Leaving home...

I'm a 19 yr old college student who's seriously considering dropping out, leaving town and making it out on my own.

I haven't discussed this with my mother, and may not choose to do so until after I've left.
Some might call this running away, it's really not like that though, my home life is fine, I have friends and people I love here, but I'm lacking purpose, and the current routine I'm in hasn't brought me happiness.

I love where I'm from and would love to raise a family here someday, but right now I'm young and I haven't done much of anything. I don't know who I am or what I want to do with my life really. I feel like my environment has almost always defined me, and at this point in my life this environment isn't cutting it...

so I want to try something different.
I'm essentially broke, I have a car and enough gas money/food to get me anywhere in the US, and beyond that I don't know...
I just want to see what's out there...
And I think the best way to do that would be to find a place where I could live and work, doing something rewarding and valuable.
I don't really care about money as long as I have a roof, tent or clear night over my head and a meal or two a day. And some friends about my age would be nice, as well.

So I guess I'm just wondering if there's any people like me out there doing this where do I go, so far my research hasn't given me many options.

any ideas?

 

Texas...

 

That's one of the places I'm definitely considering...

As far as the people there what are they like?
About how many people are staying there at any one time?
And what is the age range like?

 

If you can you should leave collage in a good way so you can return if you want. You would be amazed at the amount of people that return to society after they leave probably 95-99%.
But it can be good to go on the road and figure out what you want to do with your life.

 

Yeah, and I fully intend to return, I think I could still get a partial refund on this semester I may lose some scholarships, but I'm going to accrue some debt anyway I slice it so I'm not letting money be my master.

I'm thinking about studying abroad next year, but I may wait and do that the year after next, I have a lot of options. I don't feel like taking a semester or two off would really be so ruinous to my future.

I'm just drowning where I am currently and I'm pretty sure a change of pace could fix that, having to adapt and survive on my own would give me a much more meaningful experience than going to class and working 12 hours a weeks.

 

wow, we are like the same person.
ive pretty much resigned myself to staying where i am for a year and working though.
you are more than welcome to come visit!

 

I'd love to, if I should end up out that way. I don't have a passport at the moment though, so it might be kind of tricky to get into Canada. =/

 

My advice, for all it is worth from an old Hippie, is to stay in school and finish the semester. Drop any classes you may need to but keep the ones that you are doing well in and that are not too difficult.

During the remaining days of school, figure where you want to go and what you want to do. A good option is to find someone who can Mentor you during this time.

I am in ND and leaving May 1 to travel about the US for a few years. I have a Bus and am making it into my mansion on wheels. I could always enjoy someone riding along even for just part of the journey.

 

I would think if you could possibly make it through the end of the semester like a previous poster said hang in there you will be glad later on in life. if you still have the wanderlust after your scholarships are used up then start traveling, get some memories for yourself it seems like all older folks have is thieir memories. for me Im glad I stuck it out finished school and learned my trade. Now when I want to disappear for a while I can, and I can always get a good job almost anywhere I am to put gas in the truck and food on the table

 

i have wonderful friends in san jose california.. i am looking to get away from alabama.. i have no transportation ... i love livin off lifes suprises... the best adventures in life are the ones unplanned. inerested?

 

i feel you man, im in the same boat. But im actually trying to leave san jose, ca haha.

 

u got a car u got gas money
all you need is to pick a direction to go in
you never know what you may find out there..till you get out there
i find it really funny ya ask what the people are like ...and the age range..of an entire state, and a huge 1 at that, cause every persons different, and the state is full of people anywhere in the range betweeen birth and death\

i wouldnt think of texas as a high priority destination though...lol i mean if u had to pick just 10 states to visit texas wouldnt even make the list..
but....everywhere is worth going
even if its a hell hole, its worth going there toi remind ya that thats not where ya want to be
but as ya wander from place to place, more and more of the world feeels like home
(except often ironicly the place u feel the least at hom,e is where ya always beeen from)
everywhere ya go you meet amazin ppl..and in every group of people some are within a certain age range..
but you';ll never meet em sittin at home, you wont know who u will meet till u get out there and meet em

if ya take a right at that big ree and head off into the woods, ya might even run into me someday

 

you are going through a rough patch.

stay in college, you may not realise it now but it will help you in the future, it will help you put food on the table.

no doubt theres some help lines (that you could call anonymously) that could offer some advice. theres a lot of missing info in your post that would probably be better discussed with someone real time.

don't mess your head with drugs they'll not help you get any real answers, real solutions need a clear head.

if you really want to drop out of college get yourself an apprenticeship to set yourself up with a trade.

 

WOW, what i just read sounds exactly like what im feeling. And currently i havent left. i do agree with guy tho, find yourself a trade, one that you can travel with.
i know what its like, whenever you think of leaving you tingle all over and just want to go and get out of the box you stuffed into but for now we just have to be the tiger, readying ourselves to pounce.
what i found realy helped was setting a date to leave, for me its a gap year. or go out into the sreet and meet someone, find out their story and tell yours.
i hope this helped and if you have any reccomendations for me in return, i would love to know what you chose to do.- just look up a the tread story telling
p.s. have a look at the peaceful rivers website, just type it into google

 

I'm another one on this boat!

 

Minus the lack of personal info (ie. interests etc...) I found that I am/was in the same situation you described. Well, I quit going to school after my first semester of college and now I'm on my own waiting for another reconstructive knee surgery. It's suppose to be another 6-9 month recovery, but after that I plan on taking off. I'm not sure exactly what I'll do or where I'll be going, but so far I may be going with a friend and trekking the states, then hopefully S. America. Not sure really, I just know that traveling is the one thing I do want to do...as I've backpacked in the past (Europe, parts of the U.S. and I lived in Guadalajara for a short while) I've been many places and nothing compares to the thrills of traveling, expecially when you travel with less...then everything is an adventure. Anyways, keep me updated on your plans bro, I'm always down with trekking with others.

 

if you make it up here or want someone to come along than im up for it. i have some money saved up for whatever. im hopin to get out and explore.

 

woo so theres MANY on the same boat on this one. Ive been going to college but dropped out. Then I signed up again this semester but REALLY considering it leaving. Just to think for a while atleast. I think you should finish what youre doing right now just so you dont have to restart it later when you return. I would defidently drop out right now but have no ride and no job for money. I thought about giving it a year or two just to come up with some money and for my friend to finish school cause he doesnt want me taking off alone. But id say take off while your young so it wont be so hard returning.

 

Just a little update...I stuck with it with school, made it through the semester, failed a class, but I lacked motivation to be successful much of last winter.

I'm usually pretty skeptical when people talk about having sudden breakthroughs, because I'm not sure that problems are resolved all at once, but I feel like I've experienced that in a way.

For much of this year, I was a depressed, unmotivated kid, who wanted to spend as much of his time as possible not sober, and spent far too much time hiding from his problems. I didn't even want to go back to school this semester, but between the idea of having my loans come due, losing my health insurance, and trying to make it on my own without any money saved back, and going back to school, I chose to go back.

Because I couldn't transfer, I'm dumping about $6K this semester on classes, so I figured I'd make the best of it and pull some A's. I live in the library this semester (11-6 every Tues, Thurs), and have forced myself to meet people. I've made it a rule not to leave campus until I've introduced myself to at least one attractive girl, and I've met some really cool people. I'm jobless at the moment, but between all the applications I put in the last few days, and the 2 interviews I have next Monday, I think I'll be alright soon. Also, I've cut the drinking. It became a crutch for me and, while I'm not one, my genetics say I would be an alcoholic.

My closest friend left to go to Italy for the school year Monday. Back in February, I wouldn't have been able to deal with not having him help me through stuff.

This year, I'm finding contentment in success. If that means, being a library nerd, than yeah, I'll do that. But, I'm making it work, finally. That's not to say I still don't have hippie dreams, I'm hoping to travel all the way to Alaska in summer 2010 (hopefully in the Acura with 222,000 miles on it today), but I want to be able to have the money together so that I'm caught up on my loans, so I'll be saving my ass off for that. And I still want to go to Italy for a school year as well, because I know if I don't I'll regret it forever.

 

I'm glad to hear things turned out the way they have for you. You can always run away from home later. I waited til I was 35!