I have lost 10 pounds during my stay in Savannah. It is not an accomplishment. It’s a problem.

Many people have noticed my sparse postings and some have even suggested I leave Savannah for a larger city. And while my life here may be as boring to read as it is to endure, I cannot leave.

One of the core goals of this journey is to discover the inherent boundaries of Craigslist. When I first set off to California I didn’t know what issues I would face—where I would live, where I would work and how I would entertain myself. In both San Francisco and Denver, I luckily discovered a cornucopia of Craigslist-related opportunities.

My opportunities on here are just as starved as my body. And now, because I do not want a flurry of emails requesting my address for care packages, I will tell you all about my eating habits.

Over the last month I have spent exactly $48 on food. Each Saturday I go to the farmers market, thankfully posted on Craigslist, to buy eggs, a few vegetables and potatoes. From there, I walk over to the fresh food market. I purchase a pound of beans, peanut butter, bread, oatmeal and, if it was a good week financially, I buy a sandwich.

On Sunday night, I make my stew. I soak my beans throughout the day and cook everything in one large pot. It is dinner for the rest of week.

For breakfast I eat oatmeal and peanut butter. For lunch, because I work six days a week, I have a Greek salad with hummus and pita.

I know I am eating fewer calories than my body requires but my stay in Savannah has become a test of will. My mindset is at times similar to that of a marathon runner. Pacing for the long haul, I set weekly goals.

Now I have less than a month left and I have reverted to survival mode. “It’s only a few weeks,” I keep telling myself. The toothbrush I have been using since departing in September—a simple electric brush—refuses to turn off unless it is sitting on the charger. “I can buy one when I finish,” I assure myself knowing how unlikely it is that I could find toothbrushes on Craigslist, at least not in Savannah.

And so while Living Craigslist is the title of this project, it has become, of late, more about surviving Craigslist.

When my sisters and I were younger, our parents had ways of conceptualizing almost everything. One I remember in particular has to do with my younger sister and her aversion to bike rides. I can remember my mom coaxing her into exercise by saying that we would only be gone for two episodes of the ‘Rugrats’. I have a lot longer than two episodes left in my stay here.

Since last posting, things have changed a lot at work. Several people have quit and even left Savannah. This means I have fewer friends here and am beginning to work the more profitable night shifts. While it may fill a financial void, I have time that I no longer have people to fill it with and my whole schedule seems out of whack.

And the question remains, why stay?

I left the comforts of my parent’s home to live life off Craigslist. Throughout the journey I have met many incredible and interesting people. I have worked an assortment of jobs and learned a number of skills. But what has been most valuable has been what I have learned about myself during times of adversity.

So even though I have about 1,400 ‘Rugrats’ episodes left in my stay, I am trying hard not to count. Maybe I can learn something new in my final month here. Hopefully I can gain some weight too.

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