After becoming homeless escaping domestic violence, Michelle Pittman is getting her life back on track. Since becoming a tenant two years ago, she has started a cadetship and written a book about her harrowing experience of being lost in the bush for 10 days.
Michelle is working at Home in Place during her 12-month Land and Housing Corporation and Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) cadetship.
She feels privileged and grateful for the opportunity to have a positive career change with rewarding and meaningful work.
Before fleeing NSW to escape her partner, Michelle had been working in housekeeping management in the hotel industry.
“My experience of homelessness and as a tenant will be helpful in working in community housing.
To be on the journey with someone who needs housing is something I really want to do.”
Michelle was in such a state after her experience she took time away from work to work on herself and to care for her son. She used the time to write a book about another experience she and Dylan had survived. Lost recounts how exploring Mount Royal National Park on the long weekend in October 2017 turned into a 10-day ordeal that nearly cost them their lives.
Wearing thin t-shirts and leaving their water bottles in the car the pair went for a short walk. They became disoriented and were soon off the track in dense bush. They hadn’t told anyone where they were going, and her other son was away for the weekend. It was two days before they raised the alarm.
Recalling episodes of TV show Bear Grylls, she and Dylan survived by making shelters out of trees, drinking their own urine and licking moisture off leaves. By the eighth day they were severely dehydrated. Miraculously they found pools of water. On the tenth day they were numbly following a track with water when they found a road.
She and Dylan were in hospital for several weeks, but Michelle said it took her a long time to recover mentally and physically. Writing the book was an emotional release, like a counselling session.
“I had a few false starts, doubting myself. Then I thought I had to do it for myself, for Dylan and to inspire others who are in a situation they feel they can’t get out of. “
“Dylan showed amazing resilience and strength for his age when we were lost. If he finds himself doubting himself and can’t get through a situation, he can refer to the book.”
Lost is available on Kindle. Paperbacks are available from Amazon and selected book stores.
For limited edition signed copies of Lost, email Michelle directly at [email protected].
