For all of the difficulties of this part of Jahren’s life, she has Bill to share these experiences with, and he helps keep her spirits up. He, too, has a less-than-glamorous living situation, though he may be living in a van as part of his desire to stay away from other people. He is used to strange living situations: as a young boy, he dug an underground cave for himself in his parents’ backyard, and lived there for a while. Thus, for Bill this is partially a necessity, and partially a choice.