“You know someone is always around to help with kids, with animals, with whatever,” said Jen Jacobs, who shares the home in Takoma Park, Md.
Up until then, she had always followed a traditional path. She got married at age 24 to a man in the military and they had a daughter together, who is now 9 years old.Still, “since I was a kid, I always felt that the traditional path didn’t fit right with me. It didn’t make sense,” Harper continued. “But I was so scared to break any rules.”
“We both found ourselves living in apartments separately and trying to navigate this new life, and it could be very overwhelming,” said Hopper, who has two children, ages 13 and 9. “The only reason I hesitated is because I was told women shouldn’t do this; people shouldn’t do this,” she continued. And yet, “I had done everything the culture tells me and do and I’m alone and struggling.”
“I’m also a single mom,” Nichola told the women, explaining that she was hoping to “find stability for my family.” Hopper and Harper suggested she take the last remaining unit, and Jacobs thought to herself, “Why not try something different?”“It was really just a chance to be connected to people,” said Jacobs, a CrossFit coach who also runs a dog-walking and pet-sitting business.“If you can find the right people and the right place, it’s super helpful to have that live-in community,” Jacobs said. “You know someone is always around to help with kids, with animals, with whatever.