$0 Costs 0 Friends, my life as a Silicon Valley Software Engineer living in a car 

As a single woman living out of a car, I would recommend not vlogging too much about your night parking finds or safe spots, especially with the rising crimes in California. I think it's cool you are adjusting to your new lifestyle and making videos about it, but do it safely.

One of multi-millionaire once said in an interview, I forgot his name, “In your 20, you really do care what people think about you. You get to 40, you don’t really care what people think about you. Then in your 60, you realized no one really thought much of you in the first place” Don’t try too hard to make friends. In life, most people would be lucky to meet 2-3 best friends who really love and care for you as a person and want to be part of your life always. Everyone else is casual friend who come and go. So don’t put too much effort in casual friends.

Please don't get used to this. You're at the prime of your life. With your job, you really don't need to be so extreme like this. Even a small apartment for safety is good. Driving around looking for a safe spot every night is time that could've been spent connecting with others be it at interest groups/coffee meets, etc.

*5:53** - Girl, you are not alone! Look at this fluffy creature who loves you more than anything!*

The hard truth is there is no real friend at work, probably acquaintances and some people to casually talk to.

Software Engineer here too and definitely feel the same way about friends. Making adult friends is really hard especially in a field full of introverts. My heart kinda broke when u said the person you setup a meetup ghosted you. I hope you find solace in the fact that many of us here are rooting for you!

When I lived in California, people would say, " lets do lunch sometime" when they mean bye bye. Its a very strange and rude custom there. Dont take it personally.

It's heartening to see that despite your lifestyle change, you kept Halo. I volunteered with a rescue for years, and a common excuse for dumping pets was "moving." It's still very, very common to hear, and often a death sentence. (In some places, especially big cities like San Antonio, even puppies are being put down due to the overwhelming numbers dumped. There are just not enough homes.) My heart melted a bit when you leaned towards the front seat and told Halo "good morning." It's sweet to see you care, and your dog look lovingly back at you. Good luck to you two!

Would recommend going to local dog parks to meet dog owners and build friendships. Also food banks, volunteering or classes (cooking/yoga) are great ways to meet people that you will regularly see. +oil from a fellow Chinese Canadian!

"I was trapped in this endless loop of earning and spending. I want to get out" I think this resonates with a lot of people. Usually a person will achieved certain wisdom to know how to navigate out of this through the years, but there are people that will never get out and that's really sad. And also about human relationships, you will also attain certain enlightenment and view it as "it is what it is". I wished happiness will flood your life sooner than you think. Take care and all the best!!

From Emily in Paris to California homelessness life. One extreme will always lead to another extreme. Just like you got bored of the glam life, you will get bored of frugality as well. Moderation is key. A roof over your head is a must. Atleast get a studio near your workplace.

Came across your video, and it made me cry. Especially the part about realizing that material things in life don’t bring you happiness. My husband is a software engineer at MS and living in Seattle. A few years ago, i was dx with Lupus, I came to a realization that the lifestyle we are living with all the nice things don’t bring you happiness, friendships and love from within. It is all superficial. One thing I took for granted was my health. Now, I look back and I wish I would have done things differently. Thinking this way leads to nowhere. You are doing something about it, and that’s all that matters. I’m sorry that you are having a hard time making friends, I hope that changes for you soon. Sending you positive vibes and good energy!

Be strong, be well. Forget coworkers who don't want to befriend you. The workplace has always been a place for me to make a living/income, that's it. I never liked getting to close to my co-workers anyways. Too much drama and politics anyways. I go to work to make my money, be professional, and that's it. Make friends outside of work, is my advice. Find hobbies, and similar people with those same hobbies. Find you first. BTW, liked your sincere video with a thumbs up!

When I first started working in tech, I was thinking I needed to have all the best things. I thought, 'Yeah, after years of grinding, I finally "made it."' So, I should live the life expected of tech folks-make money and spend it. Thus, I spent most of my take-home income on housing. But after a year, I realized that I wasn't saving anything at all! Plus, I was also spending on many lifestyle items and status symbols. Now, after my phase of pursuing materialism, I’ve come to see that nothing is truly real; it’s all about our perception. Looking back at those videos of me and even sharing them publicly is emotional, but I think it's necessary. If I want to grow and learn, I need to confront myself so I can become a better person❤

You can also live a simple and minimalist life having a safe humble home! Living in your car is dangerous and uncomfortable. Think about it!

Ideally, your best friend will be your future spouse. I was 30 when I found mine. She was 28. 36 years later, we are still together.

I'm pretty sure Hannahs problem is living on each extreme. She went from spending a lot, to spending anything at all. Any of those extremes is unhealthy

You have a friend and thats Halo. Dogs are the most loyal friends and a beautiful gift. Good Luck!

As someone that's super introverted, my bit of unsolicited advice is to not focus too much on the making friends aspect. I think that sort of thing happens best when its organic in nature. If you have any hobbies or anything you have wanted to try do, maybe see if there's any activities through like meet up groups to foster those relationships that you feel you're lacking right now. But I think what you're doing is interesting and yea just keep safe and enjoy your life! :)

Seriously get out of California. As a Software Engineer you can live very comfortably in many places in this country and still afford your own place -- not living out of a car (unless that is an actual goal). God bless

I live in my car too. Before taxes I earn $160,000/year. I use planet fitness for showers. I set a budget of $200 for gas and food each week(and guilt free spending) I have people friendly to me, invite me out and stuff. I have no friends because finally it took so long for me to learn, I prefer it this way. I am a loner and once I accepted that is me by choice, it made being alone easy easier. Saving money is easier and my decisions are influenced only by myself. I rent a storage unit to free up more space in my car. Also I use a 1000w portable battery to charge phone and other items. Lastly, my vr headset makes car camping that much better. I literally forget I’m in a car when I put my headset to watch my favorite shows and feel like I’m in a living room watching on a 96” tv. Hopes this helps anyone. And great video

sleeping in the car with rain is like the best white noise environment

I have ear plug when I am sleeping, it helps a lot. You'll need soft ear plug to be able to sleep on the side on your pillow.

Hannah, you will make friends when you least expect it. As several people in this thread have said, find places where like minded people hang out. The first forty years of my life, I moved on average every other year and always had to make new friends. It's not easy. Wishing you the best!

Whatever we're going through in life, life will humble us (especially in our 20s and 30s), that's how we'll really learn how to live and know what's really important in our life.

I feel you. "making" friends is hard work. and usually unrewarding when it comes to learning about how people can generally be so inconsiderate. IMHO what works better is living your life without any expectations, and if people really want to be friends, you will find them as people who put in as much effort and consideration.

I see ppl jugging her too much but only the people that has gone through bad times in their life can understand this. I really admire her and I also live in a car when I go to festivals because everything can get so expensive. I also want to buy a van, wake up in another place and work from there, having my other half with me ( that i didn't find yet ) doing that and living life at the fullest is one of my dreams. Keep it going Hannah. Much love from Romania ! 🤗🤗🤗

I happened upon your channel and instantly, I could feel so much of your energy & emotions. If I may, id like to encourage you to continue to be that strong woman you are! You're resourceful and such an understanding of your journey. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your story, and kudos to you for having the courage to share this journey with the world. New follower, new fan. Aloha, Luka🤙

I am living as an expat from Russia living in Germany for >2 years already, working as a software engineer. I can totally get your loneliness feeling. Was feeling and feeling exactly the same way, for me it is also this cultural difference, which is totally frustrating. The best way to get through this is to set ambitious goals, make a plan and to live a life according to it. Then you understand, that what you are doing is not something useless. I hope you will get more bright colours in your life, hug Halo from me!!

hey girl, I actually work at your office lmao. I don't come in super often, but let me know if you want to meet up and get lunch! :)

Stay strong =) love your story, you go girl, do what you need to do and make the best out of everyday! YOU ROCK!

Crazy, woke up at 5am eastern time zone, went on youtube to watch the Dodger last game highlights, and your video pops up. Thanks, RU-vid algorithm. Watched your video and read the comments, and it is an eye opening for me how working and living have changed for your generation of tech workers. Love your dog and wish you the best on this journey. You got this like that American girl worker poster back in the days with her arm rolled up in a worker jumpsuit.

Please post more videos like this! Loved hearing your story about living paycheck to paycheck and not finding real connection, kinda going through something similar right now. Keep trying to meet new people! It’s so hard to do, but kudos for trying, and keep holding people to a standard, in the long run those little issues in friendships become big down the line. Thank you for sharing, and best of luck to you on your new adventure! :) Hoping for all the best and safety out there!!

Hi Hannah, thank you for sharing this raw and honest experience you've had so far. I also live in the bay area and tbh it's really hard to make friends at work if they all have their own friend groups and families already. I'd suggest joining a run club or going to some local gym/classes or even tennis/pickleball to meet people more casually outside work. People are quite friendly in those kind of settings and it'll be easier than trying to make friends at work imo!

Came across your video, and recognized your office right Away. I developed the entire food and beverage program at SVC. If I was still there, would have been great to meet you. Keep your story alive and well. Silicon Valley is a rough place at times, but your are not alone in the journey. Thanks for sharing your story.

Hope you keep going and stay resilient on finding friends! It certainly is tough, but you'll find your people. Also as others have mentioned be safe posting maps of where you're at. It's a great point in thinking about finding safe places as a part-time job that saves money, but it also might be easier to make friends if you had a place. Perhaps that time could be spent looking for a small home base that's a little remote to your office and you could do some nights in the car and some nights at the home-base. Good luck!

About people reaching out to you, it's perfectly understandable standard you have. It more about the other people being considerate to you.

Don't ever expect anything from anyone. Only leads to disappointment

I admire your courage and always treats life in a positive way. Be good and be happy.

Loved this vid ❤, you are not alone, I'm sure that many who watched the video will enjoy following you on this beautiful journey.

I wish you luck and happiness. I'm pretty much a loner, and went out to San Francisco for a month on a whim. It wasn't for me. One thing to always consider in America, you're a job away from losing health insurance. This is a brutal country to have health problems in. Many procedures are outpatient, so you need a friend to drive you home after most surgeries. Insurance often won't pay for overnight stays. In the US, you are just a $ number, even when it comes to health. If you stay here, do consider building a reliable network of friends, because some day you will need them. I would love the health care that Canada, and most western countries have. You also don't have the gun violence, and violence in general as the US. It can be brutal here, but the heart knows what it wants. You were looking for something different, you definitely found that. As you've also learned, northern California's weather isn't Los Angeles. It can be downright cold in San Fran and Silicone Valley. Best wishes, and look forward to seeing more vlogs.

Hey Hannah, I am living in Tesla for more than a year and I love it now. Go where ever I want. I am in the software engineer field too. May be if you switch to working remotely and able to explore more and find connection with nature like going to national park and state park will help a lot with mental health 😊

Thank you for this heartfelt video, your editing and personal expression shine through. You can make it, don't give up. Halo is so well-behaved, watching your apple and lunch so attentively. You've got the true friend who never flakes.

Thanking you for sharing your journey, this is inspiring and you’re so brave! And as someone who also works in tech, I feel like it’s not a must to make friends at work, I believe you’ll make real friends outside work who genuinely care about you.

Finding friends is very difficult,☘️, and living in a car is also difficult, oh my… 🎈stay safe, all the best for you 🎈

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Hannah, thank you for sharing your new experience! You are cool! Don’t worry you are alone, try to enjoy! Sometimes life gives us a gift to stay with our own personality. Later you can understand you are the best friend to yourself!

eat well and take care of yourself- you have one life so do things to enjoy it! be safe i like your puppy!

I went through these feelings about 5 years ago. I also gave up all the material possessions and the "hustle culture". I'm now all about a simple, minimal, and slow living lifestyle. I've been dreaming of living in a camper van but I'm from the midwest and not sure how warm I'd be able to stay in the winter. My youngest is 16 so, who knows, maybe once he leaves the nest, I'll give up the house and live in a van. Stay safe out there.

i wish i was there to be your friend. Here in france where i work in Paris there is less pressure, and speaking with people is easy (maybe not in the full paris but at least in my area) I also do not appreciated someone cancelling at the last minute, always feels like they didnt care or didnt gave that much serious to meeting but i feel very happy on not having much friends there at work, because then you have to open yourself and at a time you realised you said personnal things to the wrong person

👋🏿 youre awesome! I live in my promaster city on the east coast..work for a software company...all that to say i can relate. I pray you thrive and live your best life !!! New sub

My heart goes out to you. Having a sickness in the US is extremely heavy feeling one has to go through.

Making new friends as an adult is very difficult.❤

I from Vancouver, work in IT too. Love how brave you are and love how you always bring your dog everywhere. I'm also battling with an illness. Lets 加油！

My heart is breaking as I listen to you talk. I can recommend getting out and volunteering, working with people with disabilities, seniors anything to connect you to people. Isolating yourself can increase feelings of loneliness. I hope you think about connecting to a volunteer opportunity that would make you feel welcome and valued :) There is always seniors too :)

At times I regret getting into teaching and not making much money, but with a job like mine it's easy to meet friendly people and get my required amount of socializing in. My advice to make friends is to start taking in person language classes. The nature of these classes is social, language practice requires peer communication, and often these classes are filled with more extroverted sorts. Plus even if you don't meet anyone you get to learn a new language and have fun (assuming the teacher is good).

its so cool how you include your dog in everything you do.

Your dog is soooo cute! Making friends at work is tough. I feel like work friends are really just acquaintances that you rarely hang out with outside of work.

More episodes please. Love it. Eventually I feel your vids could be monetised because ppl just love watching it. Stay strong!

Your journey really resonates with me. The endless cycle of spending and earning is toxic but almost felt necessary in our 20s and 30s in this materialistic world. I hope to change my lifestyle too. Also just personal experience, I’ve had a lot of friends who moved to LA for the sunshine yet not many stayed. For some reason it is really difficult to make friends there unless you already have a solid group. I would suggest SF or Seattle if you are looking for alternatives or trying a Meetup app for people who wants to do activities together. Good luck on your journey and stay safe ❤!

i hope your day is going well hannah

you can do it! take it easy and friends will come your way.. most of my good friends (not much) are from ex workplaces and not current workplaces

Man this video got me feelings on my situation. I’ve been laid off since Nov 2023 and no luck on a role since lay offs. I hope you’re safe and well. If you need a safe place. I’m from San Mateo/Burlingame about 30 mins from Mountain View area . The peninsula is usually a safe place ( just look out for the restricted parking areas) it’s a cute place with plenty of people our ages and lots of yummy food within the span of each other ! Hope that helps ! Stay safe✨

一般人不喜欢我，喜欢我的不是一般, 靠人人會老,靠山山會倒,唯有靠自己最好, 有一句話人無絕路,路是自家走出來的

So relatable! Sometimes you have to re-evaluate everything to find happiness.

thanks for sharing your honest life and it's really valuable!! thanks for sharing!

I'm sorry but your job is unfortunately not the place to make friends. A lot of people prefer to keep strict boundaries between themselves and their coworkers, usually for good reason given the political nature of the corporate world.

I hope you're doing this to save money to buy a home of your own. I can't envision living in my car for too long. It can cause long-term back issues and other health issues. I wish you the best and hope you will achieve your dreams. Make sure to stay safe.

Wow, this was so brave of you to upload and share yourself and your life. People will love to judge you for not wanting the same things as them, but you are clearly thoughtful, intentional in your decisions and are going to grow and make friends with your open outlook. The right people will come along, please don't give up - you're very sweet and not demanding too much of others! What a shame that those people let you down! Keep trying even though it's so hard, introduce yourself to more people, you've got this :)

Wow, the RU-vid algorithm got me here, no idea why. But I'm invested, looking forward to seeing more of your vlogs. I'm interested in seeing the ups and downs of living in a car. I've tried doing that during college, but it was awful! I quit less than a week. Mine's wasn't a Tesla, though Hopefully, you'll find friends there, but honestly, no one expects friendship to grow from a workplace. Especially one that doesn't deal with human interactions much. Some of the comments here ring true, start by connecting with someone from your hobbies, values, or situations. Stay strong! Good things will come to you

I find the rain incredibly relaxing. Id be sleeping like a baby. 😂 Come back to LA. Im here, i can be ur friend.

I am surprised that your coworkers wouldn't want to have lunch with you. I used to work for a big corporate and at lunch time, the whole team would seat around talking to each other as if we were close friends and my job was a software engineer.

Just can't believe to what you are doing like to doing a job and living in a car. You are so brave to this on your own. Really liked the video and just subscribed to your channel and looking forward for the future videos. And that part about eating alone in the office just made me remind of the time in my office when I was new there, and used to eat alone (even in the fire escape stairs sometimes)...this video of your's, really touched my heart and I kinda have a crush on you(in a respectful way...ofcourse)like for how much hardworking and amazing you are...don't lose any hope for the future and keep up the good work😊

Good luck on that way of living and deciding on your choices in life. Time flies a lot faster as we age and entering adulthood, some people never determine what's important in life and worthwhile for long term, mid term and short life goal and what it takes for each achievement.

I get that you’re doing this for views, but going to the other extreme is unhealthy too. Also, is your dog living in the car too? That’s unfair to the dog. I would never do that to my dog.

Hey Hannah, thanks for sharing your life online! Always interesting to see someone living out the kind of life which I wished I could experience. I know how it feels being alone and sometime "lonely" but as we age, I suppose we are wiser to know who really is our true friends and probably better off without those "fake" friends. Looking forward to more of your sharing!

When you hit your head at 5am, I felt that.

Wishing you the best!

I don’t wanna seem negative but for some reason this content seems offputting. I’m guessing it’s because of all the creepy thirsty men in the comments section and also because it feels like a rich person cosplaying a poor person. A software engineer in SF would make $150K or more a year. I’ve seen plenty of living in car content but it’s mostly from people who have no choice. Just seems extreme to do this unless you’re in a lot of debt and then that sorta makes more sense. I also had a friend doing van life with a very humble van (not like those fancy ones you see all the time) but enough room for a small bed and tiny fridge, and I feel like that’s a little safer. I also don’t understand how she is not using window covers??? How can you be that brave? And does the dog stay in the car the entire day? It just feels like something doesn’t add up. It feels more like a social experiment to me or perhaps a way to alleviate extreme debt. Because saving $4K a month to live like this is not sustainable. That is $48,000 a year, which is a good savings but it’s not enough to retire or to buy a house. She would have to do this for several years. It doesn’t seem sustainable or realistic for someone with a tech job and a large dog.

HI. I live in San Jose. I hope your situation has improved the last couple of months. Try going to a gym , great way to meet people. I truly wish you the best!!

Hannah, we are all your friends supporting you~

Mad props for giving it all up. Its not easy, ive had to start over a few times and its harder and harder each time. Thankfully this life style allows you to save a lot of money. Give it a few years and see whats next.

Living in car is definitely an experience, you gotta take the good with the bad. I've lived out of my vehicle while traveling and working random jobs. There is something wrong with our society, a software engineer is priced out of place to live in California. A change needs to happen, our future depends on it Nevertheless, keep your spirits up. So you can ride out the storm. Although the pessimist side of me says it will get worse before it gets better. Take care

I'm not an software engineer but I'm an power engineer. Idk but most statistics says you make like 30k to 50k more than me yearly. But with what I make i have a house in the city, a family (no kids) and a truck. Yes I only save a little but why save 4k monthly? I mean.... I work in an office seated I only need to speak and think to do my job, 30 years in the future I will be making the same and making money. Your work maybe is the same secure and safe than my job. Why to save a lot of money? Btw friends are difficult, most people will have less accomplishment than you, most of time you will be the most smart and wealthy of the bunch and having only professional friends is to be always alone because most of them are working. People who are the best and the winner of the life needs to know that you will give more and receive less. You are the pillar of your friends and probably of your future family.

You're doing quite well as far as I'm concerned. You have the best most loyal friend you’ll ever have, a great job with amazing benefits, & you're saving a nice lil nest egg every month.

New subscriber. Love your fur baby. Looking forward to see how you adapt to living in your car or if you buy a van.

I'm not from US, but according to RU-vid's algorithm recommendations i've seen quite a lot of violence in California lately. In theory there is a possibility to rent small apartment with room-mate to split the costs of rent and other expenses 50/50. I would say that taking personal safety and security is quite important these days. Wishing you best of luck

your dog stay in your car during working hour?

I recommend you to wear AirPod Pros 2nd for sleeping if it’s raining heavily outside, the noise cancellation is so good

You are doing a good job! I am from San Jose and was living sometimes in my Prius. San Diego where I am near now is a good place to try too! Stay safe. You have a beautiful Dog too.

Hi Hannah, invest in a good pair of corded ear plugs……it works wonders for me especially on noisy evenings💪🏼🙏🏼

Salute to Anton Daniels for shouting you out! I wish you Godspeed on your journey!😇

May I suggest looking for either a campground or mobile home park. If you can find either at a reasonable price you can buy a used camper trailer or mobile home. Along with it being far safer you would be far more comfortable. I have traveled back and forth across the US with a pickup truck with just a shell on the back. That was far more comfortable than a car and I always stayed in campgrounds. One of my previous coworkers lived in a motorhome. in a campground. He changed jobs from Maryland to Texas, so he just drove away. I am a retired software engineer around the Washington DC area and my friend group was always my coworkers. My fiancee is a Sister of one of my coworkers. Best of luck and stay safe.

Thank you for sharing your experience! I am on an exchange and have been studying in SF for a month already but I still feel quite lost here since everything is so expensive (I have a steady income thanks to the company that is sponsoring me). It's easy to meet new people here in the States but building meaningful connections is another story. Cheer up and stay safe, you're not alone! PS: Try to not show too much of your sleeping spots and their surroundings, internet is a wild place.

Kind of feels like you jumped from one extreme to the other

I would love to be friends with you! Also from Vancouver ❤

Hey sweet lady. I respect you for your question to find meaning in your life , I went on a similar quest. I also understand your disappointment with trying to find friends. I wish you luck. Please don’t feel alone. I’m sending you a big hug from North Carolina. Hang in there.

OMG, I share the same mindset! And I relocated from US to Vancouver and trying to relocate to California. I work in tech too. Keep it up Hannah ❤

KEEP POSTING, soon u will be FAMOUS. Then everyone will want to be your FRIEND.

Anton Daniels sent me to check your channel out ✨ We’re all rooting for you, sis! ❤🌻🫶🏽 You got this! 💪🏽