Hello all :) I'm new, my name is Jelena | Squat the Planet

Hello all :) I'm new, my name is Jelena

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Apr 6, 2020
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Paris, France
Hi Everyone,

Nice to meet you all. I have been traveling by backpacking when I could get time off work, and I've spent the last few years trying to wrangle out of work for long enough to truly immerse in wandering. I have a very time-consuming / "respectable" job and its killing me, I'm searching for my freedom. I'm looking to meet anyone else who is open to exploring better ways of living than being chained to a job, and desires to live outside of what is dictated by brutal economies.

An old friend of mine told me that we all have the power to make our own freedom. While I believe that, I haven't put it into practice very much. I want to make the leap into these open forms of travel, but I haven't quite had the guts yet :)

I'm new to this, so I haven't done much besides a couple of solo backpacking trips. My current friends prefer to stay in nice hotels and spend time shopping etc, and I am looking to meet new friends that align more with my values (rejecting consumption and money spending to enjoy life). I was happy to see this community. I currently live in Paris, and would be happy to talk with anyone in Europe or who is interested in visiting here!

I am also hoping to spend some time this year visiting organic farms, communes, or finding communities that are self-organized. Any tips on that would be welcome as well. Thanks!
 

MFB

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. I want to make the leap into these open forms of travel, but I haven't quite had the guts yet :)

Heard that, Sis. This was me 20 years ago, as in I knew I couldnt be happy in a conventional life, but was scared of the unknown and giving up modern comforts..

It's like doing a 70ft cliff jump into a beautiful lake. At first youre scared of getting hurt. But if you work up the courage to do it, you realize how fun and exhilarating it is.
All ya gotta do is be brave and jump.

And your friend is most certainly right; we all have the power to make our lives what we want them to be. Whats the point otherwise. :)

Lastly, workaway may be a good place to find self organized communities. Ive spoke w a lot of people that have had great experiences with it.
 

Zeq

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Hi Everyone,

Nice to meet you all. I have been traveling by backpacking when I could get time off work, and I've spent the last few years trying to wrangle out of work for long enough to truly immerse in wandering. I have a very time-consuming / "respectable" job and its killing me, I'm searching for my freedom. I'm looking to meet anyone else who is open to exploring better ways of living than being chained to a job, and desires to live outside of what is dictated by brutal economies.

An old friend of mine told me that we all have the power to make our own freedom. While I believe that, I haven't put it into practice very much. I want to make the leap into these open forms of travel, but I haven't quite had the guts yet :)

I'm new to this, so I haven't done much besides a couple of solo backpacking trips. My current friends prefer to stay in nice hotels and spend time shopping etc, and I am looking to meet new friends that align more with my values (rejecting consumption and money spending to enjoy life). I was happy to see this community. I currently live in Paris, and would be happy to talk with anyone in Europe or who is interested in visiting here!

I am also hoping to spend some time this year visiting organic farms, communes, or finding communities that are self-organized. Any tips on that would be welcome as well. Thanks!

Hi Jelena,

Nice intro, same feeling here, I think our search and goals might match.
I am planning something for once we are allowed to move due to the lockdown.

I want to use this time speak with like-minded people who want to join and are ready to make the move.
I have sent you a pm.
 
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Heard that, Sis. This was me 20 years ago, as in I knew I couldnt be happy in a conventional life, but was scared of the unknown and giving up modern comforts..

It's like doing a 70ft cliff jump into a beautiful lake. At first youre scared of getting hurt. But if you work up the courage to do it, you realize how fun and exhilarating it is.
All ya gotta do is be brave and jump.

And your friend is most certainly right; we all have the power to make our lives what we want them to be. Whats the point otherwise. :)

Lastly, workaway may be a good place to find self organized communities. Ive spoke w a lot of people that have had great experiences with it.

Hey, thanks for the message! I'll check out workaway, that's definitely where my mood is at initially - while I'm figuring my shit out, what can I do that is also useful, nice.

I've (finally) come to learn I've never given a fuck about material comforts (the advantage of growing up poor, which is why I pursued the career angle so hard, I was told as a kid that was all I could hope for in life). To be honest, I'm so so so not a follower. I am naturally retardant against seeing myself in what other people are doing and saying "I should match that" - thats been my biggest concern here - what if the community of people living life the way I think I would match well with... all give up after a trendy few years when they are in their 20s?? :D Ha I don't believe this necessarily, but thats been what's holding me up the most! What if its just a scene and I don't fit in there any more than I do where I am now??

The best places I've been in life were where nobody fit in , and that was precisely why it didn't matter! 70 ft dive sounds like a good approach, cheers :)
 

MFB

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@OutsideBuilder Heck yea, Ms! We can tell by the way you write that youre a sharp lady, that mixed with your positivity will get you where you want to go. For now, patience.

Material comforts are nice, but they are borrowed. One's currency should come from within.

Youre right about scenes. People get stuck in them bc they are scared to think for themselves.
Then scenes stagnate bc there is no new thought.
But that should not concern you.
Just be you, chase what you love, and you'll meet the right people.
If you end up in the wrong place or with the wrong people its simply a lesson you needed to learn to get where you want to be; playing in dirt w animal friends and living in an adobe you built yourself.
The best advice I can give is to have goals without being attached to them.

Lastly, youre right again. Diversity reigns in nature.
In some instances we may need tactile people
in others we may need more cerebral people.
The more eclectic a group, the more it is prepared to deal with a number of situations.
Kurt Vonnegut had a term chrono-synclastic-infidibulum; which was basically a place that exists where EVERYBODY is right about EVERYTHING. Its a hard concept to live in, but if you can grasp it, it allows you to realize that you can learn something from every living thing on this planet.

I'm curious to know what subjects you teach? I would guess youre a philosophy prof?
 
Joined
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Paris, France
@OutsideBuilder Heck yea, Ms! We can tell by the way you write that youre a sharp lady, that mixed with your positivity will get you where you want to go. For now, patience.

Material comforts are nice, but they are borrowed. One's currency should come from within.

Youre right about scenes. People get stuck in them bc they are scared to think for themselves.
Then scenes stagnate bc there is no new thought.
But that should not concern you.
Just be you, chase what you love, and you'll meet the right people.
If you end up in the wrong place or with the wrong people its simply a lesson you needed to learn to get where you want to be; playing in dirt w animal friends and living in an adobe you built yourself.
The best advice I can give is to have goals without being attached to them.

Lastly, youre right again. Diversity reigns in nature.
In some instances we may need tactile people
in others we may need more cerebral people.
The more eclectic a group, the more it is prepared to deal with a number of situations.
Kurt Vonnegut had a term chrono-synclastic-infidibulum; which was basically a place that exists where EVERYBODY is right about EVERYTHING. Its a hard concept to live in, but if you can grasp it, it allows you to realize that you can learn something from every living thing on this planet.

I'm curious to know what subjects you teach? I would guess youre a philosophy prof?

Hello again, and thanks for the thoughtful response! I am indeed a professor actually. Ha I don't camouflage too well! But I am not a philosopher, I am a scientist, I teach Biology. Diversity certainly does reign in nature, and hierarchy is total made-up human nonsense :)

I will take your words to heart. Some good news is I am taking a few months off of work to do some life exploration. I'll be sure to check back in and also look for like-minded folks here when I decide where I will go! I will note this is generally about more than travel - I'm really looking to explore different ways of life. Feel free to send another message if you'd like to chat more, you can tell me what you're up to for the last 20 years!
 
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Très bien
Tip #1 - LEAVE PARIS

I just saved you thousands of euros over your lifetime

- you can thank me in person if our paths ever cross...



Quel arrondissement???
Ha no doubt! Although I do throw so much money away in rent, its gotten me closer to where I want to be (for now). I live in the 13th right now, just a short walk from where the Paris Commune was :)
 

Matt Derrick

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thats been my biggest concern here - what if the community of people living life the way I think I would match well with... all give up after a trendy few years when they are in their 20s??

i've been living this lifestyle for 20 years now, and I'm 40, so you can go as long as you want :)

I'd love to hear any stories you might have about traveling if you're willing to post them!
 

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