Question

[Gamer197]

Has anyone had the fear of leaving their home for the first time? I’m planning to get my passport so I can do Workaway out the country but fear is kinda getting in my way. Selling everything to become a vagabond is the craziest thing I’ve ever thought of. Any advice? ✨

 

[AnotherNerd]

There aren't many things I can share my experience with on this site, but this is one of them. I'm in the same spot, everything is essentially ready and as I get closer to leaving I can feel a bit of that fear in the back of my head.

The positive thing I've noticed is that to me, it's the same fear I've had many times before when I was about to do something "big" for me for the first time... Jumping off a zipline or rappelling or in the lake, coming out to people the first time, meeting up with someone new, doing new drugs, etc. I've always pulled through in the end and usually ended up enjoying myself and learning new skills.

I can't say this is the same, but it seems familiar to me. Your mileage may vary, and I always suggest that people listen to what their brain is trying to tell them, but that's how I interpret mine so far. I'm hoping I run into someone who would want to head out with me, which I think would help (I have run into folks, but when they could tell I was getting ready to leave and talked with me, it threw me off and my words left me, lol). If not, in this situation, I'll end up ignoring it and pulling through like always.

Good luck!

 

[transcendentalhobo]

Has anyone had the fear of leaving their home for the first time? I’m planning to get my passport so I can do Workaway out the country but fear is kinda getting in my way. Selling everything to become a vagabond is the craziest thing I’ve ever thought of. Any advice? ✨

Is your fear from an actual bad feeling or are you just apprehensive? I've never gotten used to taking the plunge, and I've been Traveling on and off since May 2000. Not too sound too wacky, but I think you have to go with your gut. The Road isn't for everyone. Bad stuff can happen. But it can be amazing too. I've been in the PNW since May last year and I will probably leave next month and I'm hella stressed but I'm also 110% sure it's the right thing to do. I always regret ignoring my instincts including a couple times I took off when I should have stayed.

 

[laughingman]

Ive always enjoyed the incremental approach. If I want to do a year long trip I start with a little overnight, then a week, then a month. Experience helps shake out your skills and kit. It also helps form the right mindset. I think that last part is a lot more important then most people represent. You have to remember that when you do things with an uncertain outcome its going to suck some of the time. Maybe even most of the time. Your going to brake down and cry in the dark. Your going to hurt yourself doing something dumb. Your going to brake something and not be able to fix it. But you also get to learn from doing that and get stronger and more capable. Practice the skills you need. Shave your kit. But most of all remember that you don't always need to be comfortable or happy to enjoy yourself. Your getting to experience something that most people don't.

 

[transcendentalhobo]

Ive always enjoyed the incremental approach. If I want to do a year long trip I start with a little overnight, then a week, then a month. Experience helps shake out your skills and kit. It also helps form the right mindset. I think that last part is a lot more important then most people represent. You have to remember that when you do things with an uncertain outcome its going to suck some of the time. Maybe even most of the time. Your going to brake down and cry in the dark. Your going to hurt yourself doing something dumb. Your going to brake something and not be able to fix it. But you also get to learn from doing that and get stronger and more capable. Practice the skills you need. Shave your kit. But most of all remember that you don't always need to be comfortable or happy to enjoy yourself. Your getting to experience something that most people don't.

This is really good advice. I sometimes forget, but I had a couple years of Road Trips with my older sister from Ohio to New Jersey and a slew of other similar trips with various Road Dawgs just from Ohio to Illinois and Pennsylvania, before I ventured out to the west coast and meandered back by myself.

And then I still mostly lived with my mom and went on short Road Trips for a couple more years before I moved to Chicago and eventually started to branch out longer term from there. It was an evolution for sure, with tons of trial and error.