Hello!

[rdy2leave]

Hey everybody. I'm not much for introductions so I will keep this kinda brief. My name is James and i'm 28. I have never done any traveling before but that's all about to change. Just got kicked out of my mothers house and about to be homeless. Sucks. But I'm trying to be optimistic about this. I think this is my chance to do what I always wanted to do. I think I'm gonna ride the rails and see what happens. I'm kinda thrown into this but in a good way. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks guys.

"I'm going on the run.
you have seen the last of me.
where to?
I'm not sure.
maybe someplace warm.
someplace nobody knows my name.
I have made an error
a lapse of judgement
just a second
just a moment
and now I pay the price
or would pay
if I wasn't running away.
bags packed
tickets bought
sunscreen. check.
maps. check.
everything in its place.
now it's time to go.
time to run and run and run
no time to say goodbye
no last kisses or last hugs or last tears
just me turning away
I am going on the run.
and never looking back."

 

[MarsOrScars]

Welcome to StP, sucks you got thrown out not on your own turns but you'll survive.

I've been surprised of what people have been capable of.

Anyway, you're making a good first step -- getting connected. Here you're going to find a lot of resources to get ideas from and on top of that, potential squats, railway times, couches, and co-op opportunities.

 

[Adnil]

Welcome aboard, James. Great poem that you added, here's a silly song to help you on being "OK" with the new chapter of your life that's about to blossom out.



Be sure to check out all this site has to offer, it's great for beginners.

 

[rdy2leave]

I had no idea this kind of community existed. The past two days were real shitty and I had no idea what I was gonna do and then I found this forum. I went from really hopeless to extremely hopeful in like seconds. It's like i've been waiting to do something like this for a long time, probably since I read Into the Wild seven years ago. I'm nervous but ready. My only problem is money but my food stamps are coming in a couple days so I should be good for a while. Thanks for the welcome guys and great song Adnil it made me smile. And I wrote that poem like 45 minutes ago because I feel more inspired then I have in months. Thanks again.

 

[Adnil]

It's healthy to be nervous about this large change, it shows that you're well aware of what lays ahead of you, so I believe you when you state that you are ready. As the weeks pass by and you become more in tune with this lifestyle, you'll began to notice how life has a beautiful way of taking care of you when you're down & out and least expect it. It's a hard lifestyle yes, but a great one at that.
There are plenty of spots and tricks to get free to cheap gear, so I encourage you to lurk in on our search engine
Safe travels, James !

 

[EphemeralStick]

Protip: Don't put too much faith into Chris McCandless. He didn't do much of any research before going out and getting himself killed. That being said, I'm sure you'll be fine since you already seem to be doing your homework. Welcome to StP! If you have any questions feel free to ask and remember to be safe out there!

Where were you looking to travel to first, any destinations in mind? Also, unless you're completely dead set on train hopping I would recommend another form of travel first to get your feet wet. Then again we all learn differently, do what feels right.

 

[rdy2leave]

Thanks for the advice EphemeralStick. It's the story of just going out their and being free that totally appeals to me. I don't see myself going to Alaska and eating poison plants anytime soon ;] I plan on heading west where it's usually always warm. Probably to California. Also I've always been attracted to the desert. Maybe I lived there in a past life or something.
Besides Florida and Canada I have never been anywhere. I just need to hit the road and go. The tracks are appealing because it's faster then walking. I also like to see the land.

 

[Tude]

Welcome aboard - and sorry to see the at home change go - I've been through many upheavals ... however we have many resources here for ideas as to where to go, what to do etc - then ask questions and people will answer. Go even more "global" and hit the facebook groups for info - can't hurt. In the meantime stay safe and hopefully you'll be able to stay till you get your gear together (gear btw - that is a good place to start here on suggestions on what you need for where you want to go). Do chime in on how you are doing too

 

[rdy2leave]

Thank you. I will most definitely keep everyone informed.

 

[Vulture]

Ha, nice name. Welcome to the site.

 

[MarsOrScars]

Hell, on the topic of being global as @Tude mentions, there's no one saying where you can't go and I'd certainly consider expatriating. It's so much cheaper to live in South America, I myself am still doing a lot of homework on the region so I can't really be pointed to as an expert. However, I have had my eyes on Spain. did you know it's cheaper to rent a penthouse in Madrid than most apartments in the US?

 

[Tude]

You also have a post in trainhopping subforum but I think you have covered your intro here in the Introductions subforum so I'm going to delete that post for now. Once you get up and going on where and what you want to do - post away.