my forced retirement from being a vagabond (1 Viewer)

[Matt Derrick]

so i just got some news today that pretty much completely wrecks my life plans for the next few years in the form of a dentist bill of just under $4,000. Root canal, bone grafts, multiple crowns, all kinds of shit. Unfortunately that's just the left side of my face, the right side won't cost as much but it's still going to suck. I have 700 dollars in my savings account, so I'm going to have to borrow the rest from my parents, which they're none too pleased about, but at least I have family that will help me out, which I'm definitely thankful for.

I bring this up for several reasons. One, I'm going to be selling all of my traveling gear soon to help make up some of the costs, so look for that soon in the black market section. Second, this means I need to get a 'real job' and settle down for the foreseeable future in order to make these bills up. In addition to that I'll probably have to start paying off other debts once I get over a certain level of income, so basically there's no going back to my old lifestyle of traveling anytime soon. I'm guessing it's going to take 3+ years to get back on my feet and in a place where I can hit the road again (living in an RV or something like that), and all my dreams of traveling outside of the usa have been pretty much royally fucked.

I know some people are probably thinking, "big deal, you got a big medical bill, at least you have someone to loan you the money" which is true, and I'm definitely not bitching about that, because I seriously don't know what the fuck i would have done otherwise. but this is basically the straw (or 4k girder beam) that broke the camel's back, since it's falling on top of all kinds of other personal shit i just don't have time to go into in detail. The short version is that I didn't take care of myself very well over the past 5-7 years and it's all kind of crashing down on me health-wise all at once right now, and while I was hoping I could keep going forever, I'm finally coming to the realization that at 38 years old this part of my life is going to be behind me at least for the next several years.

I don't know exactly what this means for StP right now. On one hand it's good that I'll be settled down somewhere so I can always keep up the site and pay the bills and whatnot. On the other hand, I'm feeling seriously down right now because I'm 38, stuck in a town I don't like, live with my parents (how sad), don't have any friends around, and will probably have to work a job I hate for an indeterminate amount of time (probably several years).

I'm going to try and at least finish the wiki pages for each section that I've been working on, but after that I'm going to have to take a break from StP and work on my own personal shit until I have my life back in order. I'll still be hanging out and posting (or responding) here, but I just can't promise much beyond that until things start looking up a little bit.

so yeah. i guess the lesson is seriously take care of yourself before you end up like me. have some kind of trade set up (before you turn 30 i'd say), take care of your teeth, and don't get lazy and keep in good shape. hopefully you'll do better than i did.

 

[SlankyLanky]

shit man thats a rough ticket. i hope you get back on yer feet sooner rather then later.

 

[Dmac]

I spent about 3000 last year getting teeth pulled and a partial made. I’m happy to have it done, but the bill sucked. Dentists and lawyers, fuck them both, blood suckers!

 

[Cali jay]

I had close to a 2grand dental bill last year. Fortunately could pay at that time, but not even a week later someone I met just took care of some serious medical stuff in mexico for cheap.. I've never done this but have heard from many people that travel outside our ridiculous country in search for better and cheaper healthcare. Keep your head up man, a positive attitude can change any situation.

 

[roughdraft]

sorry to read this but glad that it is not all bad...and surely when you reach the end of the debt you will be very happy

 

[Matt Derrick]

thank you everyone, i know it's a small thing compared to people that have it worse, but it still bums me out to say the least.

i'm coming around to the idea of staying in one spot if i can do a few things like convert a school bus and some other projects i've been thinking about. I've just been so used to the freedom of doing whatever whenever ya know. man, adulting sucks.

 

[Dameon]

I'd totally save up and do a Mexico dentist trip. The same work down there will probably cost you $1k. I think that's good advice. This could be a good opportunity for you; having a good job could set you up for international travel. I did my first job interview in 10 years today, I'm in a bit of the same boat, but actually looking forward to a chance to just work my butt off and save like crazy to get myself out of this country.

 

[Beegod Santana]

i second going south of the border. I've met more than a few people who've gotten work done in Mexico for around 1/10 of what they would've paid in the states. Definitly might be worth looking into.

 

[quad8]

I spent about 4/5,000 for a new set of dentures - and majority of that money came from some of the student loan refunds I received with Liberty. It sucked a little bit, but I have to find some way to start paying them back a little and that is gonna suck - at least until I get into a new college and update my deferment. Life's been tough for all of us, but you have to hang on to what you got left and explore America/the world once you are fully prepared to do it.

 

[Cornelius Vango]

You can use your time to work on creating some stuff, your merch seems to sell... And what about doing another jambo? You could come out for a weekend and catch up with folks

 

[LeeenPocket]

Are there any medical assistance plans that would cover this? If you're going to be forced to settle down for a minute anyway, it could be in a place that has a decent dental plan.

 

[Time4Change]

Sorry to hear bro, wish the best for ya! What state you settling in?

 

[creature]

I'm 58, Matt..
you'll be Ok..
On the bright side, you really needed to settle down for a bit & save up some bread, regardless, right?
on the even brighter side, once you settle for a bit, you'll save what you need to pay family faster than you suspect.
don't let the negatives compound into more negatives..
you have a base of operations, however you feel about it, comparatively, and that's half the fucking battle..
even if you get a job flipping burgers or washing dishes or stacking firewood (assuming there's nothing digital you can find), that 4K will not only visibly dissolve, it'll kind of motivate you to get *other* shit done, too.
I have no clue if I will actually get my boat or not, not because I don't believe I *can*, but because after I save up the money I need, I may rather use it to have you drag my ass around various portions of the Earth that only you would really understand how to connect to...
So it's happening, mubbafubba..
one way or the other, it's happening....

 

[creature]

otherwise I can get my Dremmel out, & a bunch of Listerine...

; )

But like everyone is saying, this probably isn't as fatal as it feels..

 

[Tude]

I feel for ya, from an accident years ago I didn't realize I had damage (x-rays showed nothing) but it surfaced about 8 yrs later and had some bone graft on the jaw - then the teeth kicked in and I ignored as long as I could and had to break down about 7 yrs ago and spent the Summer in a specialist chair ending up with a $7000 fixed permanent bridge (that included root canals etc). Only way I could pay at that time was the little bit from my dental plan, and the rest family with a promissory note - that I just finished paying off. They say it lasts 15 yrs, I say for the rest of my life.

Good luck Matt, and look forward to hearing from you and your progress.

 

[Wile E Coyote]

Alright, this probably isn't going to be a popular idea. however.. have you considered trying to monetize the traffic you get here? I realize that you've worked pretty hard not to do that and I'm sure we all appreciate it. But, perhaps there's a way for everybody to benefit. You've already put a ton of work in here, so why not put it to work for you when you need it? Ads and whatnot probably aren't the answer but what about setting up affiliate accounts with REI, etc. You could have a section where we go and see what your affiliates are offering. You make a % of anything we spend and we save by purchasing through an affiliate. Seems like a win/win if we were going to buy it anyway. Of course, the monkeys would all fling poo and say you sold out but I don't know that anyone wants to see you forced into a normal life when site traffic and users just doing what they otherwise would could solve the problem in a few months

 

[AAAutin]

And what about doing another jambo?

Oh shit, jambo at Matt's parents' house!!!

(cue '80s party montage set to Yello's "Oh Yeah")

 

[Hillbilly Castro]

Matt have you thought of getting dental work done in another country? I remember Ephemeralstick did well with some small dental work in Mexicali - perhaps with some searching you could find the procedures you're looking for cheaper than $4000 south of the border.

Either way, best of luck. I better get my teeth fixed soon too - I've got over a dozen cavities... I'm scared to go and get them fixed. I'm already down a couple teeth.

 

[Coywolf]

Sorry to hear this, Matt. As much as the adulting thing blows, it really isint as bad as it seems as long as you can do it under your terms. I'm sure you will find something that won't completely kill your soul.

Good luck with your endeavours.

 

[Hobo Mud]

so i just got some news today that pretty much completely wrecks my life plans for the next few years in the form of a dentist bill of just under $4,000. Root canal, bone grafts, multiple crowns, all kinds of shit. Unfortunately that's just the left side of my face, the right side won't cost as much but it's still going to suck. I have 700 dollars in my savings account, so I'm going to have to borrow the rest from my parents, which they're none too pleased about, but at least I have family that will help me out, which I'm definitely thankful for.

I bring this up for several reasons. One, I'm going to be selling all of my traveling gear soon to help make up some of the costs, so look for that soon in the black market section. Second, this means I need to get a 'real job' and settle down for the foreseeable future in order to make these bills up. In addition to that I'll probably have to start paying off other debts once I get over a certain level of income, so basically there's no going back to my old lifestyle of traveling anytime soon. I'm guessing it's going to take 3+ years to get back on my feet and in a place where I can hit the road again (living in an RV or something like that), and all my dreams of traveling outside of the usa have been pretty much royally fucked.

I know some people are probably thinking, "big deal, you got a big medical bill, at least you have someone to loan you the money" which is true, and I'm definitely not bitching about that, because I seriously don't know what the fuck i would have done otherwise. but this is basically the straw (or 4k girder beam) that broke the camel's back, since it's falling on top of all kinds of other personal shit i just don't have time to go into in detail. The short version is that I didn't take care of myself very well over the past 5-7 years and it's all kind of crashing down on me health-wise all at once right now, and while I was hoping I could keep going forever, I'm finally coming to the realization that at 38 years old this part of my life is going to be behind me at least for the next several years.

I don't know exactly what this means for StP right now. On one hand it's good that I'll be settled down somewhere so I can always keep up the site and pay the bills and whatnot. On the other hand, I'm feeling seriously down right now because I'm 38, stuck in a town I don't like, live with my parents (how sad), don't have any friends around, and will probably have to work a job I hate for an indeterminate amount of time (probably several years).

I'm going to try and at least finish the wiki pages for each section that I've been working on, but after that I'm going to have to take a break from StP and work on my own personal shit until I have my life back in order. I'll still be hanging out and posting (or responding) here, but I just can't promise much beyond that until things start looking up a little bit.

so yeah. i guess the lesson is seriously take care of yourself before you end up like me. have some kind of trade set up (before you turn 30 i'd say), take care of your teeth, and don't get lazy and keep in good shape. hopefully you'll do better than i did.

I am not in the same situation so to speak however there are similarities, alot of plans I had for future trains hops will likely come to a end this year due to one major factor. I broke my leg and fractured my ankle last year in a train accident.

Everysince then train hopping has become much more difficult for me due to permit injuries. I do however plan to keep pushing myself until fall arrives.

I walk with a limp now and have been told that I always will for the rest of my life and because of my injuries I will be forced to eventually give up train hopping as far as cross country hops are concerned however I suspect I will do a 400 mile run every so often or something of that nature.

But this will be my last year cross country or making trips that require me to stay out doors for weeks or months on end.

That's a tough pill to swallow and even harder for me to addmit because I am only 40 and still have alot of good years left in me pertaining to traveling.

The point is that I do understand the need to explore and to want to complete the journey to other final destinations that you have planed. I also understand the need and desire to accomplish and see the things that you still have on your bucket list.

Just like you I will have to put my plans on hold eventual however I have plans to buy a van and travel that way in the future when that time comes. This is just a delay in your plans for now however as you well know life is a adventure and you never know what the future holds for you.

Keep your head up Matt because your doing a fantastic job pertaining to STP and mad respect for having the balls to say what you did pertaing to sharing your situation. I am just trying to give some encouragement friend. Take care Matt and keep us posted.....