Hey all! | Squat the Planet

Hey all!

samythefolkpunk

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Hiya everyone! I've been lurking for a few days and finally stopped procrastinating and got around to posting an intro. I'm super new to this, so bear with me!

I'm a 16 year old high school kid from SoCal who has been dreaming of train hopping, hitchhiking, and living a nomadic lifestyle for as long as I’ve known it was possibility. I’m dying to leave my ultra-conservative hometown and travel the world. I've considered running away a few times due to not-so-great conditions at home, but I've only gotten as far as planning how I would sneak out in the middle of the night. And after researching a bit and planning, I realized I'd probably be better off sticking it out until I'm 18 as I'm not in any physical danger, and I don't want to screw anyone over that I might happen to meet along the way. I just recently got “The Anarchist’s Guide to Travel” from here and I’m super excited to learn more about the traveling community and culture I’ve been longing to be a part of for so long, and hopefully contribute something in return!

My best friend and I even have the dream of converting an old school bus into a “Traveling Free Store” (as we call it) as soon as we graduate and pull together the money. I love punk music/music in general, which I know sounds generic as fuck, but it’s a big part of how I discovered anarchism and leftist politics as a whole, and why I want to travel. I have no clue what I want to do with my life, but what I do know (and have known for a long time) is I don't want to work myself half to death for most of my life in a job I probably won't like, only to retire and die. I want to see the world and live off of as little as I can while doing it.

Anyway, super cool to meet you all and join this community, and I hope to learn a lot more!
 
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Matt Derrick

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hey there, welcome and thank you for picking up a copy of my book! if you have any questions or want advice on anything just let me know. especially on the bus thing, i've owned one before and i've helped some others build their own so i can tell you what to get that will last you a while.

good thinking on the staying until 18 thing, honestly it'll make your life a hell of a lot easier in the long run, aside from trouble with the cops and all, but also long term in case you want to make a career out of some aspect of traveling in the far future.

remember to use the search and read the rules, but other than that just let us know if you have any questions or need help/advice with anything!
 
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MxEx

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Pretty much freedom= more responsibility in a way. And the nomadic punknlifestyle can really wear ya down in many ways. Pretty much trust everyone very lightly and pick up on the things you can pick up on. Get as much experience as you can now even if you wait til 18, spend time watching trains spend time at the hobo jungle. Maybe not party late their but get a feel of random train hopping traevellers so that when you run into a few others you can kinda predict tha way your night day or train ride is going. One thing that’s six about trains is it’s kids kinda wanting to get out of the suburbs but main trains end up in big city to big city which really only has so much to offer but it’s a great way to find punx if there is still a scene but also a good way to get stuck on junk or deal with people who are. Anyhow good luck to ya. Keep your mind in check and know there is always another train and you got two feet
 
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eyeballo

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It's super refreshing to see someone in a similar situation as me. I've been planning these things out for a while now, currently I'm just saving up some money for gear and waiting until I graduate in 2022. Also that Traveling free store sounds awesome, best of luck with all your plans.
 
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samythefolkpunk

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It's super refreshing to see someone in a similar situation as me. I've been planning these things out for a while now, currently I'm just saving up some money for gear and waiting until I graduate in 2022. Also that Traveling free store sounds awesome, best of luck with all your plans.
Yeah, money for gear is probably going to be my biggest issue right now. I don't have my license yet and there aren't really ways for me to go to and from work without a car, plus covid and everything, so I can't exactly get a job yet. I'm working on it though! Good luck to you too, and thanks!
 
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samythefolkpunk

New member
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Dec 23, 2020
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Southern California
hey there, welcome and thank you for picking up a copy of my book! if you have any questions or want advice on anything just let me know. especially on the bus thing, i've owned one before and i've helped some others build their own so i can tell you what to get that will last you a while.

good thinking on the staying until 18 thing, honestly it'll make your life a hell of a lot easier in the long run, aside from trouble with the cops and all, but also long term in case you want to make a career out of some aspect of traveling in the far future.

remember to use the search and read the rules, but other than that just let us know if you have any questions or need help/advice with anything!
Thank you so much! And that's really cool. I've looked into van/bus life and travel a little bit and it sounds really interesting, I wouldn't be opposed to giving it a go! I honestly don't even know where to start with the school bus, but I will definitely search around a bit on here because I know that there are threads on here that talk about it. My friend and I just kind of came up with the idea one day of having a free store after hearing about one, and we wanted something affordable and something that could (hopefully) reach/help a lot of people, so bam, school bus. So I've got a lot to learn and plan. Thanks!
 
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