When Vancouver’s Katie Vongthongthip and Probability Newbill moved into their empty, one-bedroom condo final fall, they dreamed of turning it into a house.
A 12 months later, it’s brimming with reminiscences, eclectic artwork, second-hand treasures and a framed article from The Columbian chronicling their journey.
The Columbian has featured Vongthongthip, 31, and Newbill, 35, in a lot of articles, following them from residing in one of many metropolis of Vancouver’s Secure Keep shelters to transferring into their first condo collectively.
Now, greater than a 12 months of their condo within the Bagley Downs neighborhood, the couple have seen huge enhancements of their lives — from their social calendar to their psychological well being.
A 12 months in the past, the couple advised The Columbian that being in housing didn’t really feel actual but. Final month, they stated they nonetheless really feel that method.
“It still feels like a dream living here, a fairy tale,” Vongthongthip stated. “It still doesn’t feel like this is real life — even a year later.”
Life adjustments
On a current afternoon, the couple’s 3-year-old canine — a pitbull and husky combine — rested her snout on the window sill, watching the surface world.
The couple stated since transferring into their condo, they’ve had time to deal with their bigger objectives.
Newbill has made vital progress in securing Supplemental Safety Revenue and stated his psychological well being and sobriety have by no means been stronger. Vongthongthip is taking pc programming programs via the nonprofit Hadley, previously Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired. She hopes to make use of her new expertise to pursue quite a lot of profession paths, like matching folks with information canine.
“Life changes when you don’t have to worry about where you will sleep or how you are going to get dinner,” Vongthongthip stated.
Finally, the couple desires of beginning their very own animal shelter.
Their social lives have additionally blossomed.
Vongthongthip stated many pals distanced themselves after she started dropping her imaginative and prescient, and residing on the Secure Keep shelter made internet hosting guests difficult. However as soon as she and Newbill settled into their new residence, she joined many social media teams and started to construct a brand new circle of pals.
Now, her weekends are full of mountain climbing adventures and film nights with pals. The couple hosted their first Friendsgiving, which they stated they hope to make a convention of their condo.
“I can have friends over, cook for them, watch TV and just relax. It feels like we’re living a normal life. It’s something I’ve always dreamed about,” Vongthongthip stated.
‘Anything is possible’
Having a steady residence has given them the liberty to discover new passions. Vongthongthip enjoys experimenting with recipes of their kitchen, whereas Newbill has been instructing their canine, Nova, a sequence of recent methods.
“I’m finding myself again and can do what I love again and find more passions,” Vongthongthip stated.
The couple have additionally seen a change in how strangers deal with them. Once they had been homeless, they had been typically solid apart or ignored. Now, folks deal with them with fundamental respect.
“When you’re making an appointment or going to the doctor, one of the first questions they ask you is, ‘What’s your address?’ When you say you don’t have one, you just notice the difference in how people start treating you,” Newbill stated.
The couple stated they try to unfold kindness and compassion to these in the identical tough state of affairs they had been as soon as in.
“I was that person people were scared of on the side of the street. I can relate to those people,” Newbill stated. “Now, we get the chance to give back to people who we once were.”
Within the subsequent 12 months, the couple’s objectives are to proceed rising, discovering new passions and spending high quality time collectively.
“Before it was impossible to have goals. Every day there were different goals and challenges of getting food, finding a safe place to sleep. Now, we can see further off into the future,” Newbill stated. “Anything is possible now.”