I was born living the American dream. I had a mother and father who loved me. An older sister who cared for me. A beautiful house on a lake and extended family close by. But life has this way of flipping you inside out. By age two, we'd lost our home. By age six, my mother had died. For the next five years, we moved from place to place, crisscrossing the country.

Teachers in Arizona told me that my Massachusetts accent was a "speech impediment". Children on the Navajo reservation harassed me as a pale-skinned outsider. Neighbors in Texas stole my bike. Through it all, two things helped me maintain my center - my love of animals and my father's protective sheltering embrace. But life can be cruel.

10 Homes in 11 Years is the first in a series of memoirs sharing the challenges and insights I've learned from my life's experiences. I'm now a US Army Veteran, a criminal justice major, and a Peer Support Specialist. Holding Certificates in Human Services and Peer Support, with an associate degree in Human Services. I also worked as a Private Investigator and Security Consultant for several years.

I had a life unlike most, or did I? I lost my parents when I was young. I have lived in some of the worst places as a child, and I hit rock bottom about fifteen years ago, becoming a homeless Veteran. With the VA's help, I began to realize I have been living with PTSD since I was six years old. This memoir, 10 Homes in 11 Years, covers the first 11 years of my life. It explores the struggles of a single-father family as they frequently relocate, dealing with missed school time, making new friends, bullying, culture shock, and the resulting PTSD. Presented from the child's view, this book will be invaluable to any children or parents dealing with the challenges of relocation, parental loss, being bullied, and facing a life that can seem more a nightmare or night terror than reality.