Kurtis

Kurtis is a 1-year PadSplit Member, a yogi-vegan born in Germany, raised in Stone Mountain Georgia, and the youngest of five brothers.

He’s also on a dedicated journey to pave an a better, more authentic path forward — something he tells us PadSplit has helped him do.

PadSplit: How was it growing up right outside of Atlanta for you? 

Kurtis: It was cool because I had older brothers who used to travel in and out of the city, attending parties, and everything. So I remember when Atlanta was five points. When it was popping. It was nice — people, parks and music everywhere, and I had a great time. The music scene was amazing. My brothers played Outkast a lot, they played Snoop Dogg, Three 6 Mafia, Mystikal, all that. And to see the way it’s transitioned now, it’s completely different.

PadSplit: Really?

Kurtis: You know, you have so many different laws and condominiums everywhere. And traffic of course, it’s crazy now. But change is good, you have to grow up with open arms and everything. 

PadSplit: True, true. So how did you find out about PadSplit? 

Kurtis: One of my friends, a yoga mate of mine, was telling me about PadSplit. She knew I needed something a little more peaceful, economical, because I’m trying to establish my credit, and trying to increase my financial literacy so I can use some money to invest in a wellness business that I own. I was kind of hesitant about it at first. But in January I decided I was done with hopping from place to place. I needed somewhere steady to stay to ground myself for the new year, to give myself focus. So that’s when I decided to really go through the process of PadSplitting. And it’s been wonderful ever since.

PS: How was your move-in experience?

Kurtis: The first house wasn’t quite a fit — I didn’t vibe with the people. They were a little too young for me, but I didn’t want to say anything because I’m used to the whole “You get what you pay for” type thing. Once I did request to transfer to another house (the house I’m in now), PadSplit was on top of things and very understanding of my feelings. 

When I got here, my new roommates immediately welcomed me and said, “our home is your home now.” They gave me the tour, showed me where to put my food in the fridge, where they kept all the dishes. From moving so much, I had to throw away so many things like dishes, so it was great to have everything just there for me. 

PS: You spoke about getting grounded. What was life like before? What was your mindset? Where are you trying to take things now?

Kurtis: Last year I turned 30, which is a huge milestone. I feel like at 30 life is just like, “I’m going to throw everything at you, so you can get it together.” Because after 30, you have no room to be playing around or squander your life away. 

You have to remember your goals, your dreams, your ambitions. Not having a stable living situation made it difficult to really focus on my goals. I needed somewhere to lay my creativity out on the floor but I kept hopping from place to place, wondering “where am I going to sleep next?” And then with PadSplit, I’m just like, “Alright, here’s a stable environment. Now I can focus on myself.”

PadSplit: And you spoke of, I heard you mention music earlier, and then creativity. What are some of the things you’re into now?

Kurtis: I’m into health and wellness. I decided to get into yoga back in 2012, to deal with low back pain and the death of my older brother. And in 2015, I became vegan, which came out of a traumatic breakup. It seems like trauma is pushing me to be the person I’m supposed to be, which is cool. Joy and pain kind of go together, and need each other.

PadSplit: So you’re working on yourself, health and wellness, and spreading the love. What are your plans for this year?

Kurtis: I have a business called the Urban Vegan, where I trailblaze wellness through yoga meditation and plant-based eating. So I’m stepping back into the yoga field and getting my certification. And I also want to become a certified meditation specialist to help people resolve their inner conflicts.

PadSplit: Amazing. You have so much going on. Do you feel like you’ve been at peace a bit more since being in the PadSplit home?

Kurtis: Definitely. Sometimes I just walk to clear my mind. And when I get back in the house, I can just take a big breath and feel at home. The house is clean and everyone minds their business. There are locks on the door so I feel like I have privacy. Like I said, I grew up here. I had a friend who stayed two houses up from here, and I went to his house when I was eight years old. This place brings back memories — almost like I’m returning home. Which physically and spiritually means for me it’s time to return to the inner kid again. It’s like it’s all lined up.