Wondering if anyone has EVER thought of living "the life" on the road while on VERY limited funds...
Such as walking, biking etc etc. When my last trip was ending and I was just about out of money in Panama City, I met a Mexican guy that was washing up in the airport bathroom( costed him no money and nobody said anything to him) we struck up a conversation and he was telling me about his adventures so far, He had left Mexico City 4 months earlier ONLY riding his 10-speed and was trying to find a way through the Darien to Colombia to continue his ride to Patagonia. He was carrying no money and said it was the most happiness he has ever had in his life. I have often wondered what it would be like to live life with no money, living a sustainable lifestyle growing your own food in a like-minded community or even on the road like this guy. I know it really sounds crazy, but after coming back to the U.S. and seeing this society and the race to chase the dollar, I quit my job and decided to give it all up because I realized this isn't the type of life I want to live! I was MUCH happier with less and traveling. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of people totally happy with that, but for me it's not what makes me happy....
I guess what I'm getting at is has anyone thought about doing anything like that?
Thanks in advance for taking a peek at my thoughts!
-Greg
Reply to this All the time. I did it unintentionally a few times in the 1980s while i was a young backpacking hippy...now I have this thing I want to do with my life after work, when my sons are off on their own..
Id like to wander the earth, just being the random stranger who walked into a town, helped someone and walk off again and see where fate takes me. Im not looking for anything, theres no pursuit of happiness moment, i have a good life and I dont know why but...thats just what I want to do. Ive helped strangers do random things such as paint a boat and move a shop and weave mats on trips..but have always had to come back.
So when I ''retire'' from lecturing...im just gonna walk. I dont want anything in return.
Reply to this Hi Cindy!
Thanks for sharing! I don't know what it is, but I am the same way I am absolutely not looking for anything in return I just think it would be a great feeling of freedom.
Maybe we will walk into the same town one day haha!
Greg
Reply to this Hi Grey, not sure if 'walking' is quite what I have in mind to quell my wanderlust, but I often dream of hitting the road with a suitable vehicle through Africa and beyond when we retire and have no committments anymore. One of our sons has already bought us a very detailed touring atlas of the entire Africa, as he says he can imagine us doing just that! I think the happiness comes from the freedom to be able to do exactly what you want to do, head in whichever direction appeals to you and adds to the adventure. Once you experience how simply some people live, you begin to realise that we can actually do with far less - but that also depends on your personality. Getting back to civilization, for the average person, it doesn't take long to get stuck in the same rutt of working to make a living.. Good luck with your travels!
Reply to this I do enjoy the notion of living the life on the road but not with limited money 😊 I definitly like the comforts of my own room, my own shower, and a nice bed and pillow.
So that is sort of my dream, to just travel around, experiencing different food, making friends and sharing stories, perhaps working for small timeframes of time at some sort of casual place to have money for the next leg.
Although with 2 kids under 5 this probably isnt going to happen without winning lottery at some point shortly 😊 Or i'll have to wait patiently like cindy and dream some more in 17 years time when theyre off on their own
Reply to this Traveling isnt that expensive and for a year and a half i lived life on the road. The way to do it is to work seasonally from resort to resort.
Reply to this I met a swiss guy who was pretty much doing this in India. He'd been there for about 4.5 years on a 5 year 'business' visa, and as far as I could tell had simply been wandering around (on foot and in hitched rides) for most of this time. He seemed very tranquil, although a bit worried that he was finally having to go home!
Reply to this Walking while travelling is not that bad but it really depends on the location you are travelling since there are places that is really dangerous especially during the night.
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[Edited: 2012 Dec 09 00:26 - The Travel Camel:11053 - No dropping irrelevant links, thanks.]
Reply to this At my age I wont be walking or working...thats what retirement and planes are for 😉
Reply to this I have a friend who left Venice Italy on his bike and is now in Vietnam. I can't imagine the the stories he will have when he gets home. His objective is Shanghai.
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[Edited: 2012 Dec 11 03:05 - Rat on the Road:23681 - No URLs in signatures please]
Reply to this nice thread. thanks for sharing that information. it was very informative.
[Edited: 2012 Dec 22 12:38 - littlewing:163970 ]
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