Honestly I never saw myself in sexwork before I chose to enter the field. It most certainly wasn’t my first career choice and yet here I am.
Growing up in West Palm Beach, Florida I came from a typical working class American family, one parent a school teacher and the other a postal worker. Some miltary background on both sides so it wasn’t a surprise when I decided to join the Navy outta high school. SHIT PAY but I couldn’t beat those benefits.
After what seemed like forever but in reality only five short years I got out the Navy, came back to America( I lived in Okinawa, Japan for my enlistment), moved to San Antonio, Texas and begun my journey of acclimatization back into a unknowingly brutal american society.
Intially tried to live life navigating through the workforce living with a friend holding two jobs also going to school for dental hygiene falling into the typical working class belief that degrees meant I can get a better job and make more money funnel system. I was doing all that and trying to strip three to four nights out the week, still not able to make ends meet.
Things didn’t work out like Id planned it too, after school didn’t get the job like I had foreseen. Had to continue working those two dead end jobs and dancing which was taking an incredible toll on me. Completely burnt myself out and ran myself to ground physically and mentally. Literally had a mental breakdown. Just gave up on life and became homeless.
After four months of being extremely down on myself and severely depressed living in my car having friends send me money for food and gas and the occasional motel I made a decision that would change the trajectory of my life forever. I borrowed $30 from a friend, just enough to by a throw away visa for an Ad on Backpage found some “close enough“ body pictures on google and a pack of 3 condoms so I could prepare to do what I had to do to no longer be living in my car. That night I made like $300 and it completely changed my whole entire outlook on everything. I remember working my ass off, enduring misogyny/racism/sexual harassment to make $300 after two weeks of work and I made that shit within a night. I’m sure there’s someone asking themselves well you could’ve did that dancing since you were already doing that before homelessness....so the thing about dancing is this it can be a gamble when your already desperate. Sometimes I would pay these healthy ass house fees and not make a dollar in the club. I couldn’t take that risk with my last $30 dollars.
Sex workers are the only folks of middle/lower class society that has the ability of upward financial momentum. Ive come a long way in this business, been blessed to have experienced more positive than negative. I’ve met some lifetime friends and some people whom I would never want within my presence again if I could help it. Navigating through sexwork has become the most vital aspect of my emotional maturity as a woman and person. At first it was just a means to get by but I realized if I focused and developed a brand/vision I could create something extremely profitable with longevity. I could create my own small business. Which is exactly what I did. Already being a people person with tons of experience from the Navy made it a lot easier. Sexwork opened doors for me and continues to open doors. It was one of the hardest decisions to make but definitely one of the better decisions Ive made in my life.
