Falling on Hard Times in Reno
Brianna and Tristan are living in a tent along the Truckee River, where they’re trying to survive this crazy up and down winter and early spring with their dog Hachi.
Their at a glance biographies seem to indicate they shouldn’t be here. Brianna is 26 years old, from Reno and has a certified nursing assistant degree. Tristan is 29 years old, was a United States Marine and is originally from Maui, Hawaii. He moved to Reno about a year ago to take care of his mom, which is around the time he met Brianna. The couple became houseless after Tristan’s mom passed away.
“We weren't able to afford the rent on our own. We ended up losing the place and then just ended up down in the dirt,” Brianna said.
At that time, the two were working but lost their jobs shortly after. Tristan had a terrible fall along the river and said he wasn’t able to receive care because he doesn’t have insurance.
“He fell on one of the rocks and had a seizure. I had to stay here and take care of him. We were both supposed to be on shift and they fired us because we didn't show up. But it was because we didn't have a phone. If somebody has a seizure, that you love, you can't leave them, there's no way,” Brianna said.
Since being houseless, Brianna and Tristan have been staying in different parks including Rancho San Rafael Regional Park and Dick Taylor Memorial Park. Currently, they are staying near Idlewild Park. They always make sure to hide as best they can, and have several spots, depending on the season and where cleanups and police sweeps are taking place.
“When we first found it, it was actually perfect because it was during the summertime, it was out of the way and no one could see us. Then, with the wintertime, everyone's been able to see our tent now. It's kind of scary right now,” Brianna said.
“There's the love there because we have a family, there's three of us and we love each other. You have to strive on, even if you're trudging, you have to keep soldiering on. If you don't, then maybe you're not worth it, in my opinion, you have to keep going. Otherwise, what's the point of life?” Tristan asked.
Walking Everywhere and Harrassed
The couple said they walk everywhere, which ends up being about six hours a day and 20 miles in total. They said it can be incredibly hard on their feet. They often carry backpacks to avoid their stuff getting thrown away or stolen.
“Normally, we have blankets and stuff and that usually helps us a lot. But people steal them. Especially in the middle of this kind of weather, it's really hard to live out here with no blankets. We're freezing. Even for my dog, his bowl of water freezes every night,” Tristan said of the low overnight temperatures which have lasted a long time this year.
The couple said when they return to the stuff that they didn’t carry, it is often times rummaged through or thrown in the river. While they’re at their tent, which is nearby a walking path, Tristan said joggers, walkers, runners, bikers and students from Reno High School harass them.
“It's miserable to be out here, you know, we're good people. We don't deserve stuff like this. We're hard workers and society basically threw us away,” Tristan said.
The couple said people have gone as far throwing rocks and sticks at them. Tristan said people in Reno are incredibly mean to houseless individuals.
“People up here will call us names and they'll shrug us off if we're asking even for a dollar so we can get our meal for the day. It's pretty harsh. We've really noticed the hatred in this world after this experience,” Tristan said.
The couple said people have also treated them badly because they have a dog. Two-year-old Hachi, is a fluffy and friendly Akita Husky mix, and is named after Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009) directed by Lasse Hallström. Hachi was a stray before he came into the couple’s lives.
“We've gotten a lot of comments like, 'You're homeless, you shouldn't have a dog, you can't take care of that dog,' We treat him better than what we do ourselves. He eats most of our food. But he's super well-mannered, he's really soft, he's well-groomed everyday, he's well fed,” Brianna said.
A Stray Dog Into Their Life and Dreams of Returning to Hawaii
Hachi wandered into the couple’s lives when he was a puppy. Tristan and Brianna were barbecuing at Idlewild Park when the skinny and collarless Hachi approached them. Tristan said he threw Hachi a steak and the three have been inseparable since.
“He loves us very much and we love him so much that we feed him first. Every morning we take him on his walk and then we go do what we have to do for ourselves. You know, dog comes first,” Tristan said.
Brianna and Tristan said they’ve only stayed in an organized shelter for one night, at the now closed downtown Reno overflow, but they were forced to sleep in separate beds and said Hachi was sent to an animal shelter. They said they’d rather sleep together, even if it’s outside, whatever is going on.
“We've stuck by, we haven't left each other. In this type of situation...you either stay or you leave. It shows you what you're really made of. I think it's kind of strengthened us. We fight and we bicker, we have our disputes here and there. But in the end, it makes us stronger,” Brianna said.
“We do love each other, but also we love our dog. We love the fact that we're still breathing and on top of that, we're best friends. You can't leave somebody like that, you know, that'd be terrible,” Tristan said.
Brianna and Tristan like to play catch to relax. To make money, Tristan sells artwork and hot sauces in mason jars. The couple is trying to save enough money to go back to Tristan’s home in Hawaii and start a family.