Getting Ready To Go

[Deleted member 18141]

Hello! This might be a very long and detailed introduction but I hope you'll hang with me and ride this through~ So to start off my name is Erin and I currently live in NYC. I've been here for three years now, two were spent at college and the last year has been spent on my own. I'm really proud of this last year I've spent working and being on my own as I've overcome some serious emotional blocks and have started healthily coping with past trauma. This past month however has been extremely taxing on my spirit but also has been pushing me towards making the decision to start pursuing a more nomadic lifestyle. In a nutshell this past month i've been faced with an eviction notice and was involved in a pretty serious bike accident. The bike accident was one of those 'if you'd fallen an inch more to the left and you would have been dead' kind of scenarios. Basically I got pushed towards the curb by a car, my leg got sucked into my pedal, and i went flying over the handle bars smashing my forehead open. I'm totally okay now save for some deep stitches, black eye, fractured nose, and a minor concussion. In the aftermath I've spent a lot of time thinking about what i've done and experienced and accomplished in life and really I want more. I feel like the combination of eviction and face smashing are at the least some kind of warning sign or starting gun for me to leave NYC.
In the years since I've moved here I've made friends with people who travel and hop freight trains. I got a chance to visit one friend the other night who just returned to NYC from a 6 month trip. We talked about traveling and all the good and bad. During the conversation he let me hold his copy of the Crew Change Guide and this may sound very over dramatic and romantic, but it was honestly one of the most intense and real things i've been able to look at in a while. I feel very strongly that I need to do this. I need to travel by train and live a life I can feel excited and fulfilled by. I've spent so long struggling to work and make rent. I've spent so long tied down to a location for fear of moving on or leaving a part of my life that has allowed me to grow but has also caused a lot of pain.
And that brings me to why I'm on this website! I want to connect to more people who have traveled via freight hopping. I want to find as many resources as I can and prepare. I want to leave soon and really need to leave soon. I've had an intense amount of knowledge regarding animal (mostly equine) and plant care (flowering and vegetable) sitting in the back of my mind and I want to be able to use it. I want to meet new people and experience making art and music with them. I want to live a life I can be proud of. I want to prove to myself I can make this change in my life and take control of the path I want to take. With all that being said I would love to talk with anyone looking to travel soon or experienced travelers. I'm gonna wrap this intro up here because I've been dragging shit out but feel free to message me and reply if you want to talk more/give advice/ tell me i'm being dumb anything you think can help. Also thank you for taking the time to read this too. It means a lot and is bringing a little smile to my currently stitched up face.

Erinn~~*

 

[Anagor]

Welcome to StP!

Can't give much advice, since I never rode freight trains and I'm not even from US ... but you'll find many experienced guys/gals here.

Greetings from Europe ...

 

[Kim Chee]

I came here hoping to see your o face.

Welcome to stp.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

 

[todd]

welcome

 

[Shwillam]

Welcome to STP! This site has an amazing amount of resources. There's already a fuck ton of threads on a lot of different topics regarding what gear to bring, how to hop safely (which as I tell everyone, PLEASE try hitchhiking first to get a feel for living and traveling houseless and broke! There's a lot to learn about day to day survival before hopping even becomes an option imo) ect ect. Thanks for the great introduction!! I'd totally support the notion that something is telling you to get out of NYC. The east coast is a shit hole imo anyway. There's so much more out there!! Hope to see you on the road soon! If you ever need anything feel free to PM me. Stay safe and hope your face is A OK

 

[Deleted member 18141]

Welcome to STP! This site has an amazing amount of resources. There's already a fuck ton of threads on a lot of different topics regarding what gear to bring, how to hop safely (which as I tell everyone, PLEASE try hitchhiking first to get a feel for living and traveling houseless and broke! There's a lot to learn about day to day survival before hopping even becomes an option imo) ect ect. Thanks for the great introduction!! I'd totally support the notion that something is telling you to get out of NYC. The east coast is a shit hole imo anyway. There's so much more out there!! Hope to see you on the road soon! If you ever need anything feel free to PM me. Stay safe and hope your face is A OK

Thank you so much! I definitely agree with trying hitchhiking first. I've been reading and doing a lot of research the past couple of days and it seems hopping will be a goal a bit farther down the road once i get experience under my belt. Thank you for the reply! I'll be planning and prepping for a hitchhiking trip these next couple of months so I will be sure to PM you if I have questions.

 

[Shwillam]

Stay in touch, we might be able to give you a ride some day in the future

 

[Shwhiskey Gumimaci]

Traveling has been, by far, the most fulfilling thing I've ever done, but I think it's important to realize, that as a traveler, this isn't a vacation or anything glamorous. Living like this is your new full time job. You don't get to leave the office after 5 PM. There's a lot of ups and downs. And when you have nothing but a backpack, and no resources or money, you're low points can be really rough. You meet so many good people out here, but also keep in mind there's a lot of people who don't even treat you like a person anymore. As a female, you will get sexually harassed. You will have people who poison dumpsters just so you can't eat the food they've thrown away. And at the end of the day no one is responsible to take care of you but yourself. There's so many great things about traveling, I just think it's important to get the full picture of what you're gonna deal with out here. Romanticizing this lifestyle before you know what you're getting into can get you killed. Sorry if that was kind of depressing, I just want you to stay safe when you leave. Get as much information as you can.

 

[Shwillam]

^ totally agree. I know when I first got out here I was blown away with how hard it is at times. However, living off kindness is so unbelievably rewarding that it makes up for the douche bags who discriminate against our culture and life style. I'd have to say for every dick hole I've met I've met 2 at least decent if not incredible people, for every bad night I've had 3 amazing ones. But do be aware, people fucking die out here. Some get off the streets with a few bad tats, a brand new addiction, and HepC. People lose limbs, go to jail for long stints, receive life changing scars. It's not a game, and like @Shwhiskey Gumimaci said, it's a FULL time job and people don't wanna have to take care of you. However, I wouldn't live ANY OTHER WAY, and I've been on the other side of the coin. Fuck a job, fuck the system, and fuck seeing the same goddamn people and sites everyday. Like they say, freedom has a cost. I'd rather pay with sweat, blood and tears than fucked up wage slave currency any day.

 

[pewpew]

Researching is key but experience is behind the door itself, think would be the best way to put this.When I first started, I researched a ton for months. I first took a Greyhound to Utah and Greyhound ended up losing everything, and this was in dead of winter. Luckily I had some cash to get some crap gear from Walmart till I finally got my gear back. Think the most important thing is to have back ups for back ups and then back ups for those back ups, pretty much have to be resourceful and planning ahead is just that, a plan...90% of the time that plan isn't going to pan out like you wanted it to, usually it's because something else catches your eye, you run into jobs, people, romance, side tracked on seeing different sites and parks etc. I mean you could take it as like being on some sort of mission which I did at first, walking 20 miles a day trying to make some kind of imaginary time frame, took me a while to figure out that it's best to just go with the flow most of the time but still keep your wits and intuition at the same time. It's not always as easy as jumping into a car from point A to B, especially traveling by hitching or train...there can be a lot of in between events. To be honest tho, there is way more ups than downs after you get the hang of it and learn from mistakes, it just takes time and experience is all.


Basically what I always hear when people ask about this lifestyle is to try it out for a few weeks to see if you like it, but I really suggest a few months with constant research, like everyday. I've been doing this for over 3 years now and I'm constantly learning new shit, it really does become an addiction, but it's not always for everyone, but if you're here, there's a good chance that it is for you...especially if you're in good health and start young enough to take your time learning the ropes.


Also, even if train hoping isn't for you, there's a lot of good info of other forms of travel on here. It really comes down to what kind of pros and cons are the most value to you.

 

[Tude]

Welcome to STP! Bikes and car parts do not mesh Had a friend recently get doored - lots of broken bones and missing skin and she swears bike-no-more Be safe and heal up.

 

[Deleted member 18141]

Traveling has been, by far, the most fulfilling thing I've ever done, but I think it's important to realize, that as a traveler, this isn't a vacation or anything glamorous. Living like this is your new full time job. You don't get to leave the office after 5 PM. There's a lot of ups and downs. And when you have nothing but a backpack, and no resources or money, you're low points can be really rough. You meet so many good people out here, but also keep in mind there's a lot of people who don't even treat you like a person anymore. As a female, you will get sexually harassed. You will have people who poison dumpsters just so you can't eat the food they've thrown away. And at the end of the day no one is responsible to take care of you but yourself. There's so many great things about traveling, I just think it's important to get the full picture of what you're gonna deal with out here. Romanticizing this lifestyle before you know what you're getting into can get you killed. Sorry if that was kind of depressing, I just want you to stay safe when you leave. Get as much information as you can.

No don't be sorry I really appreciate the feedback! I want to learn everything I can before setting out and I need to read and know about the scary things that can happen and be prepared for them. It's a totally new and different lifestyle and as intense a commitment as one can imagine and I for sure want to be prepared before so I can be safe. Thank you so much for responding

 

[Shwillam]

Good attitude kid ^.^ you're gonna do just fine out here

 

[tacopirate]

Ola! Lots of good advice in here. I had a lot of luck meeting people when hitching first, and then eventually I met a few folks who showed the ropes on trains. Always remember how dangerous it can be but also how rewarding and addicting traveling is. And have fun!!

 

[skuzzlebutt]

hey oface! im in the same situation. i really enjoyed reading your story, and all the love that followed from everyone. im in philly, looking to get out for the 1st time. just don't think im down for hitchhiking. im hoping to find some fellow philadelphians to help me with my 1st travel. either way, i just wanna wish you luck on your endeavours. hope your face heals quick! <3

 

[Dmac]

Hi, welcome to the site! You have come to the right place to get ready for your travels! Hope we hear more from you, once you are on the road.

 

[isaiah]

Hey best way to hitch out of nyc? Any way to head out on public trans to a good hitch spot?

 

[Ozarknomad]

Congrats on overcoming some emotional blocks! The first bit seems to be the most difficult and is a huge deal that I hope you are proud of.
I'm not on the road, but as a therapist, my advice would be to keep or find social connections on the road. Processing trauma can get really tough, and is even harder to do alone. Bet you'll meet loads of empathetic folks along the way though. I think the community aspect of this site is what makes it so charming. Best luck!