advice

[Chad]

I hope I don't get too much shit for this since I'm new and this is my first post here. I've never had much luck with getting help from forums, but everyone here seems to have their head on straight.
I'm 20 years old and still living with my parents in Los Angeles. I've been trying to get out of here for the past two years now but things just keep falling through. I'm frustrated and looking to just up and leave as soon as possible, but I don't know where to start. I have about $1000 to my name and no car. I have just been looking to move to a more bike friendly city, it doesn't matter where and hopefully live rent free. The truth of the matter is, I don't know the first thing about squatting or trainhopping and I figured someone here would be able to tell me where to start.
I am basically just looking to get out and start living. I've been out of high school for two years, just working and touring a little with my band. I don't have any friends now and I'm looking for a fresh start. Any advice?

 

[Matt Derrick]

well... my first bit of advice to you would be to get as far from los angeles as possible. i lived there for three years myself, and you won't believe the world of wonder i discovered after getting out of there. so yeah, first thing's first, i would suggest getting a greyhound ticket somewhere where it'll be easy to start out... like portland, oregon (if it's warm enough right now) or somewhere in northern cali. ill try to give more advice later (im real busy at the moment)

 

[skunkpit]

i loaded all my shit up from the parents place in a bike trailer, biked it around and gave some away then the rest to a friend and hoped a train across the country

best move in my life..

i can honestly say my life has reset or started over in a good direction

 

[CaseyCatastrophe]

I doubt anyone will give you any shit for this because yes, most of the folks on here have their heads on straight. But I got yo back anyway, brutha.

 

[Cush]

Chad wrote:

but everyone here seems to have their head on straight.

i'd love to help you out but unfortunatly my name is TL and i'm bat-shit insane.

unfortunatly i know next to nothing about the west coast but listen to matt and widerstand. i was talking to another guy on this site and he was asking about how to start squatting and traveling etc. the best thing to do is stop asking questions and just do it! squatting isn't hard. just find an empty building, get inside, and sleep there. make it your home. just get out and live! it'll be the best desicion you've ever made in your entire life.

 

[Bendixontherails]

Cush wrote:

Chad wrote:
but everyone here seems to have the...esicion you've ever made in your entire life.

I agree that it will absolutely change your life and your worldview to go and try it. I am afraid I have to disagree with you though, cush about stopping asking questions... always ask questions. question everything! while experience is a great, if harsh, teacher, you needn't learn everything by trial and error. some of those errors are quite costly and painful.
my best example of this is a suicide car. one of my first ever hops, ( maybe # 3 or 4), I caught a flat side 48 on the fly. I climbed up and was absolutely exhilarated. on top of the world. I threw my pack in the car and was about to slide in after it when I looked down. There was no floor, and there was no pack. I came within two seconds of death. I lost a good pack and all my gear and was damn thankful that was all. that need never have happened. I could have asked questions. turns out i knew several kids who would have gladly told me about these cars had I asked.

so Chad, ask questions. you don't necessarily have to do it out loud though. ask questions through research. READ THE OLD POSTS, and watch the conversations in both this and other places. you'll begin to understand. if you see something acouple times, and after looking around a while ( google, wikipedia, etc.) still don't get it, then ask... it's better than the possible consequences of ignorance.
Mostly I mean trains, though. go hitchin', and the rest will come if you want it to.
good luck.

Post edited by: Bendixontherails, at: 2007/04/12 16:02