# how long do travelers last?



## Notmyname

I'm curious how long people stay on the road. Me and @Hillbilly Castro met one old ass motherfucker in Texas claiming to be a Vietnam era bo. Don't know how true that is but he was trying to hitch out so he's on the move at least a bit. I feel like the ones that become old folks usually become homebums. The youngins retire into a house after a few years on the road. 

I've met people that been out for 10 or so years too. But since I've only been at this for a year I don't have any friends that have given it up(that I know of). Since a year really ain't shit compared to a lot of peeps on here, I wanna ask y'all. How long you been at it, or how long did you travel before you stopped? If you wanna add something about your friends feel free, how long for them?

Another curious thing I've noticed, is that train core peeps are way more "hardcore" than most when it come to shit like drugs and booze. Yet most of the train core kids I've met claim somewhere around 5 to 10 years. And they sure fucking look it too. Do you think train riders stay at it longer than hitch hikers and rubber tramps? Kinda seems that way in my limited experience

I'm sure it's something like survival of the fittest, which is interesting to me seeing as how we are kinda like the wild version of humans in the modern age. Idk I'm kinda drunk so sorry if this is stupid. Just something I was thinking about since yesterday when my uncle asked me when I'm gonna stop traveling, if I could see myself doing this for 5 years... 10 years... I mean fuck in 5 years I'll already be 30. How long can a person live like this? How long can you live like this?


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## Notmyname

Also I've only seen traincore kids get crazy face tattoos as some weird commitment to the life. What's up with that lol


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## VikingAdventurer

I don't have a definitive answer for ya, but I can say that I started traveling at 27, and I'll be 31 in about a week.

Currently, I don't see myself settling down any time even remotely soon.

I've met folks in their 70's who still live the rubbertramp lifestyle, but I don't know when they started.

If I HAD to come up with some kinda answer, I'd say that travelers will always be travelers at heart. They may go through alternating phases of traveling and not traveling, but I believe that the "wanderlust gene" which I've read about is a real thing, and those who possess it will always have a traveler's soul.


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## Notmyname

VikingAdventurer said:


> I don't have a definitive answer for ya, but I can say that I started traveling at 27, and I'll be 31 in about a week.
> 
> Currently, I don't see myself settling down any time even remotely soon.
> 
> I've met folks in their 70's who still live the rubbertramp lifestyle, but I don't know when they started.
> 
> If I HAD to come up with some kinda answer, I'd say that travelers will always be travelers at heart. They may go through alternating phases of traveling and not traveling, but I believe that the "wanderlust gene" which I've read about is a real thing, and those who possess it will always have a traveler's soul.


Yeah kinda funny cause I didn't know it for certain until I was like 21, but I've wanted to do this for as long as I can remember. I wonder if this is where the traveler vs oogles thing comes in. Like oogles only do it cause it's cool, then stop after a couple years and live the rest of their lives like the rest of society. Idk. I reckon there's really no real answer. Just a bunch of philosophy. Hmm. Your point about transition is interesting too. Now that I think of it, Ive met a few rubbertamps who hopped and hitched for several years, then settled into a bus or RV and still move plenty.


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## Odin

Notmyname said:


> Me and @Hillbilly Castro met one old ass motherfucker in Texas claiming to be a Vietnam era bo



I have met... a few handful of folks that fly signs... camp drink bum... n vandwell over the last year or two homebuming around myself.

I got one gambling idiot... who lies about being a vietnam vet sign flying . kinda pisses me off



Notmyname said:


> I'm sure it's something like survival of the fittest, which is interesting to me seeing as how we are kinda like the wild version of humans in the modern age.



yup there is competition at the top and the bottom...



VikingAdventurer said:


> I've met folks in their 70's who still live the rubbertramp lifestyle, but I don't know when they started.



yuup I know folks retired and on ssid n bikefree...


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## VikingAdventurer

Odin said:


> I got one gambling idiot... who lies about being a vietnam vet sign flying . kinda pisses me off



FUCK.
THAT.
GUY.

I'll punch him in his dick.


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## Shwhiskey Gumimaci

I know everyone takes breaks. Some longer than others, but anyone who says they've been on the road 15 years straight with no breaks is probably a liar. My current boyfriend has been traveling for 16 years, but just got done with a year break after he got hit by a train and was recovering. He also has taken a lot of breaks to get jobs and take care of things he's needed to take care of. I've only been doing this 2 years and I've taken short breaks to take care of things too. We all need a vacation from vacation sometimes.


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## Hillbilly Castro

Shwhiskey Gumimaci said:


> I know everyone takes breaks. Some longer than others, but anyone who says they've been on the road 15 years straight with no breaks is probably a liar..



Definitely true. Longest I ever heard of without a break was this girl Sparky who claimed two and a half years with no breaks and I believed it because she really knew her shit and was quite comfortable with her simple setup. She was also a crackhead lol.

As far as how long a traveler can last, these guys seem to travel from birth til death, and their culture has been at it for at least 15,000 years:







These are Tuareg desert nomads in Africa. 
In fact, most of humanity has been nomadic. We've been human at least 200,000 years, and recognizably within the pale of what's called "human"-ish for probably nearly 2 million. Most of these people have not been sedentary. They didn't live in cities. They weren't tied down to jobs, monogamous nuclear family units, and they weren't fenced in by borders or governments. They also usually walked and broke camp for much longer than most of us break camp - I believe much of the Tuareg and Fulani break camp for periods of time that we might consider a "break" in traveling, so the idea of a break is kind of fluid. When you've been on the road for 30 years, a four month break is small enough to not be much of a break IMO. 

I think this history is in our blood. Civilization breaks us of it. Heavy drinking and drug use, familial pressure, pressure from the cops, financial pressure, and the fact that it is basically illegal to raise your kids on the road in the US are all things that push us off the road that were not present in pre-civilized life. How long we last is a function of how well we are able to cope with these things and even overcome them. I believe that international travelers have the longest shelf-life for this reason, because they are able to go to lands where it is not as hard to travel as it is in the US, where it is even possible to raise a child or two on the move. I think there is a small set of folks who manage this. The other self-life destroying thing for a traveler is addiction. If you're an alcoholic or a junkie, you'll turn into a homebum at some point, or else get sober and integrate into sedentary society. 

The other thing the nomads of old had/have is a means of survival that they could take with them. The Fulani have cows, as do the Tuareg I think. Some nomads were hunter-gatherers. Most refuse to integrate into the money economy except by gunpoint / swordpoint. If we want to keep moving we'll have to find a way to manage this, or at least sustain ourselves via money without begging or using government money. And, the last thing they have is a community. They do not move alone. I think humans are not built for that kind of solitude. I can stay on the road much, much longer when I have a solid crew with me. 

My two cents anyway. @creature has been on the road a while, I wonder what he thinks.


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## Tude

We have one member on here @Kal who has been out >20 yrs. left home at 17 and never went back. He really didn't have a place I guess as he kinda lived with different family members as his parents were not alive.


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## Hillbilly Castro

Tude said:


> He really didn't have a place I guess as he kinda lived with different family members as his parents were not alive.



This is an interesting aside. It's tragic for someone to have to deal with that kind of pain, quite often anyway, but that does seem to be a common thread among long-term travelers in this society. Many of us are bastards and orphans and folks from dysfunctional or totally fucked up families. I never met my dad (he's a carnie and a traveler) and my mom was on drugs til I was ten. I don't feel like I could be coaxed by family pressures to get off the road. The ones I see who get off the road the soonest seem to be the ones who have a functional family life, whether it is in their parents or in a family they create via marriage and children. Especially when their parents / wife / husband / kids pressure them into settling down.


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## Notmyname

Hillbilly Castro said:


> This is an interesting aside. It's tragic for someone to have to deal with that kind of pain, quite often anyway, but that does seem to be a common thread among long-term travelers in this society. Many of us are bastards and orphans and folks from dysfunctional or totally fucked up families. I never met my dad (he's a carnie and a traveler) and my mom was on drugs til I was ten. I don't feel like I could be coaxed by family pressures to get off the road. The ones I see who get off the road the soonest seem to be the ones who have a functional family life, whether it is in their parents or in a family they create via marriage and children. Especially when their parents / wife / husband / kids pressure them into settling down.


Funny you bring that up, cause the break I'm currently on was to help my brother with his house. Turns out he doesn't need my help after all. I still had to come for his wedding though. I can't stay here though. It's been over two months and the depression is holding me back from making money so I have to leave sooner rather than later. But now i have debts and a girlfriend haha what the fuck


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## Rob Nothing

fuck the desert. im no sand nigger, albiet i do wear a shirt on my head time to time. 

unless you are a complete alcoholic, drug abuser, fanatic, attention whore, or couch surfer on a dick sucking marathon i think its few far between youll find somebody thats been anywhere beyond a couple months straight on the road. there are few countries big enough to be anyhow.. unless of course your god has condemned you to move camp every fortnight, which is a real thing that happens too.

longest ive been on the move, nonstop, so far, if walking the streets of portland and seattle without a penny to my name doesnt count, was about exactly a month and a half. funded by my previous job, 3 months, as a welder.

edit: pre-emptive strike, i know yer gonna rate this stupid like 20 x over, and i dont fucking care.


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## Hillbilly Castro

Rob Nothing said:


> sand nigger



holy shit, why ?? not even on some PC shit, just why

other than that nasty tidbit, I will say there aren't many who are cut out for being on the road long-term. And a dicksucking marathon don't sound so bad...



Notmyname said:


> Funny you bring that up, cause the break I'm currently on was to help my brother with his house. Turns out he doesn't need my help after all. I still had to come for his wedding though. I can't stay here though. It's been over two months and the depression is holding me back from making money so I have to leave sooner rather than later. But now i have debts and a girlfriend haha what the fuck



damn dude. you'll get out. better be at the jambo... and if me and creature roll up to minni you're getting in the car! lol


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## Notmyname

Stay the fuck off my post with this ignorant ass shit. Everything you said is fucking stupid. And you're stupid for saying it. Whether or not you actually believe it is irrelevant, since you sound like you've never come up with an original thought in your entire fucking life


Rob Nothing said:


> fuck the desert. im no sand nigger, albiet i do wear a shirt on my head time to time.
> 
> unless you are a complete alcoholic, drug abuser, fanatic, attention whore, or couch surfer on a dick sucking marathon i think its few far between youll find somebody thats been anywhere beyond a couple months straight on the road. there are few countries big enough to be anyhow.. unless of course your god has condemned you to move camp every fortnight, which is a real thing that happens too.
> 
> longest ive been on the move, nonstop, so far, if walking the streets of portland and seattle without a penny to my name doesnt count, was about exactly a month and a half. funded by my previous job, 3 months, as a welder.


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## Rob Nothing

those be some strong words bra, you win!

at castro

because i believe in the freedom of speech, at least where there is no noise pollution or public smut involved. 5 years on the rough has turned me to realities i was not brought up to condone. things are what they are and yes, i am a politically uncorrect, somewhat racist bastard.


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## Notmyname

Rob Nothing said:


> those be some strong words bra, you win!
> 
> at castro
> 
> because i believe in the freedom of speech, at least where there is no noise pollution or public smut involved. 5 years on the rough has turned me to realities i was not brought up to condone. things are what they are and yes, i am a politically uncorrect, somewhat racist bastard.


Feel free to take it somewhere else.


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## Notmyname

Hillbilly Castro said:


> damn dude. you'll get out. better be at the jambo... and if me and creature roll up to minni you're getting in the car! lol




Haha or you get on the highline with me and we meet up with everyone else on the coast


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## Hillbilly Castro

Rob Nothing said:


> those be some strong words bra, you win!
> 
> at castro
> 
> because i believe in the freedom of speech, at least where there is no noise pollution or public smut involved. 5 years on the rough has turned me to realities i was not brought up to condone. things are what they are and yes, i am a politically uncorrect, somewhat racist bastard.



Wow, interesting. I'm coming up on five years on the road pretty quick here and amazingly I haven't become a racist. Then again, I've been blessed with a strong will and a sound mind. Others appear to warp easily into half-cocked, bleary-eyed klansmen by default under any kind of pressure. The world beats them down, they play the victim, and then use their light skin as a teddybear to take away the pain. They're the sorts who cite freedom of speech as a defense of the most stupid statements imaginable. Unfortunately freedom doesn't do much for the dullard. 

//end thread derail


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## EphemeralStick

@Rob Nothing Freedom of speech doesn't protect against being a shit head. Warning issued. 

BACK ON TOPIC. 

I started traveling when I was 20 and at 22 I took a break for 2 and half years. Now I'm 27 and still out the doing things but they way that I travel now has drastically changed. 

I think it depends on the person and why they started traveling to begin with. For me it was initially an escape, but now it's because of the friendships I've made. 

(OFF TOPIC; @Shwhiskey Gumimaci BOYFRIEND!? omg PM me the details)


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## Rob Nothing

funny how easily provoked.. i wasnt even trying. just speakin gods honest opinion w/o zeroing in on anybody. may need to toughen that hide a little more, massachutes.


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## Deleted member 125

Rob Nothing said:


> funny how easily provoked.. i wasnt even trying. just speakin gods honest opinion w/o zeroing in on anybody. may need to toughen that hide a little more, massachutes.



yer casual racism bullshit isnt going to be tolerated here.


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## Notmyname

Rob Nothing said:


> funny how easily provoked.. i wasnt even trying. just speakin gods honest opinion w/o zeroing in on anybody. may need to toughen that hide a little more, massachutes.


Damn you're ignorant. And I don't have the energy to argue. If you don't have anything constructive to add, please stop replying to this thread.


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## Rob Nothing

last pair of travelers I bumped into were in bellingham, they were spanging at the coop, on the far corner where practically no one stirred. preferrable to a freddys parking lot huh, I thought. they were very quiet and hardly said a word when I approached them, but offered me chips and chocolate and water, as I had left my things back at the camp. The girl had long dreads and a healthy figure, looked maybe mid to late thirties, world weary though and extremely ragged. Her slender blonde haired companion looked about the same yet fidgetted about restlessly like a playful little boy, doing stomach cleans and handstands and cartwheels on the pavement in front of their tiny little spange board... I was on the way to a show and wished them to accompany me but they said they did not drink alcohol and preferred to stick to their corner. Saddened, I let them be. 

It isnt often I run across travelers with so much dignity and humility in their every word and action, and I suspect that that is because few travelers ever make it very far without retreating back to old ways and familiar faces and pipe dreams.

They lived in the moment and they had, observably, earned that capacity.


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## Rob Nothing

its a term archaic and ridiculous as the hills and the sand.. diggers isnt it


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## smkstcklghtng

@Rob Nothing ~ sending prostate cancer vibes.


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## Art101

I dont know I rode steady from 17 to about 24,took time off.Started riding again for another 2 years.Took time off and still like to catch out at least two-three times a year.


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## Matt Derrick

Rob Nothing said:


> its a term archaic and ridiculous as the hills and the sand.. diggers isnt it



that's it. keep pushing it and see where that gets you.


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## LeeenPocket

Rob Nothing said:


> sand nigger





Rob Nothing said:


> because i believe in the freedom of speech



This seems like a medium capable of educating you...


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## Rob Nothing

^nice.. but needs more color to appeal to impaired vision epidemic among sjws.


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## Matt Derrick

Rob Nothing said:


> ^nice.. but needs more color to appeal to impaired vision epidemic among sjws.



what does that even mean? is there a stereotype of SJWs being visually impaired? i don't get it.


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## smkstcklghtng

Matt Derrick said:


> what does that even mean? is there a stereotype of SJWs being visually impaired? i don't get it.



possibly, but this seems like half-assed straw grasping in an attempt to be dismissive.


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## VikingAdventurer

Mods & Admins, how has this person who so obviously has no respect for anything most of us on here DO have respect for, not been banned yet?


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## Rob Nothing

ive long since desisted. but apparently this thread is now about me


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## Rob Nothing

why glasses came to mind, since you ask

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0KCpIHL4ay4/maxresdefault.jpg


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## Matt Derrick

VikingAdventurer said:


> Mods & Admins, how has this person who so obviously has no respect for anything most of us on here DO have respect for, not been banned yet?



done. tired of this jerk wasting our time with posts unrelated to this thread and being a racist ass.


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## VikingAdventurer

Wow.

That was a quicker response than I expected. Lol.

At the rate that person was going, I'm almost surprised that they hadn't started throwing around slurs like "fa**ot" yet.

Thank you all for upholding the integrity of this community that I value and respect.


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## A New Name

Matt Derrick said:


> what does that even mean? is there a stereotype of SJWs being visually impaired? i don't get it.


He was saying that SJWs are incapable of telling peoples races apart. 

You don't need to be color blind to consider people of all colours and cultures worthy of respect a priori, just a mind capable of handling the complexity of an intelligent species and courage to handle uncertainty.


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## VikingAdventurer

In an ATTEMPT to get this thread back on topic, AGAIN...

@Matt Derrick , I know you've been traveling for awhile; what's your take on this?

I know I've heard more than a few epic traveling stories from ya...


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## Notmyname

Holy shit this thread y'all!


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## Notmyname

And yeah Matt I want you to say something here. I forget you're old haha


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## Matt Derrick

Notmyname said:


> And yeah Matt I want you to say something here. I forget you're old haha



::finger::::finger::::finger:: 



VikingAdventurer said:


> In an ATTEMPT to get this thread back on topic, AGAIN...
> 
> @Matt Derrick , I know you've been traveling for awhile; what's your take on this?
> 
> I know I've heard more than a few epic traveling stories from ya...



i saw an awesome patch/tshirt (can't remember which) on tumblr once that had a cartoon train hopping kid on it and said in text around it, "just because you hopped a train once six years ago, doesn't mean you've been hopping trains for six years," and that kinda sums it up for me. yes, i first started traveling in 1998, even rode my first train that year, but i don't tell people i've been riding trains for 20 years. Sure, I put in some serious mileage over about 7 of those years (2001-2008) but there was always breaks in between of several months at a time. sometimes it would be as little as a week, and sometimes it would be as much as six months (especially during college).

someone that says they've been traveling for however many years straight is fibbing a little. no one spends 24/7 on a train, or even hitchhiking, or even via any other kind of travel. there's always going to be the slow periods between travels, it's just a part of traveling and its not avoidable. this is why i almost always put a bit of a disclaimer on my experience by saying i've been traveling "off-and-on" for about 18 years now (wow that feels weird to say, I AM OLD!)


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## Notmyname

@Matt Derrick you're in an RV now correct? Do you think that's a permanent thing? Ever gonna hop or hitch again? Rubber tramping really seems to be a common "final stage". It's been my retirement plan for as long as I can remember. But I don't wanna have my own vehicle until I'm too worn out to get around any other way. (Not to imply that's why you or anyone else does it)


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## autumn

Matt Derrick said:


> i saw an awesome patch/tshirt (can't remember which) on tumblr once that had a cartoon train hopping kid on it and said in text around it, "just because you hopped a train once six years ago, doesn't mean you've been hopping trains for six years," and that kinda sums it up for me. yes, i first started traveling in 1998, even rode my first train that year, but i don't tell people i've been riding trains for 20 years. Sure, I put in some serious mileage over about 7 of those years (2001-2008) but there was always breaks in between of several months at a time. sometimes it would be as little as a week, and sometimes it would be as much as six months (especially during college).
> 
> someone that says they've been traveling for however many years straight is fibbing a little. no one spends 24/7 on a train, or even hitchhiking, or even via any other kind of travel. there's always going to be the slow periods between travels, it's just a part of traveling and its not avoidable. this is why i almost always put a bit of a disclaimer on my experience by saying i've been traveling "off-and-on" for about 18 years now (wow that feels weird to say, I AM OLD!)



I guess people in our community tend not to, on average, live as long as the gen pop, so you're veritably paleolithic.

That's pretty much my take on it as well. You don't travel for years at a time, just months at most. Everyone ends up stopping periodically. I'd consider a "full time" traveler to just be someone that isn't really looking to stop and spend years somewhere. As for the original question, my anecdotal observation is that most people tend to either stop young or get a van/RV. People that have a few decades on @Matt Derrick that are still hopping trains are rare.

I mean I'm only 23 and I burned out after 5 years, now I've got an RV.


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## Matt Derrick

zim said:


> guess people in our community tend not to, on average, live as long as the gen pop, so you're veritably paleolithic



That's hilarious. Yeah I'm used to being the 'older guy' in a group but I can still pass for about 27 most of the time 



Notmyname said:


> @Matt Derrick you're in an RV now correct? Do you think that's a permanent thing? Ever gonna hop or hitch again? Rubber tramping really seems to be a common "final stage". It's been my retirement plan for as long as I can remember. But I don't wanna have my own vehicle until I'm too worn out to get around any other way. (Not to imply that's why you or anyone else does it)



I won't say I'll never do a certain form of travel again, you just never know when the opportunity will arise. For now tho I'm just done *seeking* those opportunities. 

I've been either flying, busing, or driving everywhere for the past few years now and I think that will be my main mode of transport until I go overseas. Then Ill give hitchhiking another go cause I hate hitching in America the people here are such scared little wuss especially. 

Would love to hop another train but it would have to be a really exotic route to hold my interest. Like going across Australia or like going through the deserts of the middle east like that one guy did that we have an article here on. This is because I hopped trains for long enough that I did honestly start getting bored of it.


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## AaronOnTheRoad

Been traveling a week now, I actually like it besides all the Fucking walking we gotta do. Fucking feet hurt man


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## Notmyname

AaronOnTheRoad said:


> Been traveling a week now, I actually like it besides all the Fucking walking we gotta do. Fucking feet hurt man


For me and a lot of other people I've met, your pack is wayyyy to heavy in the beginning. Once you realize this and start shedding useless shit, walking will be easier. Within the first 4 months, I dropped prolly 15 to 20 lbs outta my pack. You'll gain more skills along the way and need less gear. Everything is harder in the beginning


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## AaronOnTheRoad

Notmyname said:


> For me and a lot of other people I've met, your pack is wayyyy to heavy in the beginning. Once you realize this and start shedding useless shit, walking will be easier. Within the first 4 months, I dropped prolly 15 to 20 lbs outta my pack. You'll gain more skills along the way and need less gear. Everything is harder in the beginning


Exactly what I did already,but about to shed some more. We are right in Terre houet? Think that's how you spell it. About 70 miles outside of Indy. Spent two days looking for a dog, 500 doller reward.


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## AlwaysLost

AaronOnTheRoad said:


> Been traveling a week now, I actually like it besides all the Fucking walking we gotta do. Fucking feet hurt man



I gotta get me a segway...


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## AaronOnTheRoad

There are tiny buses here, 1.75


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## AlwaysLost

What is a tiny bus?


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## AaronOnTheRoad

It's like the handicap bus


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## Hillbilly Castro

zim said:


> veritably paleolithic



sidenote: paleolithic life expectancies were actually pretty damn high _if you survived past age eight_. Infant mortality was higher, often because pre-agricultural folks practiced infanticide. (which was a pretty good idea tbh)



Matt Derrick said:


> until I go overseas. Then Ill give hitchhiking another go cause I hate hitching in America the people here are such scared little wuss especially.



Word, this is my feeling too. Hitchhiking for a few years in America is a true baptism by fire. I still won't drive, but I am switching to bikes and motorized bikes for the time being precisely because I fucking burned out hitchhiking. Which reminds me that the longevity of a traveler depends on their mode. Sailors, truckers, and RVers are all travelers as well, and they manage to travel for year and years with their rigs. The travel life expectancy of a pure hitchhiker would be ridiculously low in contrast. If we want to keep moving, we'd do well to be smart about how we're moving and what every mile takes out of us. 



Notmyname said:


> For me and a lot of other people I've met, your pack is wayyyy to heavy in the beginning. Once you realize this and start shedding useless shit, walking will be easier. Within the first 4 months, I dropped prolly 15 to 20 lbs outta my pack. You'll gain more skills along the way and need less gear. Everything is harder in the beginning



Haha this! All you really need is a blanket, a foam pad, a tarp, a pot and a set of clothes. When I first left all my shit was like 30 pounds WITHOUT food, now I'm down to maybe 8. I did just get robbed lol so that lightens the load a bit. I'm to the point where I want my whole setup to be worth less than $50 and under ten pounds. Blanket and clothes too cold? go south right? haha


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## Odin

Hillbilly Castro said:


> Haha this! All you really need is a blanket, a foam pad, a tarp, a pot and a set of clothes. When I first left all my shit was like 30 pounds WITHOUT food, now I'm down to maybe 8. I did just get robbed lol so that lightens the load a bit. I'm to the point where I want my whole setup to be worth less than $50 and under ten pounds. Blanket and clothes too cold? go south right? haha



gotta start young otherwise the learning curve is steep.


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## Notmyname

Hillbilly Castro said:


> sidenote: paleolithic life expectancies were actually pretty damn high _if you survived past age eight_. Infant mortality was higher, often because pre-agricultural folks practiced infanticide. (which was a pretty good idea tbh)
> 
> 
> 
> Word, this is my feeling too. Hitchhiking for a few years in America is a true baptism by fire. I still won't drive, but I am switching to bikes and motorized bikes for the time being precisely because I fucking burned out hitchhiking. Which reminds me that the longevity of a traveler depends on their mode. Sailors, truckers, and RVers are all travelers as well, and they manage to travel for year and years with their rigs. The travel life expectancy of a pure hitchhiker would be ridiculously low in contrast. If we want to keep moving, we'd do well to be smart about how we're moving and what every mile takes out of us.
> 
> 
> 
> Haha this! All you really need is a blanket, a foam pad, a tarp, a pot and a set of clothes. When I first left all my shit was like 30 pounds WITHOUT food, now I'm down to maybe 8. I did just get robbed lol so that lightens the load a bit. I'm to the point where I want my whole setup to be worth less than $50 and under ten pounds. Blanket and clothes too cold? go south right? haha


When I hit the hiline I'm aiming sub 30 lbs with pupchow. When I first started I was pushing 50 lbs I think. I was carrying shit like heavy duty metal tent stakes. I didn't even have a fucking tent, just thought they might help with my tarp setup. I ditched them and started sharpening sticks. Then I pretty much stopped setting up the tarp


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## AlwaysLost

AaronOnTheRoad said:


> It's like the handicap bus



Ahh right I've ridden the short bus before.


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## ironman

Rob Nothing said:


> funny how easily provoked.. i wasnt even trying. just speakin gods honest opinion w/o zeroing in on anybody. may need to toughen that hide a little more, massachutes.


24 years on road mostly working different construction . Maybe 45 States I take several months off for bike touring but then also catch work


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## Odin

ironman said:


> 24 years on road mostly working different construction . Maybe 45 States I take several months off for bike touring but then also catch work



sounds like you can arrive at an interview knowing some of your shit... good.


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## Beegod Santana

I'd say the vast majority of people do it for 3-6 months. However, there certainly are people who do this full time into old age. They're few and far between but they're out there. I guess it kinda depends on your definition but I spent 5 years working festivals in the spring-fall and then would travel aimlessly in the winters. Sure, when I found a good busking town with some life in it I'd hang out for a week to a month, but it wasn't like I was growing roots anywhere.


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## anterrabae

ironman said:


> 24 years on road mostly working different construction . Maybe 45 States I take several months off for bike touring but then also catch work


24 Years is a long time, dude. Bet you've made some good friends, in places. Is it easy finding good companies that supply you with tools or do you stash your work gear away in a pack (or truck??). Also, is any of that time spent riding freight anymore? or I guess with skilled trade the pay could be enough that riding transit even flying kinda preferable to hitching and the like. Cheers to that.

In regards to labor I find, sometimes its complete hell and other times I tell myself I could totally stay indefinately. Met some rad people out there in the work force. But the itch to pick up and go gets to feeling like an addiction at points.. a devil on my back, I swear.


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## ironman

unicorns said:


> 24 Years is a long time, dude. Bet you've made some good friends, in places. Is it easy finding good companies that supply you with tools or do you stash your work gear away in a pack (or truck??). Also, is any of that time spent riding freight anymore? or I guess with skilled trade the pay could be enough that riding transit even flying kinda preferable to hitching and the like. Cheers to that.
> 
> In regards to labor I find, sometimes its complete hell and other times I tell myself I could totally stay indefinately. Met some rad people out there in the work force. But the itch to pick up and go gets to feeling like an addiction at points.. a devil on my back, I swear.


I keep a vehicle . I been doing it so long I am known with lot big construction company so I can get around when I want to leave I just make few calls someone offer me job in another state . Having made lot of friends in the workforce helps I just work hard follow the rules and be decent to others.when I have my fill and pokets are full I park at friend house get on my bicycle and ride for many months living how I can .I always have strong trade to fall back into when I want to fatten up
If I run low on money I look for labor jobs wherever I am


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## ironman

ironman said:


> I keep a vehicle . I been doing it so long I am known with lot big construction company so I can get around when I want to leave I just make few calls someone offer me job in another state . Having made lot of friends in the workforce helps I just work hard follow the rules and be decent to others.when I have my fill and pokets are full I park at friend house get on my bicycle and ride for many months living how I can .I always have strong trade to fall back into when I want to fatten up
> If I run low on money I look for labor jobs wherever I am


When I am working I help as many people as I can I kicked down gear and food and cash smokes rides to whoever i meet on road when working . And it all comes back to me when I'm off. I don't ride trains I ride bicycle cause I'm not in hurry when I'm off


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## creature

a lot of travelers just find stuff more important than traveling..

a good train jumping daddy will sit his ass down for a baby, and once that happens, mom or dad, it doesn't mean you 'didn't last', it just means yer balls are bigger than a choo choo..

@Hillbilly Castro & myself were talking, just yesterday, about not the fact that not too many idealistic older folks remaining on the road, and that was the only answer i could come up with..

most of you lovely smarmies are less than 30 or 35..
imma almost fucking 60..

you do one of two things to keep traveling, at least as a goddamned guy, & still keep yer goddamned fucking balls..

but.. nevermind...

y'all know..

that thing between yer fucking legs is either a friend or an enemy, and you answer to it by either lie or commitment..

the journey may be the fucking same..

sooo...

it isn't a matter of 'lasting'..

it's a matter of remaining honest..

if you aren't a person whose word can be trusted, you aren't a goddamned traveler.

my poppa sat in a fucking building for 30 fucking years because he loved us, and for some reason or other that poor bastard married my mom, who dragged his ass to.. i dunno..
a zillion fucking countries & every continent save antarctica..

maybe not jumping trains, but if my daddy said he was yer friend, he'd pull a knife out between you & whatever, & i know this for a goddamed fucking fact..

& more than goddamned once..

sooo..

who lasts for what?

if yer some old tooth busted smell stomper who shares his last can of fucking beans with no more than a handshake, i suspect you've lasted..

goddamned fuck..

one of the holiest fucking bastards i ever met was a goddamned fucking ancient dirty fingered, trash can scrounging, deep deep deep northwest sub-freezing winter crawling vegetarian sonofacock who wouldn't accept a can of soup because it had fucking chicken in it.

i dunno how you measure 'lasting', but if i can die with his soul, i think i might miss the next turn of the wheel..

don't be pridefull because you travel.

yer just a human doing your thing, and as long as anyone else can keep a promise to others, based upon the fact of the honor needed between guest and host, then they continue to last..

those whom open their doors to us, in holy fucking trust, are certainly at least our equals, unto the the death they find, when they can, no longer...


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## Notmyname

creature said:


> a lot of travelers just find stuff more important than traveling..
> 
> a good train jumping daddy will sit his ass down for a baby, and once that happens, mom or dad, it doesn't mean you 'didn't last', it just means yer balls are bigger than a choo choo..
> 
> @Hillbilly Castro & myself were talking, just yesterday, about not the fact that not too many idealistic older folks remaining on the road, and that was the only answer i could come up with..
> 
> most of you lovely smarmies are less than 30 or 35..
> imma almost fucking 60..
> 
> you do one of two things to keep traveling, at least as a goddamned guy, & still keep yer goddamned fucking balls..
> 
> but.. nevermind...
> 
> y'all know..
> 
> that thing between yer fucking legs is either a friend or an enemy, and you answer to it by either lie or commitment..
> 
> the journey may be the fucking same..
> 
> sooo...
> 
> it isn't a matter of 'lasting'..
> 
> it's a matter of remaining honest..
> 
> if you aren't a person whose word can be trusted, you aren't a goddamned traveler.
> 
> my poppa sat in a fucking building for 30 fucking years because he loved us, and for some reason or other that poor bastard married my mom, who dragged his ass to.. i dunno..
> a zillion fucking countries & every continent save antarctica..
> 
> maybe not jumping trains, but if my daddy said he was yer friend, he'd pull a knife out between you & whatever, & i know this for a goddamed fucking fact..
> 
> & more than goddamned once..
> 
> sooo..
> 
> who lasts for what?
> 
> if yer some old tooth busted smell stomper who shares his last can of fucking beans with no more than a handshake, i suspect you've lasted..
> 
> goddamned fuck..
> 
> one of the holiest fucking bastards i ever met was a goddamned fucking ancient dirty fingered, trash can scrounging, deep deep deep northwest sub-freezing winter crawling vegetarian sonofacock who wouldn't accept a can of soup because it had fucking chicken in it.
> 
> i dunno how you measure 'lasting', but if i can die with his soul, i think i might miss the next turn of the wheel..
> 
> don't be pridefull because you travel.
> 
> yer just a human doing your thing, and as long as anyone else can keep a promise to others, based upon the fact of the honor needed between guest and host, then they continue to last..
> 
> those whom open their doors to us, in holy fucking trust, are certainly at least our equals, unto the the death they find, when they can, no longer...


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## Hillbilly Castro

creature said:


> one of the holiest fucking bastards i ever met was a goddamned fucking ancient dirty fingered, trash can scrounging, deep deep deep northwest sub-freezing winter crawling vegetarian sonofacock who wouldn't accept a can of soup because it had fucking chicken in it.
> 
> i dunno how you measure 'lasting', but if i can die with his soul, i think i might miss the next turn of the wheel..
> 
> don't be pridefull because you travel.
> 
> yer just a human doing your thing, and as long as anyone else can keep a promise to others, based upon the fact of the honor needed between guest and host, then they continue to last..



Alright, I'm gonna bite down on this little chunk and make public a train of thought I've had for a while.
Are we "just humans"? 
Or does something amounting to "superhumanity" exist?
We live in an age where there are more human beings than ever before. In medieval times, the human population was ONE SIXTEENTH of what it is today. That was only about 700 years ago. Humans are at least *200,000 years old*, probably older. The human population is increasing exponentially. 
Does this not make humans redundant?
Does this not demand that the individual now exists in a climate where they must prove their "ownness" against the backdrop created by "the masses", now more than ever?

I tend to think that there are certain classes within human society who manage to achieve what we could responsibly call "superhuman". Special forces soldiers are an excellent example. They'll learn a new language in sixty days, they can survive in any conditions, neutralize any threat to the safety of their person or to their unit, and establish US hegemony radically quickly in almost any environment. High criminals are another example. To be able to pull off a massive heist requires brilliance, physical agility, and a dead-eyed calculation of risk. 
I think maybe, just maybe, there are some of us on here who make that same mark in traveling.
Do most of us make the cut most days? I sure as fuck don't. I drink too much, I'm often idle, and I don't have the skills or the accomplishments under my belt to sit around and say I'm superhuman. 
But there are days in my travels when the situations I put myself in, and was put in, demanded 100% of me. I had to survive and to defend myself, I had to think quickly, I had to present myself in novel ways to wedge my way out of tough situations with wingnuts and the law. And I found that after so many days of this sort of thing, my entire consciousness elevated to such a degree that I wasn't the same. I became a survivor, or learned that I could stay ahead of the pack when the shit hits the fan.

And oh, how the shit will hit the fan. 
This massive human population is literally crude oil brought to life. When a massive population glut is forced into existence by artificial means, collapse looms. When the grid rusts and big portions of it fail, situations will unfold which will require us to stay ahead of the pack to survive. We'll have to tap into the superhuman within or else get comfortable with maggots in our skin and symphonies of hunger and infection - possibly, anyway. 

I think to say "I'm just a little 'ol human doing my thing" downplays the qualities of a survivor. The meek shall inherit the earth, but not if too many of the meek fail to overcome insane circumstances by force, creativity, and subversion. 

I want to tap into myself as my higher power through my capacity to resist and survive - so that I can aid others in tapping into the superhuman within them. A soldier-survivor-criminal lays dormant in most humans I've seen. Very very few are lost causes, maybe none. I agree we shouldn't be prideful, but we should perhaps also not be so humble that we fail to remember that as you've said before Creature, we're soldiers. We must tactically aim to be a cut above the others in order to survive. But why survive to stand alone, or only to stand with other travelers? I hope to survive in order to aid others in their path, so that the havoc of systematic failure of civilization is not as unlivable as it currently can be.

In short, that cold-weather vegetarian saint you met is probably worthy of the title saint - but how is his pistol shot? 
My hope is to be just that saint, but with just enough hubris, tactical creativity, and will-to-power that I and my kind will last.
Shirtless in broken sandals, on a motorcycle, with only a steel cup and a flintlock rifle, and a moonshine still in the desert, totally silent except for laughter... something like this vision is why I hope we can create a culture which allows travelers to last longer and to comprise a *culture*. I think we can bring back the ways of the old nomads, by figuring ways to raise babies on the road. 

there's my early morning rant... misguided as it is...


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## WanderLost Radical

You mean in bed, or...?


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## maddeningcrowds

Hillbilly Castro said:


> Alright, I'm gonna bite down on this little chunk and make public a train of thought I've had for a while.
> Are we "just humans"?
> Or does something amounting to "superhumanity" exist?
> We live in an age where there are more human beings than ever before. In medieval times, the human population was ONE SIXTEENTH of what it is today. That was only about 700 years ago. Humans are at least *200,000 years old*, probably older. The human population is increasing exponentially.
> Does this not make humans redundant?
> Does this not demand that the individual now exists in a climate where they must prove their "ownness" against the backdrop created by "the masses", now more than ever?
> 
> I tend to think that there are certain classes within human society who manage to achieve what we could responsibly call "superhuman". Special forces soldiers are an excellent example. They'll learn a new language in sixty days, they can survive in any conditions, neutralize any threat to the safety of their person or to their unit, and establish US hegemony radically quickly in almost any environment. High criminals are another example. To be able to pull off a massive heist requires brilliance, physical agility, and a dead-eyed calculation of risk.
> I think maybe, just maybe, there are some of us on here who make that same mark in traveling.
> Do most of us make the cut most days? I sure as fuck don't. I drink too much, I'm often idle, and I don't have the skills or the accomplishments under my belt to sit around and say I'm superhuman.
> But there are days in my travels when the situations I put myself in, and was put in, demanded 100% of me. I had to survive and to defend myself, I had to think quickly, I had to present myself in novel ways to wedge my way out of tough situations with wingnuts and the law. And I found that after so many days of this sort of thing, my entire consciousness elevated to such a degree that I wasn't the same. I became a survivor, or learned that I could stay ahead of the pack when the shit hits the fan.
> 
> And oh, how the shit will hit the fan.
> This massive human population is literally crude oil brought to life. When a massive population glut is forced into existence by artificial means, collapse looms. When the grid rusts and big portions of it fail, situations will unfold which will require us to stay ahead of the pack to survive. We'll have to tap into the superhuman within or else get comfortable with maggots in our skin and symphonies of hunger and infection - possibly, anyway.
> 
> I think to say "I'm just a little 'ol human doing my thing" downplays the qualities of a survivor. The meek shall inherit the earth, but not if too many of the meek fail to overcome insane circumstances by force, creativity, and subversion.
> 
> I want to tap into myself as my higher power through my capacity to resist and survive - so that I can aid others in tapping into the superhuman within them. A soldier-survivor-criminal lays dormant in most humans I've seen. Very very few are lost causes, maybe none. I agree we shouldn't be prideful, but we should perhaps also not be so humble that we fail to remember that as you've said before Creature, we're soldiers. We must tactically aim to be a cut above the others in order to survive. But why survive to stand alone, or only to stand with other travelers? I hope to survive in order to aid others in their path, so that the havoc of systematic failure of civilization is not as unlivable as it currently can be.
> 
> In short, that cold-weather vegetarian saint you met is probably worthy of the title saint - but how is his pistol shot?
> My hope is to be just that saint, but with just enough hubris, tactical creativity, and will-to-power that I and my kind will last.
> Shirtless in broken sandals, on a motorcycle, with only a steel cup and a flintlock rifle, and a moonshine still in the desert, totally silent except for laughter... something like this vision is why I hope we can create a culture which allows travelers to last longer and to comprise a *culture*. I think we can bring back the ways of the old nomads, by figuring ways to raise babies on the road.
> 
> there's my early morning rant... misguided as it is...


Gotta get to work so I can't type a long response but you should read Nietzsche... he dabbles in alotta the same ideas that you're talking about.


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## Stinkyyy

I've been on road just over 5 years now and I'm 25. No intention of stopping any time soon however my man and I are looking into getting our trailer back and setting up a more chilled little life and a family n shit..


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## DrewSTNY

Hillbilly Castro said:


> Shirtless in broken sandals, on a motorcycle, with only a steel cup and a flintlock rifle, and a moonshine still in the desert, totally silent except for laughter... something like this vision is why I hope we can create a culture which allows travelers to last longer and to comprise a *culture*. I think we can bring back the ways of the old nomads, by figuring ways to raise babies on the road.



Now, *that's* my kind of living! ::drinkingbuddy:: 

Now, if my body would cooperate. Oh, and I would need to break free of being a serious pack-rat. :ldman::


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## Bryan Swift

Matt Derrick said:


> That's hilarious. Yeah I'm used to being the 'older guy' in a group but I can still pass for about 27 most of the time



You don't look a day past 26.. ::woot::


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## GhostWithTheMost

I was out on the road/street from 1996-2011 the only break I took was three years due to being in Prison...but if it had not been for that would have been 15 straight, but I dont have any family other than A grandma who ripped me off for nearly 10 grand while I was in Prison which I had to pay back to SSI...So Until i met my mate that helped me get out in 2011 I was pretty much out 24-7 with the random hotel nights.


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## Alrats

Personally, I'm 32 and I've been doing this on and off for at least 13 years in a variety of different ways.
I think there's a number of different factors that come into play.
Like family life, where you come from, what your end goal is (or if you have one), what kind of support network you have, mental health, physical health, addictions, privilege, assumed privilege etc etc...
Half the time that I've been doing this shit, I'd like to say it was by choice, the other half of the time, I had no other choice.

Now that I've been on and off for so long, it's my only constant. It's also the only way I know how to center myself, sort of like a living meditation.
I've struggled with everything from abuse to addiction to homelessness and, for me, the best thing I've been able to do is let go and "re-set" by going right back into traveling and taking a running start at, well, whatever happens.

There are no rules. There is no blue print.
If you're looking for an answer in regards to the longevity of a hobby, then you're on your own. If you're looking for support in the idea that this might be the mainframe that your life is based on, well, there's a lot of us out here. But, in my opinion, there are a lot of things that I have let go of to be in this life position and feel ok about it.

Society likes to tell us a lot of things, and it's not until we start trying to unlearn them that we realize how deeply we've been scarred.


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## anterrabae

Alrats said:


> Personally, I'm 32 and I've been doing this on and off for at least 13 years in a variety of different ways.
> I think there's a number of different factors that come into play.
> Like family life, where you come from, what your end goal is (or if you have one), what kind of support network you have, mental health, physical health, addictions, privilege, assumed privilege etc etc...
> Half the time that I've been doing this shit, I'd like to say it was by choice, the other half of the time, I had no other choice.
> 
> Now that I've been on and off for so long, it's my only constant. It's also the only way I know how to center myself, sort of like a living meditation.
> I've struggled with everything from abuse to addiction to homelessness and, for me, the best thing I've been able to do is let go and "re-set" by going right back into traveling and taking a running start at, well, whatever happens.
> 
> There are no rules. There is no blue print.
> If you're looking for an answer in regards to the longevity of a hobby, then you're on your own. If you're looking for support in the idea that this might be the mainframe that your life is based on, well, there's a lot of us out here. But, in my opinion, there are a lot of things that I have let go of to be in this life position and feel ok about it.
> 
> Society likes to tell us a lot of things, and it's not until we start trying to unlearn them that we realize how deeply we've been scarred.


excellent post, sir.

one question. how long would you say it took before you got an inkling of that last part, about scars, and began unlearning all the bs we are programmed with? How old were you?


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## Alrats

Probably in my very early 20's when I started thinking about stuff like that. It was always something I thought about, I just didn't have the information or exposure to subversive culture to start understanding things in a way that would push me forward.


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## Notmyname

Alrats said:


> There are no rules. There is no blue print.
> If you're looking for an answer in regards to the longevity of a hobby, then you're on your own. If you're looking for support in the idea that this might be the mainframe that your life is based on, well, there's a lot of us out here. But, in my opinion, there are a lot of things that I have let go of to be in this life position and feel ok about it.
> 
> Society likes to tell us a lot of things, and it's not until we start trying to unlearn them that we realize how deeply we've been scarred.


Thanks for posting. You know, I don't really know why I made this thread or what I was hoping to get from it. Just kinda made it in a bit of drunken existential conflict. But I feel what your saying, idk how long I'll do it, and I can't plan on doing it forever. I once had a "plan" of a career and a family and that never happened so I'm clearly incapable of commiting to a long term idea. But I can say that this(so far short) chapter in my life has been more fulfilling than any other, and I want to keep it going as long as possible. Maybe I'll be on the road in 10 years maybe I won't. I can't predict the fucking future. And here I am drunk rambling again haha. Anyway I appreciate you're insightful response to a pretty insane question.


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## Deleted member 20975

I trust my gut first but after that i give everyone a chance. Any real traveller knows the deepest and realest conversation you will ever have with another random soul is probably under a bridge with a 40 and a cold can of beefaroni.

Im a huge believer in the duality of man. That we have a dark and light side. The road is raw, unforgiving, filled with magic and lore. It brings out the worst and best in us. It makes us stare into the abyss and the deepest hidden caves of our souls. But once a traveller always a traveller.... or you never really were. 

This was some inspiring shit.


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## Deleted member 14481

There's no set time limit of a life style, last I checked.


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## sub lumpen filth

It usually turns into an on/off knida thing. Cant ever get it completely out of your blood.


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## Anagor

Juan Derlust said:


> does anyone outside of Charles Dickens use the term 'fortnight'?



In England I heard it quite frequently.

Like "I'm getting paid by the fortnight" or "that will last a fortnight or longer" ... common word there.


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## OBIWAN616

Idk most of my friends I met on the road ether are dead or ended up having kids


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## Deleted member 24782

OBIWAN616 said:


> Idk most of my friends I met on the road ether are dead or ended up having kids



Dude, its so true.


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## OBIWAN616

Brodiesel710 said:


> Dude, its so true.


I miss my dead homies every single day, especially Kitty.


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