One year ago today, a very scared girl with a lot of bravado opened a plain little no-frills blog and tapped out the following:

“In three days, I will be homeless.”

As they say, what a long strange ride it’s been.

I could never have foreseen the interest tGGtH would generate, the places it would take me, the doors it would open, the opportunities it would provide, and most importantly, the wonderful people I would meet and friendships that would be developed in the process.  I truly believe with all my heart that I have by far the best readers and friends a woman could ever ask for.

It’s a year later, and I’m more excited than ever about all the work yet to be done advocating for homeless people and against homelessness.  As you may know, I’m currently in London on business, and one of the projects I’m working on with the inimitable Jon (BeatOnTheStreet), whom I’m proud to call a friend, is World Homeless Day, coming to a city near you on 10/10/10.  I’ll blog more about it in an upcoming post, but it was such a pleasure and an honor to meet Jon in person finally, as he’s been a constant supportive presence in my life almost from the very beginning, a year ago.

More projects I’m working on include expanding and creating other sites along the full range of my interests (though of course homelessness remains my pet project and I’ll be maintaining this blog as well for all of my activism/advocacy stuff), finishing the upcoming book, as well as consulting on the movie rights currently in talks, and taking better care of myself and my health.

And of course, my ultimate goal (the apotheosis of my ambition, so to speak, as it’s difficult to imagine anything more glorious to which to aspire) is to own my own home…free and clear.  Eep.  Better get started on that one.

So please feel free to stop by in the comments and wish a very Happy Birthaversary to the Girl’s Guide to Homelessness!  It is my most fervent wish that there be many, many more and that the site will continue to inspire hope, understanding of, and assistance for ALL homeless individuals.  Thank you again to all of my friends, readers, and especially the fellow activists with whom I work in tandem – I can only dream of reaching the bar of super-powered awesomeness you have set!

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(Stunning) photo credit all goes to: Alice Smith, http://www.puresauce.co.uk/; Amy Norris, http://eightsixty9.com/ – Thank you, ladies!

Sigh.

So, I’ve just been notified that an article in News of the World was published yesterday, ostensibly about my personal life (the title of which contained an incredibly volatile and insensitive slur against homeless individuals).

I was contacted by the writer, Siobhan McFadyen, quite some time ago and declined an interview with her.  Looks like she just went ahead and wrote one regardless.

The article is laughable at best, containing numerous inaccuracies and flat-out lies.  Interestingly, whomever was named as “a source close to Brianna” clearly has never spoken to me before in my life, as this anonymous (and, I assume, nonexistent) person got just about every fact under the sun wrong.

Only a small handful of my closest (and most loyal) friends know the true circumstances of my trip and my breakup, and that is the way I would like to keep it for now.  As I said in my past blog, please no questions about it.  I won’t answer.

Nice to see that Mr. Barnes isn’t above shelling out a few quip quotes to a trashy tabloid for pay, though!

Meanwhile, I’m having a fabulous time, taking care of both business and pleasure in London.  Will have lots to tell you guys about that later!

Image credit: annie b., annieb-art.co.uk

…It’s real, and sometimes it fuckin’ hurts, but it’s sort of all we have.

~Garden State

Hello, loyal readers!  First a little Homeless News for you, then a brief glimpse into my personal life, as if anybody’s salivating over that, haha.

One story from each coast:

Rosa Bracero, a homeless high school student in New York, has finished all required credits a semester early and has been accepted to college.  However, the NY Department of Homeless Services required every member of the family to attend an hours-long shelter application process on the same day as her Regents exams.  The DHS would not allow the application to be rescheduled, nor for the family to attend without Rosa.  Rosa’s school allowed her to take a makeup exam, but the Board of Regents has now refused to validate the results even in the presence of clear extenuating circumstances, which means that Rosa will not be allowed to graduate.  Readers who would like to write to Mayor Bloomberg petitioning for Rosa Bracero to graduate can do so here.

An advocate for the homeless in Sacramento, Mark Merin, is suing the capital of California over a camping law he says is only enforced towards the homeless, depriving them of their rights to due process and equal protection.  Followers of the Sacramento saga may already be aware of the various tent cities, such as Safe Ground (featured on Oprah), which have sprung up in the city and been hastily disbanded or moved by law enforcement officers.

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And now to take things in a little more personal direction:  I’m single again.

I suppose if there’s one thing in life every girl should have, it’s at least one “broken engagement” notch in her belt.  At some point, we all learn that not everyone is who they hold themselves out to be, and there’s nothing like observing a person in his natural habitat to make you realize that love doesn’t necessarily transcend all.  Not everything translates well across the ocean, life has never been and will never be a fairytale, and there are some people you can’t help.  That’s when it’s time to take a deep breath and save yourself.

No questions about it, please, although comfort dates with stunning hotties are always welcome (take a number, guys – I’m partial to intellectual types!)  What’s done is done, onward and upward.  Life is waiting and it’s going to be amazing!!!  I’m bursting with ideas and there’s so much more to think about than that person.  That’s all I have to say on the matter.

…At least until the book comes out  ;-)

Image Credit: Tony Piro, Calamities Of Nature

Image credit: icanhascheezburger.com

1)  I received the first half of my book advance (yay!) which is taking me a good ways towards stabilizing myself financially, if I budget right.  Hopefully, I should be re-housed in no time!

2)  I met Jon (Beat On The Street) yesterday for the first time.  We’ve been online friends for nearly a year, but it was great to finally meet him face-to-face!  He’s as crazy, funny and Irish as I would expect!  We met with another group of homeless activists, Camden Calling, to discuss a project that Jon is putting together for this year.  More news on that to come soon, hopefully!

Other than that, I think I’m going to lay low for a week or so.  Some personal matters have come up and I need to take a bit of a sabbatical to deal with that, and also to work more on the book.  So don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me for a brief bit.

Agh, things are about to get hectic!  I’m allegedly being paid today (yes, I know I’ve been saying this for about 4 months now… but this time it’s true!), sometime in the next couple days I’m going to get to meet another homeless activist who’s been my friend since the very beginning (Jon, aka BeatOnTheStreet, who’s going to be in London organizing some work of his own), I’ve got to re-color my hair (damn my blonde roots, DAMN THEM!!!!!), I’ve got some bureaucratic hurdles to research and jump, some bills to pay, and then I’ve got to arrange for my travel back to Scotland.

(Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work, but I’ve got my country’s 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it… I’m swamped.)

But, I’m still swinging into give you the Homeless News of the day:

New York City is rehousing homeless citizens… in foreclosed homes and illegally converted apartments.  These New Yorkers then find themselves re-evicted and homeless again soon after being placed, or shaken down by landlords for illegal “under the table” rent.

23-year-old former Newark Bears mascot is now homeless.  Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo is quoted in the article as saying “the face of the homeless is getting younger and younger”…

…a point noted by Irving School District in Texas, who reports 524 (and growing) homeless students, and by Rancho High School in Las Vegas, who has hired a homeless activist to deal with its 200 homeless students (a 400% increase over the previous year).

Finally, a very positive and encouraging story about a formerly homeless woman, Becki Wyer, who overcame abuse and mental illness, and is now sharing her story to help others in similar circumstances.