KEEP TRYING

CAN'T KEEP UP

Dee Michaelson — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 19:47:53 GMT

Yet again I’ve found myself in a situation where I have voluntarily put too much of my plate. Yet again I am waking up with to-do lists swirling in my head and feeling crushed by the weight of demands. Yet again I’ve hit a wall where I’ve realized something’s gotta give. And—yet again—I’ve decided to pause paid subscriptions to this newsletter.

Making a “braindump” list yesterday to help me prioritize and calm down

When I first heard the song “Out of Step” by Minor Threat back in high school, I’d never felt so seen by song lyrics. Chanting, “I can’t keep up! Can’t keep up! Can’t keep up! Out of step, with the world!” behind the steering wheel of my tiny Honda Accord, I felt a little less alone. Maybe I wasn’t the only one struggling to go through the motions to fit into society. If Ian Mackaye couldn’t keep up (and chose to opt out), maybe it was ok for me to march to the beat of a different drum as well. In retrospect, most of my not being able to “keep up” or “fit in” was related to …

WHAT YOU'LL FIND HERE

Dee Michaelson — Sun, 31 May 2026 17:03:17 GMT

Last weekend I had the pleasure of tabling at my first zine fair. I didn’t sell of ton of stuff, but I made some amazing connections and got to hear from a lot of you how late diagnosed ADHD and/or Autism has impacted your life as a fellow creative. I left feeling inspired to continue creating resources to support folks like us, as well as to continue building my coaching practice so I can help people more directly. And 22 of you wonderful individuals trusted me with your one wild and precious inbox, so I thought I’d send out a newsletter to help you navigate KEEP TRYING and all it has to offer. If you’ve been here for awhile now, you might still find something you didn’t know about, so I encourage you to keep reading as well!

My table at the 2026 Mini-Mart, hosted by Laika Press and The Holland Project

FREE SUBSCRIBERS

You get access to all free posts, that I send out on a bi-weekly(ish) basis. They’ll land in your inbox and you can also access them on the Substack website for one week…

PUNK SAVED MY LIFE

Dee Michaelson — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:49:34 GMT

Baby punk Dee, in a Portland photobooth

I finally cancelled my Spotify subscription a few months ago and have been listening to Tiny Desk Concerts via YouTube instead. It’s forced me to take a more active role in my music consumption, and to think more about the artists as flesh-and-blood humans. Last week they put out a Noah Kahan session, I assume in conjunction with his new album dropping. I listened to it in my camper while getting ready for the day and it reminded me what a crucial role music has had in my life, even if what I mostly listen to these days is podcasts and audiobooks.

A seemingly unrelated thread that I will weave together by the end of this is that I signed up to table at an upcoming zine/print fair in Reno next month. It’s put on by Laika Press and The Holland Project, two pillars of the punk community in “the biggest little city.” The event is called Mini-Mart, and if you’re in the area on May 23rd, I’d love to see you there!

The story goes like this. Music got me…

3 + 3 + 3

Dee Michaelson — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:56:30 GMT

Many moons ago, when I was still making a lot of Instagram content for Stoked Coaching, I made a post about a simple way to lift your spirits on a hard day. I’ve returned to it over the years for my own journaling practice, and today I felt called to revisit it.

Things are going relatively well on the farm, but the never-ending adulting demands (money, time, feeding myself, etc.) have been wearing on me lately. I’m also still not sure exactly where I’m going to be camping for the summer, even though I know it will generally be within walking distance of the farm. Today I’m moving to a new spot, on a different person’s land, to try it out. As an Autistic person who craves certainty and predictability this has been hard. I’m looking forward to hopefully feeling a bit more settled soon. On top of that, last week we had a gnarly cold snap where the lows were in the 20’s and the wind was over 25mph. It’s all just been a lot on my sensitive nervous system and today I’m feeling a bit depressed (probably Autistic Burnout).

While it’s ok to just let yourself feel bummed and low energy sometimes, the reality is that I have to do hella errands today and then get back to the farm to set up in my new spot before the work week starts again tomorrow. Yesterday I splurged on a hotel room at my favorite place to stay in Reno, who had a remarkably low rate for the night, so at least I’m already in town and can get an earlier start. Anyway, I found myself searching internally for some buoyancy, and I remembered this simple practice that I developed years ago.

3 THINGS I’M GRATEFUL FOR

Best Bet Motor Lodge. I stayed here countless times during my time as an Area Visual Merchandiser for Patagonia, and made friends with the owner. She generously waives the pet fee for Emmy as a sort of loyalty discount, and yesterday I saw they had a killer deal of $100/night. While even that isn’t really in my tight budget right now, I could feel my body screaming for a little relief from the elements. Even though I love my truck and my camper, it was so nice to have a hot shower and a comfy bed last night.
Emmy. My canine companion makes a regular appearance on my gratitude lists, but for good reason. She’s the best! Yesterday she wolfed down an entire small rodent on the farm and I was so worried her notoriously sensitive stomach would have a bad reaction to it, but thankfully it appears to not be an issue. She’s having a blast running around on the farm, and seems happier with a bit more routine and structure than our wanderlust winter. Her calm and gentle demeanor is such a grounding presence and she constantly reminds me to slow down and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
Nice weather. Last this week it’s going to get cold and rainy again, which I’m not looking forward to. But today it’s going to be 70 and sunny, and I’m going to do my best to enjoy it while I can.

Our hotel room at Best Bet Motor Lodge

SOIL & SWEAT

Dee Michaelson — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:44:58 GMT

Tomorrow my second week as a farmer starts. Last week we did training together and got to know the work and each other. The crew is small but mighty. The work is hard but satisfying. There are multiple places I could camp on this land but I’m trying out waking up right here on the farm, nestled between sheds and greenhouses. Today is the first day of my long weekend where work is happening around my little truck while I sit inside it. As I type this, four other people that have dedicated themselves to the land quietly pull weeds and harvest vegetables nearby. The sun lingers on the edge of the high desert peaks and the birds sing their morning melodies.

My current parking spot

This week we’re starting a new schedule: four 10-hr shifts that will give us 3-day weekends. Work will start at 7am, which right now means I’ll be waking up in the freezing darkness. I’m trying to think of ways to make the mornings easier, like prepping a coffee station the night before, make-ahead breakfasts, and setting out my clothes for the day. With half-hour lunch breaks and working until 5pm, meal planning and prep is going to be more important than ever. We’re also 30 minutes from town, so there’s no chance of ordering delivery or running into town for takeout. Fortunately, I’ve spent the last decade getting really good at meal planning. And once we get into full swing here, I’ll have a free CSA each week!

BACK TO THE LAND

Dee Michaelson — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 23:41:07 GMT

I’m writing today to share an exciting life update: I took a summer job on an organic farm! After driving across 11 states in 8 months, I was starting to burn out and run out of money. I felt myself craving a more stationary existence with meaningful labor. For those of you that don’t know, before I spent over a decade working in the outdoor industry, my bread and butter—literally and figuratively—was in the natural foods sector. With everything going on the world, I’ve been feeling drawn back toward my roots in regenerative agriculture and intentional living. I also wanted to find paid work that would allow me to camp on-site and have Emmy with me during the work day. Fortunately, I found a place that ticked all those boxes. And I was lucky enough to get hired as a full-time seasonal worker there.

Where I’ll be spending my summer, in the high desert between CA and NV

The farm is on the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Reno and Lake Tahoe. I’ve always loved the Great Bas…

FIRST EVER READER SURVEY!

Dee Michaelson — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 23:14:52 GMT

In my last post, I hinted that I was working on a reader survey. It’s wild to me that I’ve kept this newsletter alive for 3 years now, and I want to know what makes opening these emails feel worthwhile to you. The survey is just 10 short questions, most of which are multiple choice and should be pretty easy. I’m guess it will take about 2 minutes to fill out, and your feedback is absolutely priceless to me as a creative and small business owner. And it will benefit you by making this resource even more valuable in all the ways that you want it to be! Click the button below to participate.

READER SURVEY

To sweeten the deal a bit, for every subscriber that completes the survey, I’ll donate $1 to the ACLU, who is currently suing the state of Kansas for invalidating the driver’s licenses of its transgender residents. You can learn more about that here.

Thanks so much for taking the time to provide me with feedback. Fingers crossed that my next post will be an exciting life update that I’m waiting to h…

ARCHIVE APPRECIATION POST

Dee Michaelson — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 20:40:54 GMT

This li’l newsletter is three years old today! I started writing it on February 5th of 2023. My very first piece, Emergence, was about coming out as nonbinary. Since then, I’ve written about practical things like money, time management, and meal planning. I’ve also spent time trying to wrangle more metaphysical concepts like mindfulness, transformation, and actualization. I recorded a podcast about overcoming neurodivergent burnout, and an audiobook version of my meal planning zine. I even shared about the process of taking my nomadic living dream from vision to reality. Sometimes it feels like the topics are kind of all over the place, but looking back through the archive it is evident that I’ve actually stayed pretty on theme: INTENTIONAL LIVING FOR UNCONVENTIONAL PEOPLE.

Working from the road these past 7 months has been challenging, but so worth it.

What a gift it is to be able to share this with you, and to actually have people who want to read it! Lately I’ve been having a bit of…

ADULTING FOR THE REVOLUTION

Dee Michaelson — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 19:34:52 GMT

This morning I am thinking about how my work supports my vision of better world. I’ve been doomscrolling through current events and trying to keep my amygdala in check for the past few days. With so much horror and injustice going on, it can feel like the work I’m doing at Stoked Coaching doesn’t matter. The projects I’m working on at the moment feel insignificant in the light of state sanctioned murders, illegal abductions, and straight up concentration camps. At times it makes me want to give up, or feel that my contributions aren’t useful. In my darkest moments it makes me want to no longer participate in existence. But then there are glimmers—like the one I experienced just moments ago.

I was drinking my morning coffee and thinking about how I (a self/un-employed person living in their vehicle with little to no money) can contribute to the calls for a general strike this Friday. I’m going to run a bunch of errands before then so I don’t need to purchase things. I’m going to fill up…

THE BURNOUT IS BACK

Dee Michaelson — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 18:34:39 GMT

I’m writing this on New Year’s Eve. I’m camped at La Posta campsite in Big Bend Ranch State Park in far west Texas. Today marks 6 months of living on the road in my truck camper. I’ve covered 9 states and thousands of miles since I left San Francisco at the end of June in 2025. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been so worth it.

I’ve covered a lot of ground over the last few months!

Part of the reason I decided to leave my old life behind was that I was suffering from a debilitating level of burnout. In addition to being totally burned out at my job, it became apparent that Autistic (and ADHD) burnout was also at play. Obviously quitting my job and living off of savings has helped with the employment side of things. Leaving the city and getting away from constant urban overstimulation has helped a great deal, but road life is overwhelming in other ways. While I don’t have to deal with gridlock traffic and constantly being surrounded by people, I do have to figure out where I’m going to slee…

ORGANIZE YOUR MEALS (4/4)

Dee Michaelson — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 19:06:42 GMT

Welcome to the audio version of my meal planning zine. If you haven’t listened to the Introduction, Chapter One, or Chapter 2 yet, please do so. Below you will find the links and charts from Chapter 3.

THE MONEY IS RUNNING OUT

Dee Michaelson — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:33:03 GMT

I’ve dreamed of living this nomadic lifestyle for so long. I’ve always been drawn to travel and the freedom of the open road, but when I read Travels with Charley at my friend’s off-grid cabin back in 2013, I knew that someday I’d travel in a truck camper with my dog. I didn’t even have Emmy yet, but I could feel it in my bones. Fast forward over a decade later and I finally made it happen.

One of my favorite dispersed campsites so far, outside Goblin Valley in Utah

Part of taking the leap of faith to be here was not having the money thing totally figured out and doing it anyway. I worked for Patagonia for almost 12 years. During that time I was mostly living paycheck to paycheck, but still managed to pay off all my student loan debt and save a decent chunk toward retirement. Not enough, according to all the FIRE calculations I’d been doing, but better than nothing.

When I decided to purchase a Hiatus Camper so that I could fulfill my dream of traveling full-time, I had to take out a personal loan from my credit union to pay for it. It felt a little foolish to voluntarily sign up to be in debt again after working so hard to get out of it, but after my road life trial run last summer, I knew that I needed a little more space to be happy living nomadically. In all, the camper cost me around $25,000, but the largest loan that my credit union would approve me for was $15,000. Between selling off the majority of my belongings, working remotely from the road for a month after moving out of my apartment, and an extremely well-timed company bonus, I was able to make up the rest of the remaining balance. I’m paying the loan back at $330/month (at 11.5% interest) but I can eventually pay it off early once I start making money again. And it still beats paying $2,000/month in rent.

Since I was just barely getting by living in San Francisco, I wasn’t able to save much (or basically anything) toward my travels while I was still working. For this reason—and because I wasn’t willing to delay my dream any longer—I decided to take an early withdrawal from my 401k. Finance experts would probably balk at this choice, but I feel it was an informed decision, even if it’s not the “best” one. The deal I made myself was that I wasn’t allowed to take out more than half of my retirement savings. I didn’t want to leave myself with nothing for my long-term future, but I knew I needed to take a gamble on living life on my own terms. For me, it felt like a good balance between cashing out the entire thing and continuing to suffer on the hamster wheel until I turn 65. I want to be very clear: THIS IS NOT ADVICE. This choice made sense to me, for me. I did lots of projections using a financial independence calculator before pulling the trigger.

ORGANIZE YOUR MEALS (3/4)

Dee Michaelson — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 19:19:12 GMT

Welcome to the audio version of my meal planning zine. If you haven’t listened to the Introduction or Chapter One yet, please do so. Below you will find the links and charts from Chapter 2.

AUDIO ZINES ARE HERE

Dee Michaelson — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 18:41:59 GMT

recorded in my camper in the Utah desert

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time sitting still and focusing enough to actually read a printed book anymore. I don’t know if it’s my ADHD, my social media shortened attention span, or the combination of the two, but I consume almost all of my “reading” via audiobook these days. Ironically, I find it much easier to absorb the information if I listen to it while doing something else (driving, cleaning, folding laundry, etc.)

Part of the reason I’m putting out zines on “life skills for reluctant adults” is to make the information more accessible to those that need it. I realized that for those who can’t easily access printed material (and yes that includes vision-impaired folks) I’m accidentally excluding them. So, I decided to record audio versions! I bought myself a fancy tiny microphone and started reading the content out loud into GarageBand, and voilà—audiozine. Since I already had the podcast going here, that seemed like the easi…

ORGANIZE YOUR MEALS (2/4)

Dee Michaelson — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:54:13 GMT

Welcome to the audio version of my meal planning zine. If you haven’t listened to the Introduction yet, you can find it here. This chapter has lots of links, you’ll find them down below. Happy listening!

ORGANIZE YOUR MEALS (1/4)

Dee Michaelson — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 22:36:36 GMT

In an effort to make my meal planning zine more accessible, I’ve decided to record and audio version of it. You’ll find each chapter recorded as a separate podcast episode here, for paid subscribers. You can listen to them all in order, or choose which one sounds most interesting to you. If you struggle with focus and attention like I do, you can also purchase a copy of the paper or digital zine, and read along with the recording. I hope this resource helps you plan your meals in a way that brings more ease and abundance to your life!

LISTENING TO YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM

Dee Michaelson — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 16:49:58 GMT

I’m writing this from the Best Western in Flagstaff, Arizona. I was supposed to meet my sister here for a night and we were going to go to the Grand Canyon together. Her husband used his rewards points to book the room, and was generous enough to let me keep the reservation even though there was a last minute change of plans and my sister wasn’t able to make it. It was a little out of my way, but it seemed like a good chance to take a shower, recharge my battery, and check some errands off my list.

I had intended to do laundry yesterday when I got into town but I chose to spend some time exploring Vermillion Cliffs on the way here (which I’m glad I did) and didn’t arrive until late afternoon. I had just enough energy to schlep my stuff up to my room, take a quick shower, and grab some dinner at my favorite restaurant here (Pizzicleta). It was a pleasant evening but I didn’t get any of my to-dos done.

the excellent view from my side quest

This morning I am spiraling with demand overload. I need to do laundry, buy groceries, deal with some confusing and infuriating Medi-Cal paperwork, find a way to buy dog food for Emmy (her brand isn’t available at stores here) because she’s almost out of it, try to get some work done, tame my overflowing email inbox, and probably some other stuff that I’m forgetting at the moment. Maybe all that doesn’t sound overwhelming to you, but layer in trying to figure out where to sleep tonight and knowing that the temperature is going to dip below freezing is pushing me over the edge.

THE LIFE YOU ONCE DREAMED OF IS NOW

Dee Michaelson — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:03:07 GMT

It’s Sunday morning. The weekend warriors are packing up their campsites and heading back to their comfortable homes in expensive cities. Those of us left to see the sun rise over the mountains on Monday morning have made different choices. The rigs left behind range from ratty old cargo vans and rundown vintage pull-behinds to state of the art Sprinter vans. I inhabit the middle of the spectrum, with my fancy new camper on my humble old truck, and don’t feel I quite fit in with any of them. But that’s not a new feeling. I never feel like I fit in anywhere.

evening walk around the campground

What we do share is choosing a simpler life, a slower pace, and foregoing luxury to attain those things. We also share the dusty, well-worn trails across the campground to the surprisingly clean pit toilets. I smile and wave, and try to make small talk with a few people, especially the ones with friendly dogs. But mostly we just stay in our adjacent circles and live our little lives. I hear the wea…

I DIDN'T EXPECT THIS

Dee Michaelson — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 20:06:58 GMT

I’m behind on newsletters. Sometimes the words just will now come out, no matter how hard I try. I spend weeks with constipated thoughts, trying hard to squeeze them out but nothing comes. And then, out of nowhere, the words arrive. They spill out of my fingers onto the keyboard as if my body is just a conduit for my brain. I guess if you really think about maybe it is just that? Anyway, here’s this weeks offering:

THE ART OF STAYING

Dee Michaelson — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 21:35:18 GMT

I’m sitting at a picnic table under a blessedly shady pavilion at Arch Park in Gardiner, Montana. Teddy Roosevelt’s words, “FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE,” are etched into a giant stone arch that towers above me. Today will yet again be spent in the purgatory of waiting for my camper battery to recharge, but thankfully this park has an outlet, a potable water spigot, and a pleasant place to sit and work for awhile. I’ve been here for almost 2 hours now and my Goal Zero is up to 21% from a completely dead and useless brick of lithium. My plan is to sit here as long as I can tolerate it so that I can get as close to 100% as possible.

My office for the day. I had to low-key climb that column to plug-in my battery.

I feel a deep sense of both restlessness and contentment. I have nowhere to be, nothing that I have to do, and everything that I need. There’s a cool breeze and the soft sounds of birdsong all around me. I upgraded my phone plan to include a mobile hotspot so I hav…