A fresh start and living a simple life...

JGON

JGON

Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
975
I am a 28 year old professional who just went through an expensive divorce, I work 55 hours a week to pay my bills, and I never seem to be able to get out of the hole. I'm locked into a lifestyle that I don't necessarily even enjoy, even though many people would consider a good job, a comfortable home, a reliable car, and two days off a week to be the America Dream.

I used to be more comfortable financially in my failed marriage, but my new found freedom came at a price. It was EXPENSIVE to start over, and I'm spending every dime of my paychecks to get caught up. My new boss is turning out to be quite a bitch, and I'm wondering if this is really what I should be doing with my time.

If I am working this much, and at the end of the day I have nothing to show for it that I really care for, why do I do what I do? If I'm not going to have anything to show for it anyway, why not just free myself from the shackles of a modern lifestyle and live a simple life without the financial burdens of a modern American? This may sound radical, and no, it would not be a permanent way to live, but I am honestly considering cashing in everything I own and taking a few essentials with me in a reliable vehicle to see the world. I could bum around this country for quite a while if I stopped here and there to earn a few hundred dollars and then move on.

If you don't hear from me in a while, that's what I did...

JGON
 
Think about it long and hard--before you do it.

List(on paper) all the good and bad points.

Do not get caught up in the Romance of getting away from it all-without remembering that comes with a price as well.

Do you have the type of job that would allow you to do that--and return months/years later??

Do you work for yourself or will you have to explain why you took months/years off.

WE understand how you think Bro---Your next employer might think you unbalanced if you quit your job -sold almost everything and took off.

I UNDERSTAND where your coming from

Think about your plan----3 years from now.

You get back from your TRIP---

Then how do you get back into the type of life you had

also get ready for the fact --YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO

Then what???

Sincerely

Dr.Bill
 
Hey JGON, do me a favor and pick me up when you go.
I think like that alot sometimes, unsure of the correct answers for you.
Best of luck to you bro.
Be Safe...........
 
Been there! Done That!

Transient lifestyle does give lots of freedom and time. Which can turn into morbid mental reflection on the past. Avoid that at all costs.

It takes very little to knock one out completely when living that way. Theft of some of your gear, or loss through accident or injury....and you'll be stuck down, out and homeless. And that is one situation that it is VERY difficult to extract yourself from. I've been there, and contrary to popular belief there are NO government programs to help a single man or woman out of it. Most of the non=profit org's that say they help do nothing but soak up federal monies and maintain folks in a hopeless state. Cause that is how they stay in business by demonstrating a continued need...not by showing success in getting folks back on their feet.

It is a nice romantic idea. And can be fun short term with an extraction plan. But can become a really disastrous trap very easily.

Think it through. Plan for the worst and provide a means of escape before you do it.
 
Read the Book 'Into the Wild' if you haven't already. Its a true story of a guy who did something very similar right after he graduated college. It didn't turn out well for him in the end but if you stay smart you can avoid that. It's something I've dreamed of doing too. I'm just about to end my freshman year of high school though, so I could easily change my mind in the future. As of now though it's something i want to do at least for a year before college, and who knows, If i find something I really love along the way I might not go to college. I have a while to think about it and decide, and so do you. Good luck!
 
Buy a good, portable, knife sharpening system and sharpen peoples knives along the way to make extra money.
A small camper type van would make your life much easier. Set it up right and it can be a good home.
Keep some money aside for your return to civilization in case you need to return.
Also, no mater that you don't have a regular job or home, don't let your appearance go all to hell. Keep yourself clean and some what human looking, you will get a lot less trouble from everyone, including law enforcement. If you ever do need help, people will not see you as a lost cause.
 
Sounds like a good idea to me. You are still young and youth is about the best thing you can have.
 
wildmike said:
Been there! Done That!

Transient lifestyle does give lots of freedom and time. Which can turn into morbid mental reflection on the past. Avoid that at all costs.

It takes very little to knock one out completely when living that way. Theft of some of your gear, or loss through accident or injury....and you'll be stuck down, out and homeless. And that is one situation that it is VERY difficult to extract yourself from. I've been there, and contrary to popular belief there are NO government programs to help a single man or woman out of it. Most of the non=profit org's that say they help do nothing but soak up federal monies and maintain folks in a hopeless state. Cause that is how they stay in business by demonstrating a continued need...not by showing success in getting folks back on their feet.

It is a nice romantic idea. And can be fun short term with an extraction plan. But can become a really disastrous trap very easily.
Click to expand...

Noah.J.Revoy said:
Buy a good, portable, knife sharpening system and sharpen peoples knives along the way to make extra money.
A small camper type van would make your life much easier. Set it up right and it can be a good home.
Keep some money aside for your return to civilization in case you need to return.
Also, no mater that you don't have a regular job or home, don't let your appearance go all to hell. Keep yourself clean and some what human looking, you will get a lot less trouble from everyone, including law enforcement. If you ever do need help, people will not see you as a lost cause.
Click to expand...

Both of these guys are right. You know that what you're talking about is really just trading one set of problems for another.

Ive done what you're talking about for the greater part of my life and its not all that great after a bit.

Ive experienced a lot of great things and a whole hell of a lot of shit living out of a truck, hitching, & hopping trains...etc.

Right now I am at a point with it where I have painted myself into a corner for the most part. I can't do anything else if I really want to.

The best advice I can give you is try to setup a cheap life style rather that jump ship completely and sink on the way out... You know just don't burn your bridges.
 
if anything does happen to your gear, and you can make it to the east coast (maryland)...ill be sure to resupply you...ive got more gear than any one person needs anyway and id be happy to unload some of it to a brother in desperate times :D im sure if you could get to a free internet spot where the computers are provided (local library, cyber cafe... etc) most everyone here would be willing to lend you a couch and some food for a night or two (i know i would).
 
Also I forgot to add that ill gladly answer any questions you might have just shoot me a PM.
 
I live in Alaska.

For some, that's the pinnacle of what you're expressing.

For me, it's day-to-day reality of the colloquialism "Wherever you go, there YOU are."

In other words, sure; take a vacation. Take a trip. Change jobs and otherwise decompress. But in the end, YOU ARE your problems, and you can't get away from you. Just trust me on this.
 
I just got back from an afternoon of kayaking in scattered thunderstorms... I'm glad to see this generated some interest!

Just to clarify, I'm not necessarily running away from any problems... I dealt with my failed divorce, I'm paying down my debt without issue, I live a healthy, honest life...

I just fear that this daily and weekly routine that I'm in is going to shackle me to a life in which I didn't go see and do all of the things that I wanted to. I can't possibly see that much in my lifetime with 2 weeks of vacation a year.... There is so much I want to do, and all of it, done simply, will not be that expensive, so why do I spend all this time and energy working to pay for rent in an apartment that is bigger than I need, to pay for insurance, cell phone, cable and internet, etc?

I go hiking or kayaking almost every time I have a day off. It is my release, and it feels great, but then I go back to work. I want more. I recently went to visit my grandfather who had a near death experience getting run over by a drunk driver after he himself had been sober for 24 years. The irony of this accident is unreal. After seeing him, I realize that nobody ever ends up on their death bed wishing they worked more. Quite the opposite, most times. I have no kids, and I'm living in an area that I came to for a woman I am no longer involved with. With no ties to this area, and a job that I am feeling like walking from, I am in a position to do this and I am strongly considering it.

Somebody mentioned Into the Wild... I listened to that audio book on the way down to see my grandfather... ;)

Anyways, I appreciated all the angles on this that have been offered up. I know it's a romantic idea. I like the suggestions of making sure I have some sort of extraction plan. I also never though of how devastating losing a valued piece of gear would be in a situation like that. Great points.

So who's coming with? It's not like I'm leaving tonight, but the more this life drones on and the more thought I give to it, the more I want to do it....

Thanks again,

JGON
 
A divorce is a very tough trial in life. It flips ones world upside down. Find a new job u enjoy in a place you have never lived. Reconnect with old friends and family. U might be down but dont stay down....start enjoying nature and the outdoors more but remember the strength understanding and joy come from within. Things will start going your way brother man.
 
I understand the urge to go live without restraints! It sounds like you are very unhappy now, I know I would want to do what you suggested if I was in your shoes. Best of luck to you, I look forward to hearing about all of it when you come back if you take off.
 
I'm relatively new on this forum and I admit I know nothing about u and I'm no one to give advices...still, when I read ur thread, I felt some kind of empathy so I decided to stop and leave here my 2 cents...for what they're worth. I assume u are searching for different angles and perspectives so I hope mine won't hurt.
I have to say I have never been through the sort of things u are...nonetheless, I understand what u are feeling cause (in a very different situation) I have been through a similar thing.
The first thing that comes into my mind is this...I guess u should try to understand is why ur life does not fit u anymore. Sometimes we put everything together and we forget that there's no such thing as a perfect lifestyle and everybody has good and bad things in his/her own life...so maybe in your life there is just one or two things that really make u feel like that, and u don't need to shave ur hair and become a Himalayan hermit to feel fine with urself. I assume that this process is not easy, but deep inside u might have the answer. I know people who totally changed their feelings about their life just by changing job, or town, or partner, and leaving everything else as it was before. So think carefully before u throw away things that might be fine for u in a different overall contest. As someone else said here, the great part of ur "need to change" is about the relationship between u and urself, not u and the rest of the world.
Second thing is about having a backup plan...it's always a good idea and even if u decide to leave for a while, u have to consider that u might want to come back to where u are (in the whole metaphorical sense) some day. Maybe leaving for some time could help u understand what's wrong...and u might decide to get back to fix it.
And above all...be careful. U might find that opening a bar on the beach in northwestern Brasil is the life that makes u feel better...but be prepared for the fact u could never find such thing. That is why I would first consider a temporary breakout (if ur job allows u to) before a one way ticket to the unknown, which sure sounds romantic and full of promises, but will more likely bring u more pain.
I have found that travelling works for me...as a moment to get a bit more distant from my everyday life and see things clearer before I come back with (hopefully) a better idea of what I have to change in my life to keep getting better.
Good luck tho :thumbup:

:cool:
 
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JGON said:
I just got back from an afternoon of kayaking in scattered thunderstorms... I'm glad to see this generated some interest!

Just to clarify, I'm not necessarily running away from any problems... I dealt with my failed divorce, I'm paying down my debt without issue, I live a healthy, honest life...

I just fear that this daily and weekly routine that I'm in is going to shackle me to a life in which I didn't go see and do all of the things that I wanted to. I can't possibly see that much in my lifetime with 2 weeks of vacation a year.... There is so much I want to do, and all of it, done simply, will not be that expensive, so why do I spend all this time and energy working to pay for rent in an apartment that is bigger than I need, to pay for insurance, cell phone, cable and internet, etc?

I go hiking or kayaking almost every time I have a day off. It is my release, and it feels great, but then I go back to work. I want more. I recently went to visit my grandfather who had a near death experience getting run over by a drunk driver after he himself had been sober for 24 years. The irony of this accident is unreal. After seeing him, I realize that nobody ever ends up on their death bed wishing they worked more. Quite the opposite, most times. I have no kids, and I'm living in an area that I came to for a woman I am no longer involved with. With no ties to this area, and a job that I am feeling like walking from, I am in a position to do this and I am strongly considering it.

Somebody mentioned Into the Wild... I listened to that audio book on the way down to see my grandfather... ;)

Anyways, I appreciated all the angles on this that have been offered up. I know it's a romantic idea. I like the suggestions of making sure I have some sort of extraction plan. I also never though of how devastating losing a valued piece of gear would be in a situation like that. Great points.

So who's coming with? It's not like I'm leaving tonight, but the more this life drones on and the more thought I give to it, the more I want to do it....

Thanks again,

JGON
Click to expand...

Go for it! No kids, no wife. You only live once. Take a fishing pole and knives. You will never go hungry, and you'll enjoy every minute of it.
 
Good jobs can be tough to come by these days and you say you are making good headway now paying off debt and such. Why not take stock of your current budget and see what can be downsized expenditure wise. Perhaps taking a smaller apartment or a cheaper one, downsize the vehicle (cheaper, more fuel efficient), eat more home cooked foods and limiting alcohol and on-the fly impulse expenses. These would accelerate the progress you are making on debt. When you start getting into a good place inquire with your boss about more time off or an unpaid leave for a month or so and plan something great in that time. Keep your eye out for other professional opportunities. That is how I would approach things. Then again, I have 20 years invested in my career so I'm pretty committed to what I do.
 
Ive been in your shoes before. But think carefully. I too "wanted" to completely change my life. Not to make light of this, but be careful what you wish for. I moved to another state and took a job making less than half what I made before. I thought I would really enjoy the new job. To make a long story short I hated that job even more. That was about 7 years ago. I'm finally back on track. Are things better now than they were before? Yes. But it was a real hell ride to get here.

Has anybody else heard me tell this story?

Believe me, whoever said money doesn't matter is somebody who always had it. I understand your thinking, your heart is in the right place. Just be sure your mind is too.

If you do make the decision to do so, I highly recommend you downsize and cut back on everything well before you make the jump. One of my biggest downfalls was not realizing how difficult it is to live with so much less. Its WAY more difficult than you could possibly imagine.
 
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