Here's this:
I've been vandwelling, squatting, couch-surfing, traveling, meandering, migrating, what-have-you since I was about 16, if you don't count the years where I lived at home alone or at friends houses, while I tried to give a shit about highschool.
Unreliable, incompetent, immature, manipulative, selfish, abusive people are everywhere;
bosses, landlords, family, roommates, partners, coworkers, blah blah blah.
I got bored - and sick of it.
So I left.
It wasn't easy, that's for fuckall sure.
I've been in some shitty situations while out in big scary world, mang.
I've crossed paths with some fairly shitty people and even the occasional vicious psycho animal. I've slept out in the pouring rain and mud for days. I've had my pack stolen by sociopaths. I've been stranded alone in the middle of knee-fuck-nowhere. I've had to endure days-long hunger. I've gotten injured and seriously sick from all sorts of nasty shit on the road and in squats, barns, coops, communes and more...
But "Regrets", you ask?
Fuck the fuck no.
I've met so many amazing people who shared with me their stories, art, music, food, homes, expertise, time, tools, and dreams. I saw life through their eyes and found endless differences, but also similarities. I learned from them and in trade taught them what I could. I now have close friends and formed-family scattered all over the states, that otherwise might never have even known of each others existence.
I've seen Amazing places. & lame ones. & places in between...
It's always funny finding bits and pieces of one town in another. & Getting to know all of the different communities and what they're growing and accomplishing is always an adventure. It always recharges and inspires me. Being accepted into the 'homes' of so many different types of people with each of their goals, plans, ideas, dreams and projects that all have to do with changing the world; somehow, even if just a little bit.
I seen a lot and I've learned a lot. I've become a far more knowledgeable, passionate, conscientious, attentive, strong, tolerant, patient person while on the road. I've been taking online college classes through Peralta for years, slowly but surely working a degree, but I swear... The Vast Majority of my brain is filled with skills I learned on the road. Interpersonal, social, tactical, navigational, McGyverical... all from the experiences and people I've been exposed to. Nowhere else.
A lot of travelers I've met feel the same way. They wouldnt give this shit up for anything less than nine cartons of Lucky Strikes and a hottub full of Ancient.
I mean, Yea it's hard and sometimes you feel like shit and everything goes wrong.
I could go on and on but the point is really just this...
Only those who are either unwilling or incapable of learning from their experiences,
end up regretting those knowledge-rich places, people, choices and "mistakes".
But don't quote me boy...
"I'm awake on seven hours sleep in the three days before this one
but including this one, also."
