So basically I'm ready to start life.

[Elijah]

If you are planning on hitching anywhere or roaming the streets all hours of nights (and why woulden't you?), you will almost certainly be carded and sent back to your parents.

If I were you I'd just bare with the boredom until you are 18 and spend all that time researching. Also, DON'T TRAVEL ALONE.

 

[L.C.]

listen to old man lee. i got time under my belt,and i learned the hard way. it can be damn scary.i think you should try to wait and get some free education, so if you don't like the r.r., or road you have something to fall back on.i'm trying to retire from traveling,and its easy to start traveling,and almost impossible to stop. its tough out there,especially for a girl. i have had alot of problems with gays,think about being a 17 year old loanwolf female,and 2million men who don't respect woman,bums that haven't gotten laid in 20 years with nothing to lose.it's dangerous,but god its fun.learn more here ,meet people,and you will have it much easier.good luck and safe travels!

 

[wartomods]

welcome, btw there is nothing like bad or good luck, you do your own luck

 

[Wednesday]

I understand. I'm 17, and I'm about to leave high school in May. I'm starting college in September and I want to travel, but it's fucked up because I turn 18 in August, right after summer and all my opportunities. I feel like I really should wait, it would really be best...but I'm not going to wait another year to see the country and find strange new friends and find something real. It's not an adventure if there's not risk.

 

[MrD]

Im only 17 and traveled for months on end all alone, and never ran in to any problems, even got my name run by cops when i was thousands of miles from home.
(cop looking at my i.d.)"how old are you"
"17"
"your parents know where are?"
"yup"(they did)
"You out here all alone?"
"yeah"
'Well..... you be safe now"
that exact conversation has happened multiple times, and i have never been hassled about my age.
Only once when i tried to cross the boarder in to Canada.Canadian Customs reported me as a runaway and child protective services called my parents about it, it was really funny.
But i think as long as your NOT a runaway, then it gets 1,000 times less complicated to be on the road as a minor.

 

[Wednesday]

Yeah, my parents don't care or anything, but I've had to have them called by police to come get me for being out past curfew countless times. What if that happens when I'm not in Kansas anymore?

 

[boucaneer]

curfew. flipping heck, didnt know you had one there.

try to not get caught? but keep safe, dont hide in twisted nasty peoples homes.

Better still just dont leave home if you can help it, maybe just live localy for having your own space, and learn skills.

phone your parents from time to time to let them know how you are and not to worry. dont have to tell them exactley where you are. witheld the cell number if you have to.

and learn a good skill or a trade to help you in life, look at what you liked when you where younger to help you choose one.

phone your parants though, it saves a lot of shit.


but if you have to escape due to sexual abuse, get further advice.

 

[Wednesday]

I've been doing that since I was fifteen-ish when things got bad. Urban camping I called it lol. One of my favorite things, another reason why I found this site so appealing; it covered all my interests except hitching. That's not my cup of tea.

I know I should wait, but I seriously am counting the days till graduation even now, I couldn't wait another year. My home life is kinda fucked up, but I grew up with it so I've gotten used to it by now. It's not sexually abusive, and things have gotten a lot better since my brother got shipped off to Afghanistan.

And what do you mean by learn a trade or skill? Like choose an occupation or something to study for in college or something that will help me on the road for busking? (Sorry for all the questions, now just seems like as good a time as any.)

 

[HannahBee]

I had a cop in Az tell my 17 year old friend who didn't have an ID that she should have just lied. She really should have too...she got picked up while spanging because some lady who was high on herself and jesus called the cops because she looked young. She ended up being put into juvvie and they were waiting for someone from home to come down and get her. She managed to run away from police custody and meet back up with us but it was a ridiculous amount of hassle and she lost all of her gear and she may be wanted now in AZ. She wasn't even a runnaway either, her mom kicked her out and was too high on meth to care where she was at =/

 

[finn]

...And what do you mean by learn a trade or skill? Like choose an occupation or something to study for in college or something that will help me on the road for busking? (Sorry for all the questions, now just seems like as good a time as any.)

I don't understand what you're failing to grasp. Learn a skill, so you actually know how to do stuff. Carpentry from habitat for humanity(or just from making stuff, if you can manage that) Cooking so you can feed yourself easier, First Aid so you can patch yourself up, Bike repair so you can fix up a ride, and on and on. Useful people make for better partners in traveling and squatting.

 

[Wednesday]

Useful people make for better partners in traveling and squatting.

Oh, sorry, I gotcha. That makes a lot of sense. I guess I looked over the most obvious things. I attend my friend's Outdoors class at his university just because I want to learn it to learn it. It's like extreme boy scouts more or less. Teach you how to make shelters out of anything, what wild berries and stuff are edible, how to sanitize water and stuff. It's pretty useful. But I'll start looking into bike repair as I'm primarily a cyclist and that'd be damn useful. Btw did you know if making loud noises and scaring away a black bear doesn't work, you can fight it? Fun fact of the day.