Hello everyone! (another newb wanting to do something different)

[Ross]

Hey everyone, I'm Ross. I'm 21 and am currently in Indiana. I first found this site back in 2013 and decided to join in February of this year. I was homeschooled through all grades, never socialized much, and have only been on 3 vacations when I was old enough to remember. I really want to travel and see the country. For the past 2-3 years I've been getting more sick and tired of living with my family, and just my current living situation in general.

I have had problems with depression and anxiety though, and these problems, along with lacking needed experience, have prevented me from just up and leaving.

So I've started reading lots of threads here and other sites and blogs linked here, along with books to, to learn about alternative lifestyles, techniques, etc, and also about other things that I need help with.

I've thought about the different ways of living that are posted here, and decided that I really want to travel via car/truck/van. I love traveling via car (it's how my parents have always traveled for vacations). And I have things that I want to do, that I really enjoy doing and don't want to give up, that would probably be easier to keep doing if I travel and live in a vehicle. Basically, I've already started forming and working on a plan and am thinking about what I will need, what I will have to let go of, etc.

Unfortunately I don't have a vehicle that is anywhere near reliable enough. And I'm broke. That is okay in some ways though, because I need to learn more, gain experience and become comfortable in social situations/dealing with people, and keep working on planning/supplies, etc. I would love to start traveling right now, but I really don't think I am ready. I've lived a very sheltered life and feel that I need to work on some things before I go out into the world alone. I want to make sure I'm very well prepared. At the same time, I don't want to spend too much time preparing.

If you've read all of this: thanks! Tell me what you think.

 

[kecleon]

Hey. Don't think so much about stuff. Just do it instead, best advice you can get. You could spend your whole life preparing but there's no adventure in doing something you're totally in every way prepared for. And the more you put it off the less likely you are to ever do it.

 

[Matt Derrick]

i'm glad you've decided on your method of travel, and that you know its how you want to roll. not everyone should or needs to go train hopping (the majority of our newbies are here for train hopping info). i think rubber tramping is fucking awesome if you're even halfway responsible and have a good head on your shoulders, which it sounds like you do.

the money thing is something that impedes 90% of my plans, so i definitely feel you there. my advice would be to find a way to save up money in a short amount of time. check the making money section of the forums for some ideas, but i'll list some of my own here.

personally, if you like the outdoors, i think http://coolworks.com is a pretty great resource. they specialize in seasonal jobs that are mostly centered around national parks and similar places. i got a job on that website working for yellowstone national park and while i didn't make a lot of money, i did have one of the best summers of my life out there. generally housing is provided, and if you're frugal and don't party too much, you can have a decent amount of loot after the end of the season.

there's also really intense short seasonal work where you work 12-14 hour days, for like a month or two, but come out with a ton of cash. a lot of these are canneries in alaska, which im not sure would be the best environment for your depression, but it's there if you think you can do it. there's also sugar beets, which you can find out information about on this message board (use the search). it's kinda blown up in the punk scene as a way to get a lot of money in a short amount of time if you dont mind busting your ass.

i don't know what kind of vehicle you're shooting for, but i would budget about 3,000 bucks, maybe a little less if you can find a good deal. if you're happy with just a van, great, if you want something a little more lavish (like a school bus) you can do that too. there's a lot of options, and people have made a lot of posts about their vehicles, so take some time to do some research here and of course, let me know if you have any questions, and I'll do my best to help

 

[Tick Dickler]

duuuude you dont need to prepare and plan to much just go. you know how you wanna travel so youre halway there allready. the depression and anxiety will go away once you get moving. work he highest paid job you can get and do those stupid online surveys for a moth and just get a decent van. read about mechanics and stuff. pick up hitch hickers. if you ever get lonely just pick up someone.
chrash parties and fuck bitchez. get drunk under the stars and socialize man.
here is a nice picture because i like to post nice pictures.

 

[misanthropicrustacian]

good advice from a lot of folks here for you, But Don't just casually pick up any hitchhiker you see; take a good look at them, pull over , roll down your window (with your passenger door locked) and talk to them for a minute to see whats in their eyes! There are all different kinds of people who hitch , or people who just walk down roads not even holding up their thumb that you may feel so inclined to give a ride, but just that simple procedure before letting them in your car is Worth IT. vice versa if you are the hitch hiker too, talk to them before getting in. Ive had some sketchy scenarios happen just going up to someones door that pulled over and hopping in and only looking and exchange first words until we're already gunning down the road at mad speed with a malicious psycho, and same with picking up people ,- , thankfully the bad times I wasn't traveling alone. But just be careful , im not trying to say be wicked paranoid always but just go with your gut and don't always be impulsive

 

[Tick Dickler]

good advice from a lot of folks here for you, But Don't just casually pick up any hitchhiker you see; take a good look at them, pull over , roll down your window (with your passenger door locked) and talk to them for a minute to see whats in their eyes! There are all different kinds of people who hitch , or people who just walk down roads not even holding up their thumb that you may feel so inclined to give a ride, but just that simple procedure before letting them in your car is Worth IT. vice versa if you are the hitch hiker too, talk to them before getting in. Ive had some sketchy scenarios happen just going up to someones door that pulled over and hopping in and only looking and exchange first words until we're already gunning down the road at mad speed with a malicious psycho, and same with picking up people ,- , thankfully the bad times I wasn't traveling alone. But just be careful , im not trying to say be wicked paranoid always but just go with your gut and don't always be impulsive

this has got to be an american thing. do people really pretend to be hitching and then robbing people? like what are you gonna steal? their car?

 

[Matt Derrick]

this has got to be an american thing. do people really pretend to be hitching and then robbing people? like what are you gonna steal? their car?

90% of these scenarios are a figment of the American people's imaginations.

 

[Ross]

Thanks for the replies and advice guys!

the money thing is something that impedes 90% of my plans, so i definitely feel you there. my advice would be to find a way to save up money in a short amount of time. check the making money section of the forums for some ideas, but i'll list some of my own here.

Yeah, and the plan is to save up as much as I need in the smallest amount of time possible. The limiting factor here is myself. I have a sleep problem where my I can sleep as much as I want, but it's not nearly restorative enough. Could be a sleep problem, could be depression, could be stress, I don't know. I had it fixed in January (which is why I finally started planning and getting serious about this) but I'm back to my usual self. Although I hope to get it fixed ASAP, I don't plan on letting it stop me. Things certainly aren't magically getting better staying where I am.

i don't know what kind of vehicle you're shooting for, but i would budget about 3,000 bucks, maybe a little less if you can find a good deal. if you're happy with just a van, great, if you want something a little more lavish (like a school bus) you can do that too. there's a lot of options, and people have made a lot of posts about their vehicles, so take some time to do some research here and of course, let me know if you have any questions, and I'll do my best to help

I'm planning on a vehicle no larger than a van, possibly a truck/SUV type vehicle. I found a link to a site about Van/RV living on here and like the idea, and other ideas on the site. Having solar panels for small electronics (kindle for reading books, ipod for music, tablet for internet, laptop for some more intensive things) and heating/cooling if needed. Obviously it's not absolutely needed for charging, running electronics, I can charge them at certain places whenever I stop off at a town/city. But it would be cool to have.

You could spend your whole life preparing but there's no adventure in doing something you're totally in every way prepared for.

Huh. I never really thought about it that way.

And the more you put it off the less likely you are to ever do it.

That's true and I don't want that to happen.

duuuude you dont need to prepare and plan to much just go. you know how you wanna travel so youre halway there allready. the depression and anxiety will go away once you get moving. work he highest paid job you can get and do those stupid online surveys for a moth and just get a decent van. read about mechanics and stuff. pick up hitch hickers. if you ever get lonely just pick up someone.
chrash parties and fuck bitchez. get drunk under the stars and socialize man.
here is a nice picture because i like to post nice pictures.

Yeah, I think I will feel better getting out a traveling. And it would be good for me to get out and meet a lot of people and conquer what social anxiety I have left. A lot of my anxiety is gone though thanks to meditation.

I am currently adding in another job where I work that pays higher. So that's good. Hadn't considered those online survey things.

 

[kecleon]

Hope it works out for you sounds like you have it together more than 90% of people I know so I think you'll do fine, just make sure to do it, follow your heart everything else will come in time