Despite van adventures (until the blown radiator), it hasn’t been all fun and games for me. Hardly. My main focus, as it should be, has been to try and get more work so I can continue to pay the bills. There are reasons why the van is still parked out back, right where the flatbed left it, with a busted radiator. At least camping season is over in the northeast, especially with the threat of snow tomorrow. Yes, snow, in October. Crazy.
I am making some slow progress. I will be expanding my existing weekend role at RideApart. Details to be finalized, but basically it’ll be more weekend coverage for a commensurate increase in pay. Not bad. I’m also joining the writing team at HealthyPlace, where I’ll be occasionally sharing my experiences with building self-esteem. If you know my work, it sounds completely out of my wheelhouse, literally, since I’ve traditionally written about cars and motorcycles. If you know me personally, though, you’d know that this is an issue I’ve struggled with my whole life, and still struggle with today. The opportunity arose for me to speak out on the subject and hopefully help people who are going through some tough times that I’ve had in the past, and maybe help them through. I’ve long admired how open and honest Wil Wheaton is about his mental health issues, some of which I share. I guess this is me coming out about my own, and trying to do something similar to him on a smaller scale.
Since I am not currently beholden to a boss or a job, I’m also working on some new projects of my own. I can’t say much about them yet, but I’m looking forward to sharing them with you. I can say that as I go back and proofread material I’ve already written, I’m just as amused as I was when I first wrote it. It’s funny, it’s vehicle related, and it’s well on the way. You’ll be seeing more about these projects, for sure.
Meanwhile, I’m still seeking more traditional freelance writing gigs and such. If you know of something that might be up my alley, feel free to contact me.
Justin Hughes 