Years ago, during a pretty bleak time in my life, I happened across an article by Donna Freedman called “Surviving (and Thriving) on $12,000 a Year,” in which she outlined some of the ways in which she intended to not only get through the lean times she was facing, but to do it with grace, dignity, and even joy.

I wanted what she had.

I returned to that piece many times over the next few years, and continued to read everything she published that I could find. I followed along as she charted new-to-her territory as a midlife college student, as she healed her finances and expanded her career… I tried many of the money-saving tactics she wrote about and even began to do a little writing of my own about how things were going. I wrote about what it was like for me to begin that process– and begin again— here.

Nearly a decade after Donna’s words first illuminated a screen in my dark little studio apartment, I find myself sharing a life and a name with a man named “Vega,” who joined me on a journey to becoming debt-free, amassing a fully-funded Emergency Fund, and now, saving to buy our first home. Because we’re becoming financially literate a little “later” in life, we acknowledged that homeownership would be more likely for us if we left our native Los Angeles and struck out for parts unknown. Unknown to us, anyway: Austin, Texas is one of the fastest growing cities in America, and that trend shows no sign of slowing any time soon! You can read more about how we came to our decision here.

We’re learning our way around our new home town, working as hard as we can to make sure our “starter home” isn’t a retirement home, and trying to have as much fun as we can in the process without delaying our dreams.

Mr. Vega and I finally got to meet Donna in person last summer when she visited Austin on a short trip. We had only been here a couple of weeks ourselves, but I was happy to spend a little time talking with her over breakfast tacos in the Central Texas summer heat, and when she asked if I was writing anything, I mentioned this little blog that was only a couple of months old and was still finding its voice. It still is. But she took a look, and it was this post that inspired her recent article over at Get Rich Slowly.

If I could stumble across someone else’s blog and be inspired to make deep and lasting change in my life, then anyone can do it. And if some of the work Mr. Vega and I are doing inspires even one person to start doing it for themselves, then something wonderful is happening. Because if we can free ourselves from the burden of debt that has become the norm in our society, who knows what else we can do to alleviate the poverty and financial stress that keeps some of our best and brightest women and men from achieving their full potential?

That may sound pretty lofty, but every paradigm shift the world has ever known has started with just one person thinking quietly to themself: “What if I could really do this?” The idea of personal financial responsibility and freedom didn’t start with me, or with Donna Freedman, or with any of the other wonderful bloggers who have been brave enough to share their experiences with the public. But the most important thing is that the ideas don’t end with us, either.

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you’ll stick around and share some of your own thoughts in the comments. One person, one decision at a time, can change the world. But none of us has to do any of it alone. And the best part of all? We can have a hell of a good time doing it!