Can it be Me, Free, Traveling ?

[Eryck]

Traveling around
 is in my spirit and DNA.
  My  ancestors were hunter, gatherers, 
and have  been traveling around
 for millions of years, 
day after day.
I say.

You know how I nose it. 
Cause I can feels it.   That's  hows.

If you don't  think
we've been around that long, 
go talk to a monkey, 
see our bone ancestry,
 make a scientific discovery.

P. S.
  I bought a van and am leaving,
today.           So long !

 

[wagoneer]

Cool Dude get your DNA thang on.

 

[MrNoodly]

I'm descended from people who crossed the Atlantic in shitty ships because they didn't want to live where they were. Then their offspring became settlers — in the usual sense of the word and as in, "They settled in, they settled for what they had." I think I got a good share of the "**** this place, I'm outta here" genes.

 

[Eryck]

I've got friends who swear Thialand is the new Shangri La. With friendly people, 300 dollar monthly rents and great weather. Can a guy dream big and do both?  Van around for a few years then head for Thialand?

 

[Eryck]

It was a bad attempt at poetry.  I havent gone or bought the van yet.

 

[Eryck]

THIS WAS WRITTEN BY MY BROTHER,               REGARDING  MY VAN PLANS

In two years, at 62, I can retire early and receive $1,000 a month from social security. Along with some savings,  As well as a small inheritance when my parents pass, God forbid, I 'll  be fine.  Remember even Bob Wells has a monthly pension coming in from his years in a union supermarket job.  He retired early too.
   
     I worry about these young kids saving up for vehicles and hitting the road willy nilly with a come -what-may attitude. I suppose down the road they'll  have no choice but to rejoin the work force. 
     I know work is a four letter word and all, but the ultimate freedom and comfort is cash in the bank and money coming in.  Like it or not, this society is built around that dirty money. And to live graciously and with dignity, your going to need some.
   And understand this. Because there's no denying it. Money is the ultimate freedom. When problems come up, and they always will,  just throw money at it !  You want an example:   I call my money (and the social security money I'll have coming in), F- you money.  With F-you money I  have the freedom at work to not take shit from anyone. I'll just quit and start my retirement right there on the spot. Same with the place I rent.  Same with the the neighbors and town I live in, same even with the crappy car I drive.  F- you to all of it as I walk away.  Knowing I have money saved to live out the rest of my life, without ever being dependent on anyone or anything.  Now that's freedom !
     I know we all have this urge to keep moving and travel about and live in nature. This is called ancestrial DNA.  It stems from the millions of years our ancesters kept moving, traveling and living in nature. As hunter/gatherers.  Living in cities is only around 8 thousand years old.  So kids fight those urges to walk away from it all and travel. Leave the R.V.s and campers and trailers to the retired folk where they belong. And get to work!

 

[GypsyJan]

"In two years, at 62, I can retire early and receive $1,000 a month from social security. "

Have you crunched the numbers to see how much more you will get monthly if you wait til 67 (or whatever the age you recieive the full amount of SS)? Then find out how much you will get monthly at age 70 (maximum amount). Plus if you get employee insurance, you will delay having that Medicare amount deducted from your SS. Of course, we all run the risk of dropping dead tomorrow and missing out on the adventures by staying in the work force longer.

 

[bullfrog]

Everyone is different but finding a way to give yourself and your loved ones the means to survive (water,food, shelter and medical treatment when necessary for example) must be found no matter if you are a nomad in a van or in a sticks and bricks. As you get older or become physically unable to do everyday labor it becomes apparent how well you planned and how well you followed that plan. I doubt many here have been given the means to be a nomad without either working or suffering due to a lack of those basic needs. Out of necessity I started planning while in high school. If I had been mature enough I would have done a better job of planning but I decieded to go to vocational school and train to be an auto mechanic. During my senior year I got a job in a filling station/garage/tow business which included a place to live. I had planned to stay there long enough to buy a pickup full of tools and a camper trailer then travel from job to job in different parts of the country till I found some where to settle that I liked. The only lottery I ever won was the draft but I found out in time to join and got some choice in the training I got which was electronics. I enjoyed my time in service so much I decieded to stay for almost seven years before realizing I might not live long enough to retire and seeing as how I had started taking college classes got out and got a teaching degree as well as married and three kids over the next 20 years both my wife and I slaved to keep the basic necessities which included building a house. Once the kids were grown and gone I found I could sell the house and buy enough service time through my employeer to retire with a small pension and medical insurance at age 53 but we wouldn't have any place to live and would still need low paying jobs to survive. I read about Tioga George (he had just bought a class C camper and was about to start traveling) I also found a group called Escapees. They gave me a new way to do my old orginal plan but with a few changes. Funny my wife and I now work 6 months a year living in our RV and after 15 years we making more income that we ever did while I was teaching working full time. I probably should have started sooner but my some of my kids didn't want to be raised on the road and I am glad I was able to accomadate them. Any path you take is going to require hard work and study if you are going to be happy with the results so get busy or suffer the consequences.

 

[Eryck]

"In two years, at 62, I can retire early and receive $1,000 a month from social security. "

Have you crunched the numbers to see how much more you will get monthly if you wait til 67 (or whatever the age you recieive the full amount of SS)? Then find out how much you will get monthly at age 70 (maximum amount). Plus if you get employee insurance, you will delay having that Medicare amount deducted from your SS. Of course, we all run the risk of dropping dead tomorrow and missing out on the adventures by staying in the work force longer.

Exactly Jan. My brother and mom and me are having these same deep conversations. They point out that I don't  get Medicare till I'm 65  and if I wait till I'm 70 I'll get more from my social security $1,700. But I've crunched the numbers and it should work out.

     Supplemental medical coverage, Obama care, should cost about 5 grand a year and then at 65 Medicare kicks in, and that $5 grand payment goes away.

    Instead  of working another  10 years till I'm OLD at 75 but receiving $ 1,700 from S.S. I  have no problem with getting $1,100 a month now, while I'm relatively young (at least young at heart).
     
     My dad says do it now before I'm  too old and your health won't let you, and your energy is low, and before it becomes the definition of UNfun dragging an old carcass around. 

   So there's lots to figure, including what vehicle to buy, how and what to build inside, where to go, RTR?, join a caravan, and so many other little things.  Thats where this site,  and you people come in.  To help little ole me.  So this is where I can be found.  Join me in the journey.  I'm  so excited!  And who knows, maybe we'll meet someday on that wide open highway.

 

[bullfrog]

Believe me you are older than you think. Start building now. It takes a lot of work to get a setup that you specifically can be comfortable with on the road. Work slowly and carefully. After 60 my body started to let me know if I was over doing it. Staying active works great till you don't then you age quickly.

 

[Eryck]

Everyone is different but finding a way to give yourself and your loved ones the means to survive (water,food, shelter and medical treatment when necessary for example) must be found no matter if you are a nomad in a van or in a sticks and bricks.  As you get older or become physically unable to do everyday labor it becomes apparent how well you planned and how well you followed that plan.  I doubt many here have been given the means to be a nomad without either working or suffering due to a lack of those basic needs.  Out of necessity I started planning while in high school.  If I had been mature enough I would have done a better job of planning but I decieded to go to vocational school and train to be an auto mechanic.  During my  senior year I got a job in a filling station/garage/tow business which included a place to live.  I had planned to stay there long enough to buy a pickup full of tools and a camper trailer then travel from job to job in different parts of the country till I found some where to settle that I liked.  The only lottery I ever won was the draft but I found out in time to join and got some choice in the training I got which was electronics.  I enjoyed my time in service so much I decieded to stay for almost seven years before realizing I might not live long enough to retire and seeing as how I had started taking college classes got out and got a teaching degree as well as married and three kids over the next 20 years both  my wife and I slaved to keep the basic necessities which included building a house.  Once the kids were grown and gone I found I could sell the house and buy enough service time through my employeer to retire with a small pension and medical insurance at age 53 but we wouldn't have any place to live and would still need low paying jobs to survive.  I read about Tioga George (he had just bought a class C camper and was about to start traveling) I also found a group called Escapees.  They gave me a new way  to do my old orginal plan but with a few changes.  Funny my wife and I now work 6 months a year living in our RV and after 15 years we making more income that we ever did while I was teaching working full time.  I probably should have started sooner but my some of my kids didn't want to be raised on the road and I am glad I was able to accomadate them.  Any path you take is going to require hard work and study if you are going to be happy with the results so get busy or suffer the consequences.

Thanks Bullfrog sound advice. I like the fact that you put off your dreams to raise a family with plenty of time now to pursue them.  
  And that boy scout motto, "be prepared" has my head spinning what with all the videos, and questions such as, if I do a van build do I really need a sink? And on and on...
I'm going to check out the escapees and Tioga George.  I have around three years in my planning.  Wish me luck and thanks for the advice.

 

[Eryck]

BREAK AWAY FROM IT

A poem ------- if you don't  like it, I'll  destroy it !!!
But if you like it, you get a cookie.

I'm  knee deep in the belief,
of a manipulated society.
              When I feel this need,
               all of a sudden,
               come over me.
               Brainwashed you see,
               struggling to be free,
               whoa is me.
Skillfully controlled to
participate....
                          in their society.

They utilize the fear tactic of trouble,
to encase us in their bubble. 
                   Because,
                    peace and love, 
doesn't make as much money. 
                    Sorry honey,
                     it aint funny,
                     not very loving,
                      they have us running,
and believing a subservient  happiness,
is the only correct map for us.
They want us to beg, borrow, and steal,
for this thing called money.

 

[Eryck]

The Island of Broken Toys

We would collect
the wrecked
and broken toys.
The unspoken for toys,
that no one cared about anymore.

Each year on that day,
they were shipped and sent away.
Where did they exactly go?
I finally wanted to know.

I told dad these damaged toys sound
like my brother Jimmy who was also
wrecked and broken.
He couldn't control himself in his child
like ways, was full of anger and ill
spoken.

Where did you send my brother
Jimmy to, was he really so bad?
Where has he gone to my brother
Jimmy, where did you send him dad?

Son, I'll be honest. Your brother
Jimmy now lives with the other
troubled boys...on the ISLAND OF BROKEN TOYS !

 

[Eryck]

   MOUTH OPEN, WORDS FALL OUT 

Saying stupid things at  inappropriate times for me is like riding a bicycle, it's  something you never forget how to do...

Like when my uncle tried to ride a bicycle for the first time in thirty years and then proceeded to plunge over a mile high cliff.

It was my idea for him to ride the bike in the first place and I didn't know what to do so I leaned over the cliff and shouted, "pedal, pedal"!

 

[Eryck]

How do I get the latest thing I wrote to appear first?  How do I delete posts?  Why is maneuvering around here so hard? Is it because I'm using a phone?

 

[highdesertranger]

I responded in your other post asking the same question. it would be very confusing if your post was at the front of the thread, it would be out of chronological order. you can't delete a post only a moderator can. PM a mod and ask them to delete it for you. I find maneuvering around this forum no different then any other forum. highdesertranger

 

[Eryck]

BREAK AWAY FROM IT

A poem ------- if you don't like it, I'll destroy it !!!
But if you like it, you get a cookie.

I'm knee deep in the belief,
of a manipulated society.
When I feel this need,
all of a sudden,
come over me.
Brainwashed you see,
struggling to be free,
whoa is me.
Skillfully controlled to
participate....
in their society.

They utilize the fear tactic of trouble,
to encase us in their bubble.
Because,
peace and love,
doesn't make as much money.
Sorry honey,
it aint funny,
not very loving,
they have us running,
and believing a subservient happiness,
is the only correct map for us.
They want us to beg, borrow, and steal,
for this thing called money.

Very compelling. Thank you Eryck.

 

[abnorm]

You THANKED yourself ?

 

[AmargosaWayne]

Better than running yourself down.

 

[LargeMarge]

Traveling around
is in my spirit and DNA.
My ancestors were hunter, gatherers,
and have been traveling around
for millions of years,
day after day.
I say.

You know how I nose it.
Cause I can feels it. That's hows.

If you don't think
we've been around that long,
go talk to a monkey,
see our bone ancestry,
make a scientific discovery.

P. S.
I bought a van and am leaving,
today. So long !

.
We are not engineered to be stationary.
We must climb trees and boulders.
We must sprint to catch food... or avoid turning into food.
We must consume a wide variety of seasonal, fresh, organic, identifiable foods.
We must consume a high percentage of fresh vegetables with occasional animal proteins... requiring a lot of chewing.
We must be outside in the sun.
We must have Tribe!
.
An aside:
Agriculture requires a fixed location.
Inevitably leading to its evil twin... civilization [spit].