told me she didn't know what I was talking about. I started sleeping in my car, but away from the apartment as I was afraid if she caught me, she'd have more to yell about.

After I told the lawyer of my rental situation, she said the landlady sounds mentally ill. She suggested I contact Arizona Disability Services for guidance on discrimination and try to get out of the lease as neither of us is happy about our agreement. She also advised me not to worry about elderly abuse accusations and feel free to defend myself and respond to her accusations. Psycho seemed to settle down when I used the words "disability" and "discrimination". I sent her a certified letter Request of Accommodation which she ignored. She said she would let me out of my lease if I moved out by the end of the month (one week). I told her I'd think about it. Where would I go? I was still thinking there was hope if she would cease the scented products and desist with the harassment.

Then she got really nice. I have a feeling she might have consulted a lawyer. She said we could work it out, she would have the vents cleaned, and I would have to buy a new mattress for myself. She continued to insulted me several times, telling me I don't know what I'm talking about (more gaslighting), saying I was one of the worst tenants she ever had, and complained repeatedly vent cleaning would cost $2,000 (which I think was another lie according to friend of mine who said it never costs that much). She couldn't tell me how they would clean the vents and I worried it would make the situation worse if they used chemicals. She continued to text me all the time, demanding to know when I was going to buy the new mattress, when I would need to let the vent cleaners in, and informing me if I wanted to terminate the lease I could but she didn't care either way (another lie).

I couldn't imagine spending a whole year with Psycho's harassment as clearly it was not going to stop. I opted to terminate the lease. She said we didn't need a formal document (another lie). I requested the termination through email and she approved through email. November 30th at 6:00pm would be my deadline. I had everything moved out and the apartment cleaned by November 26th (making sure she couldn't accuse me of abandonment). At that last load in my little car, I was breathing a sigh of relief (pun intended), but knowing it's not over. I requested my security deposit and last month's rent returned giving her a UPS mailbox address for my forwarding address. 

On November 30th, she texts me one last time to tell me she can't be there at 6:00pm to get the keys and I should lock the apartment and gate, and throw them over the wall. I found this to be outrageously stupid. Suppose they end up in a garden lost? Who is she going to blame? She threatened if I don't give her back keys, she will hire a locksmith, and deduct it from my security deposit. I text back and told her the keys are on the counter and the doors and gates are locked. (I didn't tell her they had been on the counter all week.)

Uhauling Across the Country!!

 

Here we go! It's really happening!

I packed up the whole house a month before the closing date. I lived out of boxes. I sold most of my furniture and most of what was left of my belongings in an attempt to fit what I had in a 15 x 15 Uhaul truck. I did such a great job, I only filled half of the truck, but I needed that size in order to drag my little car behind.

EMPTY...

I picked up the Uhaul and loaded everything into the truck. The last half hour my friend came with her husband and helped with the heavier items. My darling friend agreed to ride with me. She refused to drive, but I can't even attempt to express how grateful I was for her company. She was a trooper sleeping at truck stops and rest stops, not once demanding a nice, warm, cushy hotel room! It was a wonderful road trip with a delightful friend who helped me so much along the way!

SO EMPTY...

First, before we even started our journey, the battery went dead! My friend's husband was not impressed and clearly worried, but it was fixed. It didn't stop there, what we didn't know is the Uhaul's ignition was going out. This meant we usually couldn't get the key out of the ignition or if by chance we could, we then couldn't get the truck started for about 20 minutes! One of us always had to stay with the truck so even if we wanted to stay at a cushy, warm hotel, one of us always had to guard the truck. (We were a little crazy hearing how Uhauls are so often stolen anyway!) Uhaul changed my reservation to a local dealer who didn't know how to hook up the car dolly and we found out 500 miles in it was hooked up incorrectly...or rather wasn't hooked at all!  We only ended up lost way out in the country once. At night! What an adventure to say the least!

REALLY EMPTY...

But, as soon as I started driving out of Rathole, I had this amazing sense of calm come over me! Nineteen years of stress evaporated! I kept yelling, "I feel so calm!"

The first day I drove 12 hours, second day 15 hours, third day 9 hours, and last day 3 hours. My friend was in charge of music and maps. We arrived! I unpacked the Uhaul into a storage unit, taking some things to the apartment. 

I was in Tucson finally!

Rental Searches

In September of 2024 with a fifty-day deadline, I headed back to Tucson to find a rental. 

I stayed at a different airbnb owned by my potentially-future real estate agent and began my search. 

My chemical-sensitivity requirements were: no carpet, no gas appliances, no mold/mildew or musty stink, no air fresheners, no candles, small, no new construction or remodeling due to chemical off-gassing, nice neighbors, with a washer and internet connection. I was hoping for under $1,000 a month, but willing to consider as high as $1,300 a month. I spent a week in Tucson with appointments all day long. I saw quite a few that were being remodeled but didn't trust they would be offgassed and safe by the time I needed to live in them. By the last day, I was driving to and from appointments CRYING in disappointment afraid I'd be homeless by the end of the month. My requirements were impossible and I was running out of time and options.

Around the third day of my trip, I was horribly sick. At first I thought it was because of the exposures of the various rentals, but realized it was the airbnb! Something was wrong with the portable air conditioner which was contaminating the air. (Later I did some research and discovered air conditioning created really bad indoor air quality!) I spent the last days of my trip sleeping in the bathtub as the bathroom was the only safe space. What a nightmare! This illness also compromised my ability to assess the rental spaces.

I found one apartment that might work. It was described as a casita, but it wasn't. It was advertised as 300 square feet, it wasn't. I was told the shared wall was sound-proof and smell-proof, it wasn't. It was advertised as $855 a month with all utilities and internet service, it wasn't. Then the 81-year old landlady said something that caught my attention...she was sensitive to perfumes and fresh paint. This gave me hope! At least she wouldn't poison me!

During the showing I noticed the walls had not been painted although the advertisement said it was. I was happy about this lack of toxic paint smell, however, there were holes in them, patching, scratches, the colors were painted into the white ceiling. It was ugly. Because of the risk of new paint, I offered to paint it for her before I moved in using low VOC paint. I'm great at painting. She said absolutely NOT and she was sure I'd throw it all over and make a mess. She almost didn't rent it to me for fear I would paint on the sly. Who turns down a free paint job? She continued to harass me about painting even after I moved in.

By the time it came to sign the lease, the landlady raised the price twice first from $855 to $955 and then to $995. She constantly tried to gaslight me into believing, "That price was what it was advertised for." She deleted the listing without deleting the "Price History" which clearly shows the lower price. (She eventually deleted the "Price History", too, when I called her on her lies!) "You can always back out," she kept repeating. She didn't realize I didn't have any other options. She also said it came with all utilities and internet, but later she changed her mind. She said it came with a washer if I sign a one-year lease, again, she changed her mind again. Later I found out the walls are neither scent-proof or sound-proof, and the space was much smaller than 300 square feet. She lied about nearly everything!

I signed the lease thinking I can do this for one year just to get me moved and in Tucson. I dreaded moving into an apartment managed by a compulsive, pathologically lying psychopath. I was no longer excited about moving to Tucson. I didn't have a choice. I imagined the worse...

And the worst came true...

To be continued.

Selling My Safe Space

The next step to my escape was to put my house up for sale. For the last nineteen years, my home has been my safe space. Well, with the exception of my lousy, thoughtless, smelly, noisy neighbors. My first trip to Tucson produced no rental options which made selling my house absolutely frightening. "What happens if I end up homeless?" I bought a t-shirt with the saying, "Fear is Not Interesting" and wore it all summer, every day, to give me confidence and courage.

As I might have mentioned in a previous post, the prerequisite for listing the house was to get rid of my art history book collection totalling nearly 200 books. I started selling on e-Bay the year before. By the time May 2024 rolled around, I sold most of them, but I was left with a few boxes. I took them to the used bookstore in the university district and they bought all but a handful. The leftovers I took to Half Priced Books and unloaded. I was ready. Was I? Not really, but determined.

Selecting a real estate agent was a nightmare. I interviewed three from outside my county plus three from my area. I chose the least stinky who was from my town. She didn't smell of perfume or scented whatever, but she did smell of laundry chemicals. What was I to do? The other five never once even showed my house and the two from my area made a point not to show my house because my agent put right on the listing to be fragrance free as if they were offended by the request. How rude they can't go without stink for one day. I seriously didn't think my house would sell at all with all these challenges.

When I finally had the house photographed and listed, there were few houses on the market in my area and I was happy about that. By June nearly everyone I knew and most of the local population decided it was time to sell. The competition was gruesome especially watching my neighbors' houses sell while mine just sat there. However, I kept having complete strangers ask me if my house was the colorful one, the artistic one, the unusual one. They all claimed to love it and wished they could buy it. That gave me a little confidence, but I also know "unusual" can be a turn-off to many.

Although the listing requested people be fragrance free, this was ignored. It was frustrating. And smelly. I bought some new air purifier filters and ran them for hours once the stinkers left. Keeping my house spotless was a nightmare. Getting agents who would make an appointment, expect me to leave, and then not show was frustrating.

After four months I lowered the price $20K and for the next month I got ZERO showings. I lowered the price another $50K. I really thought I'd be able to hold out for a better price, but once the nightmare of showings and constantly cleaning started, I just wanted it to be over.

The fall season came too quickly along with the monsoon rains. I was so disheartened! Would I really be forced to live in cold and rain for another winter? I worried constantly what might go wrong with the house before someone would buy it. I worried about everything!

Finally, I got ONE offer. ONE! I negotiated a closing date of 50 days a little longer than the normal 30 days because I still wasn't sure I'd be able to find a safe rental. I was told the buyers could cancel right up until the closing date. It was so stressful not knowing if they'd cancel and I'd have a house and a rental to financially maintained. But it closed!! Whoo Hoo!

I feel exceptionally thankful! Now to find a place to live!

Travel Lodging and Airbnbs

 

It was my first official, formal trip in twenty years (not counting road trips and camping adventures) and I needed a place to stay that was fragrance-free safe. Hotels are impossible for me due to the offgassing of new furniture, laundry detergent smells, and toxic cleaning supplies used to de-stink a previous customer's stay. What do I do?

I considered driving and camping at my destination, but decided driving would take too much time and since I sold my van months ago, sleeping in a tiny car would not work. Besides the weather in Tucson was expected to be in the 90s. Nope.

I started searching online months ago. Would an Airbnb work? There are many posts and comments from people searching for fragrance-free Airbnbs or any kind of private accommodation that would be willing to be nontoxic. It seems this search is very difficult. 

Airbnb has a filter for number of rooms, number of guests, number of bathrooms, other amenities, but no general word search options. Their website even has an "Accessibility" filter so people with disabilities are able to search for wheelchair access or other helpful features. No mention of chemical sensitivity which is an official disability according to ADA. It seems they are excluding a whole group of disabled people who need fragrance-free accommodations.

I got creative and joined several online community groups and posted the question, "Does anyone know of an Airbnb that is fragrance-free?" Some of the responses were along the lines of, "NO." Or "Good luck with that!"  One woman who was an Airbnb host offered to become fragrance-free just for me not understanding that would involve washing her linens at least twenty times to get the laundry stink out of them for it to be safe enough for me. I really had little hope, but I persisted in my search.

Fortunately and miraculously, one group member was an Airbnb host who belonged to an Airbnb host support group. She posed the question on her group and gleaned a whole list of people who claimed to be fragrance-free! But were they really? We all know unless people are chemically sensitive they often don't even know what fragrance-free means.

I selected one that was a small casita for one person. The host seemed the most aware of fragrance-free cleanliness and I posed questions regarding cleaning and personal hygiene products as she did not have these things featured on her listing. Yes, she uses only vinegar and hydrogen peroxide for cleaning, free and clear laundry detergent, and provides fragrance-free and nontoxic personal hygiene products. Hmmm...OK! I didn't ask how old the mattress was to assess if it would offgas chemicals nor what kind of mattress. I didn't ask if there was any remodeling, new furniture, or new paint? I know it would be a risk, but I did what I could to make sure it was safe and booked it (no refunds!) I also purchased the optional travel insurance in case of sickness as I hoped if the space made me sick, I could leave and get a refund. (If Airbnb doesn't even recognize chemical sensitivity as a disability, it might have been a struggle to convince them had I actually became violently ill because of the space. I think a lawyer might have convinced them....)

I arrived and got into the casita. There was a second, adjoining, unoccupied Airbnb space, but no other customers were staying while I was there. The casita smelled musty! What was that? Formaldehyde? Bug spray? My lungs started hurting. Oh no, this is not good.

I noticed the air conditioning was not on and this was controlled by the host so I requested she turn it on. She suggested I open windows and run the ceiling fans on high as well. I left and began my tour of Tucson praying when I returned the air would be tolerable. I asked her if I could have access to the swimming pool since other tenants weren't there. I did not explain why I wanted access. It was not to swim, but as an option should I be unable to stay overnight in the casita, I could just sleep out by the pool in a lounge chair. I was not excited about sleeping outside with lizards, snakes, and other creepy crawlies, but it was better than suffocating. (The rental car had a slight smell of "new car smell" so I knew I would not be able to sleep there.)

I apprehensively returned a few hours later and the casita aired out magnificently! Whew! Relief! I noticed as I looked at rentals in Tucson many had the same musty smell and I am now assuming it might just be the way Tucson is when air-tight and locked up. The host did confess she uses ozone, but said she didn't use it on the casita. I do wonder what her pest control procedures are, but I didn't ask. I hoped for the best and made the assumption if she was that aware, she probably wasn't using toxic pesticides like so many in Tucson do. 

The mattress was a natural latex that was a couple years old. Incredibly comfortable with no smell at all! Her linens smelled so clean, even cleaner smelling than my own!

I have heard some hotel chains provide "hypoallergenic rooms". I stopped into the Hyatt Place and asked hoping they would let me smell one to see how safe it might be. No, they did not have "hypoallergenic rooms". Oh well. They lose my business!

I can't even express how happy I was it all worked out!! But expensive...it's not cheap to stay in an Airbnb and it was the highest expense of my trip. Did I pay extra for nontoxic accommodations? Maybe, but this is typical. It's expensive to be chemically sensitive!

Car Rentals

 For my trip to Tucson I needed a rental car. I couldn't imagine getting on a public bus, besides the time it would take to bus across the city over and over again during my stay. I wanted to traverse freely. However, there is a huge risk in renting a car.

Cars can stink in a variety of ways. Previous renters stink. They aren't allowed to smoke in the rental car, but some do. They wear perfumes, colognes, lotions, deodorants, shampoos, and sometimes have their dogs with them.

The rental companies then clean the cars. If the car stinks badly, they use ozone which I have found from past experience is deadly for me. Would they also use smelly cleaners or spray air fresheners? I called and was told they normally don't use scented cleaners, but if the car is returned exceptionally smelly, they do everything possible to rid it of stink and that may involve using chemicals of some kind. I was also told I would get a choice of cars so if it was too smelly, I could request another.

I reserved a small, compact, economy car, but at the counter the customer service agent thought it wise and helpful to upgrade it to a mid-sized SUV. Ah...no thanks. I also didn't realize the SUV was a 2024 so brand new and offgassing formaldehyde in that familiar "new car smell." Definitely not. I also drive a tiny car so I wasn't comfortable driving in an unknown, unfamiliar city in a huge car. I requested the smallest and oldest car they had.

I ended up with a 2022 Toyota Camry. It still had a slight "new car smell", but I turned on the air conditioning AND rolled down all the windows. It aired out perfectly. Note to self: old and small is best. It was an awesome car and made me want to buy a new car!

I survived my first rental car experience in thirty years! Hooray!!

I'm FLYING!!!

 

It's 2024 the year I will move! I can't even express how incredibly frightening this is not knowing where I can go that might be safe, trying to figure out how to research and plan, and then actually attempting to visit the location to make sure it would work.

I threw all caution to the wind (or rather humanity-infested perfumed-soaked airspace) and flew on a plane from Seattle to Tucson, Arizona! I got on a plane! I'm still amazed I survived the experience.

I haven't flown for twenty years since the onset of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. The thought of being packed into a small space like a sardine shoulder to shoulder with other sardines has not appealed to me, but how do I research a location and assess safety without visiting? I did consider driving, but the length of time it would take compared to a three hour flight wasn't cost affective. Losing time from work is very costly. So I got brave and donned my wings!

Thankfully, the pandemic made wearing a mask normal. I brought two just in case one wasn't good enough. I use the 3M 8577 P95 which is for odors as well as dust-like molecules. I wear them for any toxic construction or painting projects I might do. Not only do they work great, but they don't offgas any chemicals nor are they soaked with anything like formadehyde. I do well with them. 

Security was a new requirement, one I had never experienced. I'm sure those who travel often take all the changes for granted, but it was a new world for me. Some airports, like Seattle, are incredibly busy with long lines through security; other airports, like Tucson, are empty with no lines and no waiting. I kept my mask on until the security personnel asked to see my face.

The airline reservation was all online, another new experience. The cheap seats don't allow one to choose a seat as that would be an added cost. I was flabbergasted on the flight from Seattle to Tucson I had a whole row to myself! On the way back I was in an emergency seat with no one around me! How does that happen with full flights?

I love airports! The ventilation is top of the line. The ceilings are high. There is plenty of space to stay away from others. I have always found the air in airports to be incredibly clean even with jet fuel exhaust polluting the outside.

On the outgoing flight three women sat in front of me. Someone stunk to high heaven. If I turned my head just right I could smell the perfume. I stopped turning my head and had no problem. (Love this P96 mask!)

The whole time I kept getting really excited! Can I really travel! I can go to Hawaii! Mexico! Europe, even! Wow. Who would have thought! Of course, then there is the risk of a rental car, the risk of accommodation, the risk of airport buses...lots of risk. But I survived!