# Post traveling depression...expieriences with it/how to cope



## starkley (Oct 7, 2018)

Ive been off the road for a solid 5 months now after traveling straight for 5 yrs. Lost my dog,road dog and van and everything in it due to a fire. I had to re -start/settle/get my shit together (ID,license,Ss card etc) and am having a hard time being okay with staying still.


----------



## sd40chef (Oct 7, 2018)

Follow yer heart


----------



## Crazy Hobo Johnny (Oct 8, 2018)

*Just hang in there, each day will get better. I've been there and done that.*


----------



## Multifaceted (Oct 8, 2018)

Heyy Carly whaddup. I've been wondering what happened to you after Love.

In April I went back to SATX to visit old friends and get a vehicle. Worked in a vegan tex-mex restaurant for a couple weeks before going to the ER where I found out I have heart failure. Been housed up the past five as well, now living with my mom again in WA.


For me what's really helped is I started trying to learn different skills. This past month I've learned how to knit and it's all I do nowadays... I can really lose myself in it and it's really cool because I can make warm hats for travelers that are on the road right now and thus have a piece of me out there livin' the dream.

,If you're planning on hittin' the road again someday I'd suggest looking up community classes in things that can benefit you in your travels later on. Primitive survival skills courses, nutrition in the wild etc. If you take advantage of your down time by learning and growing yourself odds are you'll get super excited about putting said skills to use when you're out again, and it won't feel like time wasted.

I plan on gettin' back out there ASAP and so I'm trying to hone my knitting skills into something I can use to exploit yuppies for their dollah dollah billz in the future. Also been watching a lot of recorded nutritional classes on youtube as well as studying a few other things on my own that I think will help me help myself and others whenever I'm in the woods again or if I decide to live on a community farm ever.

IDK, just find ways to bring your love of travel into the life you're living now.

I'm sorry if this doesn't help, but regardless I'm super stoked to hear you're working on getting things back together. The misery you endure now will make the future shine all the brighter.

Hope to see you again someday! 
Annah


----------



## Anagor (Oct 8, 2018)

starkley said:


> Ive been off the road for a solid 5 months now after traveling straight for 5 yrs.



I'm housed up now for over 6 months after travelling on and off for like 3 years ... need to help my parents at the moment.



starkley said:


> and am having a hard time being okay with staying still.



Can totally relate. I mean I'm glad I can help my parents right now, but I can't wait to hit the road again. It's just fuckin boring. And I miss friends I wanted to visit again months ago. I did not anticipate that it would take so long here.

Hope you can travel again soon!


----------



## Jackthereaper (Oct 8, 2018)

I usually ride MX or autocross during my non traveling months. Gets the adrenaline pumping and forces focus. Keeps my mind off just leaving while i pump out a years work in six months. I also fly rc, (collective pitch helis, quads, fpv planks etc). My fpv plank is so useful for recon i have considered bringing it freight hopping lol. Its just bulky.

Either way, if i dont keep my mind busy i get stir crazy and wind up needing to leave. On a train, in a plane, whatever.


----------



## Tadaa (Oct 8, 2018)

dont get a job next to the railroadtracks if you used to trainhop..i find myself stairing out the window every day and dream about another adventure..

besides that.. i travelled and lived around the world for ten years.. guess i ll never get over it.. but i want a homebase.. so building one.. and hopefully this winter i ll go ride some trains in the usa again.. (saving money here @Thewalkindude
if it isnt you to settle down then dont. 
be you, live your life


----------



## Matt Derrick (Oct 8, 2018)

yeah, much like others have said, i keep myself busy with projects. the stp podcast has really been helping me maintain my sanity with a connection to the community while i wait out the next 10 months or so until i can travel again.


----------



## Deadfinger (Oct 8, 2018)

When i'm not working i like to make jewelry, toys, and knickknacks to keep my mind busy... then when i hit the road i sell and/or give away what i make... hobbies can keep you sane and make you some extra $$$. win win.


----------



## Multifaceted (Oct 19, 2018)

Matt Derrick said:


> yeah, much like others have said, i keep myself busy with projects. the stp podcast has really been helping me maintain my sanity with a connection to the community while i wait out the next 10 months or so until i can travel again.



I had no idea there was a podcast! Thank you for that very useful bit of information!

Prior to traveling I was on StP every day, and mid-traveling I lurked every few days... Now, housed up, I've only logged in a few times in five months so I've missed good info.. I'll be making it a point to start coming on more often! Maybe I could write a knitting guide in case anyone here wants to take that up as it's a lightweight hobby, and I'm 100% certain some yuppie lady out there would just love to buy a travelin' kid knitting needles and yarn as it shows an initiative to learn and is also an old lady hobby.

EDIT: All that said- there was a good idea in there! Start learning a new hobby/ skill and make a thread where you post your progress and relay the information you've learned since the last reply, as well as post pictures of your projects.


----------



## Matt Derrick (Oct 20, 2018)

Multifaceted said:


> Maybe I could write a knitting guide in case anyone here wants to take that up as it's a lightweight hobby



that sounds cool, you should post it in the your projects section!


----------



## starkley (Nov 8, 2018)

Multifaceted said:


> Heyy Carly whaddup. I've been wondering what happened to you after Love.
> 
> In April I went back to SATX to visit old friends and get a vehicle. Worked in a vegan tex-mex restaurant for a couple weeks before going to the ER where I found out I have heart failure. Been housed up the past five as well, now living with my mom again in WA.
> 
> ...


cool to have found you on here. After love, I went to NM and stayed at the SF hotsprings. and ragged in silver and gave away the puppies at that walmart. Things got pretty scarse out there, getting into town for water was hard so we ended up drinking the hotsprings water. While we were in town at the ditch park my dog got off leash and ended up biting someone who called the spca and the cops. So I had to hide my dog etc. And couldnt handle the stress of evading the cops. A nice couple housed us up for a minute, but they werent stay ing permanently and were given a place to stay while theyre baby reached theyre first birthday they got a van did that whole gig. But I m glad you reached out to me, I 've been feeling very disoreinted about my traveling expiereince,not having met any many people I jived with. I feel like rainbow in general is very masogonistic, I always felt like female travelers opinions/advice is devalued and subsequent to their usually male road companion. Having a hard time reconsolidating the last 5 years of my life. But thankful for the time off the road and being able to be able to pick up on some things that have been lacking,dental,physical health,mental health etc. Sorry to hear able your health complications,are you going to have to have a heart transplant?


----------



## otch0z (Nov 13, 2018)

Multifaceted said:


> I'm 100% certain some yuppie lady out there would just love to buy a travelin' kid knitting needles and yarn as it shows an initiative to learn and is also an old lady hobby.



I used to knit a bit too, especially while in transit, and here's my experience : 
I was used to get back home with the last tram in the city I lived but I had a correspondance and I would always see second tramway leave when my first got to the stop I was changing trams, so I'd have to wait for 20+ minutes at the stop. It was night (it was often the last one I was taking) so the whole place wasn't so reassuring. 
But when I was knitting there, people (especially old ladies, but all sorts of people really) would come to talk to me about what I was making, and even when nobody was talking to me, it felt like if I had an aura of cosiness around me and people were more comfortable.
I think because knitting is so related to sweet old ladies, it makes people look inoffensive and maybe more sympathetic ? 

Anyways, just to say I think it's a really good idea !


----------



## Jackthereaper (Nov 13, 2018)

otch0z said:


> I used to knit a bit too, especially while in transit, and here's my experience :
> I was used to get back home with the last tram in the city I lived but I had a correspondance and I would always see second tramway leave when my first got to the stop I was changing trams, so I'd have to wait for 20+ minutes at the stop. It was night (it was often the last one I was taking) so the whole place wasn't so reassuring.
> But when I was knitting there, people (especially old ladies, but all sorts of people really) would come to talk to me about what I was making, and even when nobody was talking to me, it felt like if I had an aura of cosiness around me and people were more comfortable.
> I think because knitting is so related to sweet old ladies, it makes people look inoffensive and maybe more sympathetic ?
> ...


I used to know a ex con ex gangbanger who did needlepoint at the bus stop. Dude was intimidating looking but everyone loved him because the needlepoint took the edge off. Dude was good af too.


----------

