Need your help; Wanting to travel

Hello all. My name is Keely. I am in desperate need of an escape. i hate being tied down to one place. I use to be in the military and traveled a lot and since I have gotten out I havent gone anywhere and it is killing me. I am trying to find someone to start traveling with who has been there and done it. I thought I had met someone from PA who had been traveling for 7 years on first an Rv and then a school bus (still the coolest bus i have ever seen) well anyways that fell through and I am trying to find a new traveling buddy. Anyone willing to allow a friendly hippie to join them? Message me or respond on here. Any type of advice, tips, or just some humor will be welcomed. Thank you. Much love =)

 

Im hittin the road tomorrow from florida. You can meet me at some randon state in america

 

hey that sounds great. do you have a route planned or just going with the flow? How do you travel? If you really wouldnt mind a traveling buddy I am all for it. =)

 

Nope, i dont plan anything out, im a gemini haha but i would like to attend the rainbOw gathering in northern florida on my way out though, and then i really wanna visit ashville. Maybe i could meet you there? It all depends on the rides i get and which way the winds blows me ya know?

 

I was thinking of the exact same thing. Just go and see where I end up. Already have supplies.

 

females (or really anyone, but especially females) traveling alone or with someone that they just met.

1. watch your back. we all love that hippie horseshit, but it's a wild world

2. think about carrying a knife. especially if you are going to hitch hike (hitching with a trusted friend is probably a little safer). if you carry a knife, you have to be ready to pull it and use it if you need to

3. talk to folks and make a plan before heading out. spending some time figuring things out can save you a lot of agony

4. have a plan for what to do if you get robbed, or any other crisis situation occurs. have a plan to avoid the crisis situations in the first place

5. having a network of support and a way to get in touch with those folks when you need to might help

6. stay away from cities. at least that's what most people at the rainbow family gatherings that I've talked to have said

sorry if this is all kinda hardcore sounding, but if you don't want hardcore shit to sneak up on ya, you gotta plan that way

hope that everything works out great!

 

keely,

First off, thank you for your service. Good Luck. I'm assuming you don't want to go back in. Some I served with, got out, had the same feelings, and reenlisted. Most of those did their 20 and retired. The people I've ran across on military.com are by and large happy with their choice. More so than those who stayed out. But back then the war was the cold war. Big difference.

I also had the same feelings but I'd gotten married and now after MANY years I'm divorced. After all of it, looking back, I'm not happy with the choices I made. I wish I'd done it differently. But now I'm the road full time in a Class C motor home and I'm finally content.

What I'm saying is; Do what YOU need to do. There ain't no "do-overs". While it might be more "comfortable" going along with someone, look long and hard at the situation. You've got more going for you than most.

I don't know your situation but make sure you get a VA ID card- even if you're pissed at Uncle Sugar. You just might need medical care or... There are a lot of "programs" you can use to live for a year or two while you decide. After almost 30 years I got in the system at the now closed Brecksville, OH VA hospital. I had the ID card and and my first appointment within a week. If you can, find a retired E-7 working there to get you throuh the paperwork. Stay away from the "civilian" employees- they don't give a crap about you. A lot of cops are vets- the VA ID can get you a break in the oddest places.

If you've got any disability make sure you're compensated. Every county in Ohio has an office that can hook you up with an advocate. These offices, or maybe there are offices at VA hospitals, will also know what other bennies might be out there. They also help with discharge upgrades if necessary.

Frankly, I seldom bother to read posts that authors have intentionally made difficult to decipher- like ALL CAPS, no caps, and "txt" abbreviations. BUT, e7m8 makes very good points. You will find that you are "older" than non-vets your age. That can be a real advantage; use it. But it won't help with a sociopath/psychopath unless you're underestimated, so be very careful. If you decide on company- find a like minded female. I met a couple of ladies last summer on the south edge of Columbus OH that were hitch hiking and maybe catching a few trains. They were pretty safe.

I'm parked in a MS Walmart with a "real" hippie lady parked 30 yards away in her Dodge van. We'll be at the same flea market this weekend. From talking to her, she's gotten pretty cautious over the years. Since I'm more or less headed east and she's meandering back west it worked out well. In a couple of hours we exchanged a great deal of good information. She's "real" as opposed to internet dreamers and schemers. Nothing wrong with dreamers but don't take their advice.

Avoid those who want to keep you in the dark or will "tell you later". Up front is the way to go. Everybody has some idea of where they might want to travel. For instance I hadn't seen the Mississippi or the Gulf of Mexico in over 40 years. By the way, there IS a Walmart with a gulf coast view!

If you have a van, flea markets will keep you going and you'll run into the same gypsy vendors in several states. You can live well from an upscale neighborhood's trash. Competition is getting rough though. I may stop in at a commune on my way back north just for a look. Maybe I'll learn to do tie-dye! I couldn't imagine staying there long but I've been wrong before!

I'm rambling so take care and stay lucky. You CAN do whatever you want to do. You'll be in my prayers.

fleamarketvendor

 

Follow your dream while you can and don't let other people discourage you. life has a way of coming up behind you a knocking you over the head. I wish I had followed this advice.

Happy adventures

 

I really didnt want to do the whole hitch hiking thing because like many have said I am a female and it can be pretty scary out there for us. Or anyone for that matter. Thats why I was hoping to hook up with someone with an RV or bus or any form of transportation. I am hoping to figure this all out soon. I wish my time in the service gave me more benefits but because of my contract I am only offered certain things. Medical and money not being one of them. Only thing the military will do for me is pay for 70% of my schooling. So thats why I just want to pack up and leave. I hate my town. I dont have family so nothing is holding me back except a way out. I guess I should just hitch hike since it is looking like the only way for me to go. Sorry to just ramble. I am just getting very frustrated with this all. Like I said in my first post I thought I had someone to travel with that had been doing it for a long time but when that fell through I started to feel really down about this all. Shit at this point I would do anything to get away from the gosh forsaken place known as stupid Ohio lol

 

Ohio isn't such a bad place, but clearly not where you want to be right now. Where do you want to be? Do you have particular goals in mind, or do you just want to be on the road?

 

Keely,

Sorry to hear you're getting desperate. Think things through. As e7m8 wrote, you do need to decide where you want to go and maybe why.

A somewhat safer form of hitchhiking is to sit at the truckers entrance to a truck stop with a sign and a destination. I'd get tossed out but I've seen women doing this without interference. Or you could try the Rainbow Family forum. There are no guarantees anywhere but the few I've run into have seemed pretty safe.

And Ohio really isn't a terrible place. I come back in the summer; it's too hot down south. It's not really a lot different from anywhere else. For those who are truly happy on the road it's the journey, not so much the destination, that is truly important. I do like some states and towns better than others but where ever I stop, I find I'm always there. If I'm not happy within myself I can't be happy anywhere.

If you just want to relocate there seem to be more jobs on the gulf coast than Ohio. And the Dakota oil fields are booming. It might suck, but Walmart seems to be hiring about everywhere. You haven't mentioned how you're living now but even if you travel with somebody you need your own "stake". Things go sour from time to time and get away money can be important.

I do still recommend checking with your county veterans office. There may be something you weren't told about. Ohio, like most states, has some programs of its own. A friend's father got a few hundred dollars from his county office based only on need. They can guide you on everything from food stamps to an Obama phone. If you're not comfortable going to the office in your county/town, you can always try another nearby. Some even have self help groups that might help you hook up with like minded indivduals.

Do take care and don't do "anything" just to get away.

fleamarketvendor

 

Well I love the west coast. But I would really like to be on the road. I hate having a set address. I want to see the country but not in a tourist way but in the way that you actually take in the beauty of the earth and what has been made and what continues to be offered by mother nature. I want to meet like minded people and hear their stories and listen to their advice. I am such a people person. I just want to live. And right now I dont feel like I am living. I am just going through the motions to get thru to the next day.

 

Ohio has a nice hippie scene, if you hit a festival you're more than likely to meet some people that will let you tag along....i'm headin out in a few months, but if my feet get ta itchin i'll leave sooner!!

 

All good advice and vibes in this thread except the knife comment. Don't pull a knife on anyone unless you're well trained to use it and have a quick escape route available. Pepper spray is much safer. If your attacker gets it from you and turns it on you, you might not die.

I'm not saying to not carry a knife. My gerber tool has saved my rear a thousand times, but never as a self defense weapon. I'm trained to use a knife too and still wouldn't use one to defend myself in most situations. Words, wits, situational awareness, confidence, and calmness have been the things that got me out of less than favorable situations. Read up on psychology a bit so you'll recognize the signs of a freaked out mind and have some idea how to deal with it.

I'm not trying to be negative here at all. It's very likely that you'll be able to travel around for years without running into a real creep but in the case that you do, it's just good to be prepared. :2thumbsup:

 

And just remember--Ted Bundy was a charming individual. Stay ready in order to keep from having to GET ready. I strongly suggest having a travel partner. And don't be afraid to refuse a ride if "it" doesn't feel right. Remember,you're at someones mercy once you're in their vehicle.

 

Go to truck drive training with your benefits and get paid well for your traveling