Learning the way of the traveler

[Deleted member 20]

There are those who would say I reek of crazy because of shit I type up on the internet

I havent witnessed that but I do think your avatar is kinda creepy & I never had the appropriate place to mention it.

 

[sandpaper cowboy]

Deleted

 

[Jaguwar]

Sorry for disappearing there, I was still at work and had to get back to it.
@sandpaper cowboy, you are right, I was it if line.
@highwayman, I apologize. You do you and I'll keep my damned busy busy nose out of it. Who the hell do I think I am anyway? I've been better about that kind of thing but obviously the lesson isn't sticking.

 

[sean p]

It's sad when this website was made for travelers then we got all the people that live in homes fighting like children on here..

 

[sean p]

You want to learn how to travel man just wing it that's it good luck be careful

 

[Deleted member 20]

@highwayman, I apologize. You do you and I'll keep my damned busy busy nose out of it. Who the hell do I think I am anyway? I've been better about that kind of thing but obviously the lesson isn't sticking.

Who the hell am I too? The more I think about it my wife & daughter are probably terrified about being homeless again. I can & have traveled for many years solo & can transition back & forth between both parts of my life (traveling & nontraveling). I think when the OP comes to our forum & asked to be taught, I automatically take the role of the educator. Almost Mr Miyagi like. I will & have taught many how to do many things on STP & in person from how to hop trains, hitchhike, earn $, eat, stay clean & happy while traveling here in North America. I have little to no first hand experience in Europe not that the OP ever mentioned where he intends on traveling but feel that a good foundation will work anywhere.

I would like to think that my philosophies will suit me everywhere since I improvise, adapt & overcome to obstacles in my environment naturally while on the road. Now having to rethink my methods of supporting a disabled wife & young daughter while refusing to work as a wage slave is another nut to crack but I will figure that out too. .At times I want to have a well balanced life of traveling, working & having a family & I fall short as I am only human..

The reality is that it is much easier for me to critique a new traveler on how to travel from point A to point B than it is for me to fix my own complicated life. I am not doing much in that department here online besides keeping myself busy while I patiently wait for lifes new twists. I will answer specific questions about how to etc & have posted quite a bit in about every section & subject here on STP. I do also want to encourage new travelers to respect the road & have some ethics & morals while traveling & feel its my duty from being around so long. Perhaps I was hard in trying to distinguish the difference between backpackers and vagabonds. But vagabonds dont bogart a savings account for a rainy day while others who have little to nothing share freely & openly everything with him.

It's sad when this website was made for travelers then we got all the people that live in homes fighting like children on here..

I dont think we were fighting, I sure wasnt. I wont apologize for having an internet connection, laptop, apt & or having been a long term part time traveler anymore then for the boots that have been on my feet for the last 10 years & hundreds of thousands of miles I traveled. I have lived & traveled plenty enough to sound arrogant online. I have a different perspective to those who are either simply homeless or housed up, vagabond versus nontraveler. I was,am or are all of those things. I have helped contribute to this website for the last decade all the while traveling & or not; all while attempting to learn, grow, teach & live the life I want. So forgive me for not getting all excited about your comment @sean p after youve had an account here for less than 1 month. I have dirty laundry thats been piled up longer than that. I know I can travel anywhere today I want without anyone holding my hand, a ccg, a smart phone etc anywhere, anytime I want without a single penny in my pocket.

Running away from problems is easy, where as trying to do the right thing while being true to yourself is much, much harder.

 

[sean p]

Okay man whatever you say man stop getting so butt hurt

 

[Durp]

yo guys cool it. @crow what you describe is backpacking. If you want to be a vagabond quit school today, fill your bag with canned soup, head to the nearest street and stick your thumb out.

 

[crow pearson]

Vagabond noun, a person that travels from place to place whit out a job or a home

I fail to see how the literal translation of the word vagabond does not suit the travels i'm planing.

And i don't remember ever saying i wanted to become a vagabond in order to save money. Believe me, i am not cheap. I don't care for money at all. But i know myself and i tend to get myself in messy situations often. So i might actually need it the hospital or something else. I have no intention to use the money i save for fancy hotels or luxury. I intend, unless truly neccesarry, to not touch the money at all during my travels.

 

[Anagor]

Yeah, we should cool down a bit, I think. I mean, we're not at a contest here "who's the most vagabond traveler" or alike.

Everyone has personal needs, is in an individual situation and stuff. I don't know how my life will be in a few months, but I guess I won't be the typical vagabond by then. But who knows?

Just a few thoughts:
@crow pearson :

Finishing your education is a very good idea, I highly suggest you do that. But my point is, you don't need to save much money before traveling if you aim for a vagabond lifestyle. And when it comes to emergencies: IMHO friends/family (I suppose you have) can and most likely will help you when it comes to relatively small amounts of money you need. If you wanna go to countries far away like South Africa or alike I'd recommend to have a special health insurance for that (would cover costs there or transport back to your home country if needed). Those are not expensive AFAIK. I mean, how much do you plan to save that you have enough money in your bank account to cover medical bills if shit goes wrong? 2k? 4k? 10k? (Medical treatment can get highly expensive.) If you want to be on the safe side an insurance would be the better option, IMHO.

@Jaguwar :

Paying bills off and alike is a good idea, no doubt. Also, if you need a car, I perfectly understand that you need to save some money for that. But for gear you don't need to save much (as said in the context of a vagabond lifestyle), especially if you're not about to camp in the woods far away from civilization. When I hit the road (hopefully soon) I'll have gear worth about max. 200 €, not counting clothes and shoes (that I have anyway).

But as said: do whatever you want the way you want to do it.

 

[Durp]

We were all green at some point. You will learn a lot quickly soon as you hit the streets. don't act like you are fresh meat or you will be promptly relieved of your possessions. You are way over thinking. All you need is nice dry boots, a tarp, mummy bag, good knife, a way to make fire and a book. Everything else is just an extra. Books are great because they are entertainment, kindling in a pinch, or tp in an emergency.

 

[crow pearson]

Sorry, i got a litlle heated up. Like i said i'm still pretty inexperienced. I visited a few vagabond blogs, but i read in all of them that they had a bit of money saved up. I thought it was pretty normal.

I too would like to go on my journey, with only the bare minimum i need. I plan at finishing my education at least, but if i learn ways to get around without any money at this forum. Then i'll just say fuck it and leave without money.

 

[sean p]

I useless never have money after I broke the neck on my banjo so food stamps come in handy had them for a little over a year now never would get them for years cause I was to high an mighty at the time just remember we are all family out here share an be respectful you'll be fine just had to add that be safe when you finally do head out

 

[Anagor]

Sorry, i got a litlle heated up. Like i said i'm still pretty inexperienced. I visited a few vagabond blogs, but i read in all of them that they had a bit of money saved up. I thought it was pretty normal.

Perhaps the term "vagabond" is not so clearly defined, in a way generally accepted.

I plan at finishing my education at least,

As said, good idea.

but if i learn ways to get around without any money at this forum. Then i'll just say fuck it and leave without money.

I don't know how much travel (meaning in general) experience you have. Why not getting a backpack, throw some clothes and toiletries in it and head to (for example) England for a week? Megabus from Amsterdam (for example) to London and back is 58 €, hostels are about 10-20 quid per night (bed in a dorm room). Coaches are quite cheap when you book via internet (London to Bristol single 9 quid, for example). Meet fellow travelers in hostels (or on the street), try hitchhiking perhaps, explore the towns and cities on your way. Maybe try to find out where you can eat for free if you want (in Bristol I can recommend the Wild Goose) or try out busking or dumpster diving. Things you won't do perhaps in your home town.

So you can find out if it is okay for you to walk around all day, sleep on couches, meet people from all over the world, with different backgrounds. You can try to get out of your comfort zone step by step. You will experience so much within a week, you won't believe it.

Save travels!

 

[crow pearson]

That's a great idea. Maybe i will try it in the upcoming summer. Might be a good experience to have before i attempt the real thing.

 

[Jaguwar]

@Jaguwar :

Paying bills off and alike is a good idea, no doubt. Also, if you need a car, I perfectly understand that you need to save some money for that. But for gear you don't need to save much (as said in the context of a vagabond lifestyle), especially if you're not about to camp in the woods far away from civilization. When I hit the road (hopefully soon) I'll have gear worth about max. 200 €, not counting clothes and shoes (that I have anyway).

But as said: do whatever you want the way you want to do it.

Yeah, I feel ya. My problem is keeping up with the bills right now. And I suppose it's a change in mindset as well. There will BE no bills except gas and the occasional repair to the car, I suppose. I can't help where I've come from though: the idea of leaving broke is a little more than I can stomach right now. Frankly this is already a serious departure from my life of the last 15 years. There was a time when things just seemed to happen. I'm no longer that confident... or blase. Give me a couple of months or so though...

Meantime, when the time comes, it'll be a ready or not thing. It'll have to be, as I've already backed myself into a corner.

Thanks for the thoughtful answer, and my apologies again @highwayman et al. for kind of stepping beyond my boundaries there.