hi, i'm dallas | Squat the Planet

hi, i'm dallas

dallaskelly

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Oct 11, 2021
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canadian prairies
hi, i'm dallas.
i'm a college dropout from western canada. i've had an account on this site for over a year but never posted. i've been wanting to get away and travel for as long as i can remember, but i guess my life is too comfortable for me to leave it. is it dumb to want to leave behind my job, my car, the room i rent? i don't know what i want to do with my life, i want to get out there and see the world, but i really am just afraid. however, nothing else seems to be working for me. i really don't feel like i'm meant to be here. i'm dying for cheap adventure. i've told everyone in my life that i plan on going to a new university next year, but i'm not sure if that's what i really want. almost every day i think, "today i'm gonna pack up and go" but i never do. we're coming up on winter here, so i don't know if this is the right time, but i think i've gotta go soon. don't know when or where but i think it's gonna be soon. hoping that this community will offer me some guidance. thanks for reading my little rant.
 

ali

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If you're nervous about throwing it all away on whim, just try taking a low budget backpacking vacation instead. Like Matt said, just pack a small bag and take a bus somewhere, or take a cheap flight if you wanna get south where it's warm. Give yourself a few weeks to get back home and keep aside enough money that you can still take paid transport back once you've had enough. If you decide you love the lifestyle after those few weeks, get back to your home, sell your stuff, and pocket the cash to strike out for a longer journey. But don't feel bad if just those few weeks was enough. At least you got the ball rolling, and maybe sometime later in your life you'll go longer or further. There's no wrong way to travel. Even "short" journeys can change your perspective and help you figure out what you want to do.
 
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Calgary, AB
Hey neighbor. I'm from the Hat originally.

For some reason I get the impression that you're from the other university town on Hwy 3.

Before you commit to anything here are a few gut checks to maybe get a better feel for how you want to approach life on the road.

That said... I'm a stranger on the internet. Don't do anything I say.

Challenge #1 -- spend a night in your car at a Walmart parking lot.

See how you like it. It's probably the easiest Challenge. You may find that you would rather have a vehicle of your own, rather than walking / Hitchhiking.

Challenge #2 -- get a cheap tent, sleeping bag, and air mattress if you don't already have camping supplies, and then spend a night out in the coulee's / river valley. Keep to yourself, and no one will mess with you.
We've had a surprisingly warm fall this year, but the Temps are supposed to drop off in a couple of weeks.

Cgallenge #3 -- Hitchhike to Calgary, and take a shower at the Road King truckstop.

You may want to take a bag / camping supplies, but if you start out in the morning you can easily make it to Calgary that day. It's $12 for a shower. You can find a cheaper shower at a rec center, but keep in mind that you're there for the experience.

Challenge #4 -- since you'll be in Calgary at that point spend a night or two at the HI hostel downtown.

It's about $50 bucks a night for a bed in the dorm room. There are a lot of international travelers so you'll get to meet a lot of cool people.

If you don't want to hitchhike or drive to Calgary, you may want to try a rideshare. You can find one on Kijiji or creigslist. For bus service in the area. Greyhound doesn't run in alberta anymore, but you can check out red arrow, I think coldshot bus lines runs to lethbridge as well.

By this point you may realize that getting a good night's sleep is going to be your biggest battle on the road.

As far as finding something to do this winter goes, the best "travel related" gig in the AB area would be close to a ski hill. Banff or Fernie maybe. You could probably find some staff accommodations at a hotel or something.

You can meet a lot of cool people in ski towns.

You could also make your way down to Vancouver Island. There's a lot of cool stuff to do down there. That said I haven't been down there since covid hit, so maybe it's a horrible hell scape at this point.

Holy crap, that turned out way longer than I wanted.
 
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dallaskelly

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2021
Messages
13
Reaction score
20
Location
canadian prairies
Hey neighbor. I'm from the Hat originally.

For some reason I get the impression that you're from the other university town on Hwy 3.

Before you commit to anything here are a few gut checks to maybe get a better feel for how you want to approach life on the road.

That said... I'm a stranger on the internet. Don't do anything I say.

Challenge #1 -- spend a night in your car at a Walmart parking lot.

See how you like it. It's probably the easiest Challenge. You may find that you would rather have a vehicle of your own, rather than walking / Hitchhiking.

Challenge #2 -- get a cheap tent, sleeping bag, and air mattress if you don't already have camping supplies, and then spend a night out in the coulee's / river valley. Keep to yourself, and no one will mess with you.
We've had a surprisingly warm fall this year, but the Temps are supposed to drop off in a couple of weeks.

Cgallenge #3 -- Hitchhike to Calgary, and take a shower at the Road King truckstop.

You may want to take a bag / camping supplies, but if you start out in the morning you can easily make it to Calgary that day. It's $12 for a shower. You can find a cheaper shower at a rec center, but keep in mind that you're there for the experience.

Challenge #4 -- since you'll be in Calgary at that point spend a night or two at the HI hostel downtown.

It's about $50 bucks a night for a bed in the dorm room. There are a lot of international travelers so you'll get to meet a lot of cool people.

If you don't want to hitchhike or drive to Calgary, you may want to try a rideshare. You can find one on Kijiji or creigslist. For bus service in the area. Greyhound doesn't run in alberta anymore, but you can check out red arrow, I think coldshot bus lines runs to lethbridge as well.

By this point you may realize that getting a good night's sleep is going to be your biggest battle on the road.

As far as finding something to do this winter goes, the best "travel related" gig in the AB area would be close to a ski hill. Banff or Fernie maybe. You could probably find some staff accommodations at a hotel or something.

You can meet a lot of cool people in ski towns.

You could also make your way down to Vancouver Island. There's a lot of cool stuff to do down there. That said I haven't been down there since covid hit, so maybe it's a horrible hell scape at this point.

Holy crap, that turned out way longer than I wanted.

This is a really nice and thoughtful message! Thanks for the tips, I really appreciate it. I think I've made the decision to hunker down here and work for the winter, but I'm hoping to set out in the spring. I'll definitely try some of these suggestions to see if I'm cut out for it lol
 

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