Unemployment diary: I'm a 40-year-old set dresser in New Mexico who's been out of work since March

• The Unemployed States of America takes readers deep inside the decimated American workforce.
• Rachel Veal is a 40-year-old set dresser based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• On March 13, her show went on hiatus for two weeks to see what would happen with the coronavirus.
• Now she's watching her savings dwindle and keeping a close eye on the film industry to see when she might be able to return to work.
• This is her story, as told to Brandi Erisman.

I was first introduced to film in 2011 when "The Avengers" filmed in New Mexico. I got on the shoot as background and stand-in because I'm a big fan of Joss Whedon. He was directing, so I thought it would be cool. I enjoyed everything about it and decided to pursue work in the industry. Set decoration has been my home for the last six years.

March 13 was our last day. Earlier that week, we heard talk of [our] show going on hiatus for two weeks to see what happened with the coronavirus. We packed up as best we could, not knowing if we'd be back in two weeks — or ever. Within those two weeks, we started seeing the world shut down more and more and realized we wouldn't be going back anytime soon.

The first couple months were actually kind of a nice break.

Our job is hard: long hours, physical labor, non-stop for months at a time. Having a little time off was a nice chance to get through to-do lists, go hiking with my boyfriend and dog, catch up on some TV shows and movies … however, it quickly became apparent that it wasn't going to be a short little break.

I think the most surprising thing has been discovering how much I crave routine. It always seemed like the dream — to have no responsibilities and be able to do whatever you want. But with no real set schedule, I find anxiety looming a lot of days.

The toughest thing has been watching my savings dwindle and not knowing when work is going to come back.

I can't make it until the end of the year, I know that.

I hate to think of worst-case scenarios, but maybe I sell my house? Find something cheaper? I really don't know. Loans? Credit cards? I tried refinancing my house to get a lower monthly payment, but with no income to show, they won't process my application.

We've shifted from takeout meals to home-cooked, sold some things online for a little cash. I have some stocks I could cash in, and I've already had to take money out of my retirement account to pay for bills.

The biggest blow would be if I had to sell my house.

I bought it just over two years ago and it was a huge accomplishment for me. It's frustrating beyond belief to work as hard as I have and then watch it all slip away, and it's completely out of my control.

I'm definitely following film industry news, trying to gauge when work might happen again. There are rumors of some shows in pre-production right now, and I know everyone in the industry is hoping and praying that there are enough shows that can successfully get going before the end of the year.

The film industry in New Mexico is strong and busy. I've never wanted for work since I started. Obviously, COVID-19 has changed that, but it's changed it everywhere. I've seen some productions trying to run in LA or NY, but with COVID-19 being much better contained in New Mexico compared to other states, I feel much safer staying here and waiting for the work to resume.