( CNN ) -- It may have a fairy tale ending -- a story of perseverance and second chances that 's playing out live on the public stage of online networking . Brianna Karp 's trailer now sits outside a friend 's home near Los Angeles . But 24-year-old Brianna Karp 's story started as a nightmare . In a rocky economy , Karp was laid off from her Irvine , California , job as an executive assistant in July 2008 . She got by for a while on temp jobs and unemployment benefits . But when her savings dried up , she was no longer able to afford her rent . The only answer she saw then was a trailer she 'd inherited from her father -- a man she barely knew who had recently committed suicide . `` I was left with a truck and this camper , which I was going to sell but coincidentally this happened to me , '' she said . `` I thought , 'Well , I have this . ' `` Karp , who writes that she is also estranged from her mother , ended up camped in a Los Angeles-area Walmart parking lot . `` The first night , I think , in the Walmart parking lot was the scariest , '' she told CNN . `` I was panicking , and I was just afraid . '' For comfort , she had her mastiff named Fezzik . And she had her laptop computer . As she spent five months looking for jobs and blasting out resumes , often spending hour after hour at a coffee shop to take advantage of its free Wi-Fi connection , she also started blogging . The result , the Girl 's Guide to Homelessness , chronicled the ups and downs of her new life . She reminisced about adopting her dog , named for a character from the movie `` The Princess Bride , '' and mulled the pros and cons of having a pet while homeless . She recounted details from failed job interviews and offered tips for other homeless women . `` I was trying to stay positive and cheerful , '' Karp said . `` I started writing the blog in a tongue-in-cheek way to kind of laugh about my circumstances , keep them chronicled . I did n't think anyone would actually read it . '' Watch CNN 's Ted Rowland 's report on Brianna . » . But people did , including Matt Barnes , formerly homeless himself and running a Web site about his own homelessness issues in Scotland . He asked her to write for his site and would eventually become Brianna 's boyfriend . Another big break came through a shot at the weird world of reality television . Karp applied for a show that would offer contestants the chance at a job with Elle magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll . She was granted an audition for the show and , by her own account , totally botched it . `` I went back and blogged about bombing the interview and made fun of myself , '' she said . On a lark , she then wrote to Carroll via her column . `` Dear E. Jean : I 'm currently homeless and living in a Wal-Mart parking lot , '' her e-mail began . `` I 'm educated , I have never done drugs and I 'm not mentally ill . I have a strong employment history and am a career executive assistant . The instability sucks , but I 'm rocking it as best as I can . '' She told Carroll about her poor interview for the show and finished the note with the question , `` How does one get another shot when one screws up a job interview ? -- Homeless , but Not Hopeless . '' Carroll said she was floored by the note . `` [ The phrase ] ' I 'm living in a Walmart parking lot ' hooked me , '' she said . `` I thought , she 's so ready to work , obviously she can write , she 's got some skills . '' Her response appeared in the August issue of Elle -- she offered Karp an internship and a chance to write a fashion blog for the magazine . `` I think she 's a new voice , '' Carroll said . `` She 's a voice we have n't heard , and I 'm excited for her future . '' Not that all of her troubles were instantly over . Last month , she wrote , Walmart finally had her trailer towed , and she has now parked her mobile home at a friend 's house outside Los Angeles . She 's also still seeking that elusive full-time job , while hoping her newfound high profile will help spread the word about homelessness , and how it can happen to the most unlikely people . `` If you saw me walking down the street , you would n't assume I live in a parking lot , '' she writes on the blog . `` In short , I am just like you , except without the convenience of a permanent address . '' CNN 's Doug Gross contributed to this report .
24-year-old went from being executive assistant to homelessness after layoff . Karp lived in Walmart parking lot , and her blog started grabbing attention . Comment: Karp hopes blog will educate people about homelessness .