Living Car Free - No asetts and living on the road

Hi fellow riders, as i sat by the side of the road i wondered is there any one else out there who is living on the road, with there whole worldly assets beside them. A sobering thought as I see my 47th year coming up. (yea i know i am still young compared to some of you old fellas).
Would be nice to know i am not alone in this life style, i feel my biggest asset is my health the bike sure keeps you fit, we come into this life with nothing and leave the same way, so if your in the same boat and dont mind sharing please let me know it would help knowing there are other travellers out there cheers

You know, there's a lot to be said about the simplicity of living a life like that. So long as you have enough money set aside for repairs/maintenance, food, the occasional night in a hotel for a shower, etc., then have a blast! I've often thought that after the kids are grown up and moved out it might be fun to sell everything that isn't essential and living out of an RV or some such. Bring a couple of bikes along and have a blast.

Hi my name is bill i am touring australia on a pushbike, looking for a female companion, age no barrier. Short or long term, experience our beautiful country. Friendship via email would also be sought.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=8770493#post8770493


Are you really on a pushbike? What's that?

But more importantly, have you found that girl yet? ;)

::Raises Hand::

I have been living similarly since I was 20, I am now 37. I do own a car, and always have, and with the exception of a few summers in Alaska and many other short periods, I have always had a residence, often a week to week or month to month hotel, sometimes a high-end condo :)

For me it's about seeing as much of the world as I can, a life about experience. I have lived/been in virtually every corner of North America, and now I have plans for the rest of the world. It would take a book to list the things I have seen and done, the people I've known. And I still have decades to go.

I have always been able to fit all my possessions in my car, currently a ford explorer. I move from place to place, job to job, career to career. I am clever enough to have done ok for myself financially. Sometimes better then others, sometimes totally broke, living in a tent in Alaska or in a car, and sometimes living in luxury.

The hallmark of my life has been my willingness to get up and go, move out of an apartment or whatever and get on the road, on a whim, with no particular destination in mind (Done this maybe 10 or 11 times?). Last time was 10 months ago, I ended up here in Grand Junction CO. I have loose plans to go again next month, back east a little bit, maybe Denver, I won't know until I get there. A return to SoCal isn't out of the question, I do miss surfing. I would go today but I need a little more cash.

Downsides: No family, career advancement is challenging.
Upside: It really is a marvelous world.

Have you been to the Living Car Free forum? There are several threads in there about simple living and home-free living. :)

http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=226

I am currently in the process of a mega-downsize (see my Getting Rid of Your Stuff thread in the Living Car Free forum) and will be living extremely simply in Australia with my husband in about a month's time (see the How Simply Do You Live thread/sticky).

Been there before; may well be there again. Presently watching "Survivor" on the big screen.

With all due respect,...we may have come into this world with nothing, but we certainly shouldn't be leaving with nothing. We should have built a lifetime of experiences and friendships, and through those, somehow contributed something that leaves the world a little better than when we arrived. Normally, this is done through hard work and raising a family. Somtimes, the results can be extraordinary. More often than not, you just try to work hard, help those that can't help themselves and provide others(Your children, if you are blessed with any) with oppurtunites to achieve more than you could. Sorry for being a party pooper, but this seems like too much of a self-gratifying, self-indulgent lifestyle to me.

Tom

With all due respect,...we may have come into this world with nothing, but we certainly shouldn't be leaving with nothing. We should have built a lifetime of experiences and friendships, and through those, somehow contributed something that leaves the world a little better than when we arrived. Normally, this is done through hard work and raising a family. Somtimes, the results can be extraordinary. More often than not, you just try to work hard, help those that can't help themselves and provide others(Your children, if you are blessed with any) with oppurtunites to achieve more than you could. Sorry for being a party pooper, but this seems like too much of a self-gratifying, self-indulgent lifestyle to me.

Tom

The American Dream.

But not everyone has the American Dream or wants to have the American Dream ...... some people prefer a simple, happy, adventurous lifestyle instead, full of experiences and memories and travels ... rather than work, work, work and the accumulation of material goods.

How do you guys earn money to survive?

How do you guys earn money to survive?

I have no idea about the OP ... I have no idea who the OP is ... but I've been doing temp work for about 5 years now. It's great because I can set the time period I want to work, and then when my contract is up, I can go with no hard feelings or anything. In fact, I've ended up returning to the same place several times. I really enjoy temp work ... I've enjoyed the work, the experiences, the people I've met ... and the fact that it has allowed me to head off on cycling adventures for a month or so at a time. :)

I have been in school during those 5 years too, but I have now (mid-April!) graduated with a Bachelor of Education so I can teach. I might opt to sub here and there in Australia and/or Canada (if we return here), or I might take a semester, or a year in a school, or whatever ... I'll see what happens. And with a B-Ed Rowan and I can travel to other countries where I can teach. Most of those sorts of teaching jobs seem to be short-term. If not teaching, I've got education and experience in a whole heap of areas, so I can probably pick up other temp work.

And Rowan's and my expenses are very low. Rowan and I will be living in a very rustic cabin in Australia ... with no electricity or things like that ... for a while. Plus I'm in the process of getting rid of a large portion of my stuff, so we could be quite portable if we wanted to be ... able to pick up and go wherever we want to go. :)

With all due respect,...we may have come into this world with nothing, but we certainly shouldn't be leaving with nothing. We should have built a lifetime of experiences and friendships, and through those, somehow contributed something that leaves the world a little better than when we arrived. Normally, this is done through hard work and raising a family. Somtimes, the results can be extraordinary. More often than not, you just try to work hard, help those that can't help themselves and provide others(Your children, if you are blessed with any) with oppurtunites to achieve more than you could. Sorry for being a party pooper, but this seems like too much of a self-gratifying, self-indulgent lifestyle to me.

Tom

I read the OP as meaning we come here with no material possesions and leave the same way,in that i believe he is correct.

Simon

I've met two couples that are living either a transient or semi-transient lifestyle as a matter of choice:

the first was a older-middle-aged couple that was in the process of selling all of their belongings, including their house, and buying a sailboat. She was a nurse and he was a handyman, jack-of-all-trades, if you will, and they set sail from New York and sailed down the coastline of the Americas. When they needed repairs or food, she would take up a job as a nurse, and he would do odd jobs for some money until they could set off again.

The other was a couple from Australia who I met while on a mini-vacation in Budapest. He was a gourmet chef and they were traveling from city to city across Europe while they figured out where their lives were going. Last I heard from them they were headed to the French Alps where he had gotten a job at a fairly snooty ski resort.

I have a certain romantic notion about doing that sort of thing, having only the possessions I can carry with me and exploring the country, meeting people and having all sorts of jobs. I just don't think I can make it work. Maybe if I check out that other forum....

::Raises Hand::

Downsides: No family, career advancement is challenging.
Upside: It really is a marvelous world.

Career advancement is completely overblown except for the money part

You are correct it really is a marvelous world:thumb:

The American Dream.

But not everyone has the American Dream or wants to have the American Dream ...... some people prefer a simple, happy, adventurous lifestyle instead, full of experiences and memories and travels ... rather than work, work, work and the accumulation of material goods.

Machka I don't believe Chieftan was talking at all about material goods. He was talking about living for something bigger than oneself. This can be something as simple as having and raising the next generation of humans, or it could be devoting one's life to educating others. Living a life defined by something beyond just getting the next thrill or adventure.....

I often find myself getting jealous of those who don't have children and can pick up and move on or do whatever they please. Then I have one of those moments with my girls that make me feel sorry for anyone who does not have kids. I didn't have children till I was 40 YO and I sowed some wild oats and chased adventure. I sometimes miss that old life but not very often and nothing is as deeply satisfying to the human soul as raising children....JMHO.

The last I looked, the world was quite populated, thanks very much.

Oh, I'm a parent, but I certainly don't begrudge the people who choose not to be.

Righteousness!

... I didn't have children till I was 40 YO and I sowed some wild oats and chased adventure. I sometimes miss that old life but not very often and nothing is as deeply satisfying to the human soul as raising children....JMHO.


Same here and emphasis added. I do admire and am somewhat jealous of those that can and do live more independently.

i'm a parent too, and i'd say the last thing the world needs is people who dont wanna be parents doing it cuz they feel social or moral pressure to raise kids.

In the old days, they would have been ashamed to admit that one had "no assets and living on the road." Now they tell the world.

Moving to Living Car Free forum...

chicken

How do you guys earn money to survive?

People who live like the OP don't need much money to get by. You'd be surprised how far $100 can go. :thumb:

There's a youtube user named Desertphile who lives a pretty simple and very happy life. At the moment he's not living-on-the-road, as he has a job and a comfy living space provided to him. He's extremely intelligent and cool. http://www.youtube.com/user/Desertphile Seriously guys, check out his page and subscribe to him. Most of his videos are not about simple living though, and as far as I can tell he doesn't own a bicycle. He has a truck, currently.

I don't live on the road myself. I own a car, live in an apartment, have a low-pay bute sufficient job, and go to school. That being said, I admire the simple life, and sometimes find myself dreaming about dropping out of school, scrapping my car, never going back to work, packing some clothes and small things, and cycling far away. :D

[edited - MissKristen]

Who was? There were, are and always will be idiots and evil people...what's that got to do with anything?

i'm a parent too, and i'd say the last thing the world needs is people who dont wanna be parents doing it cuz they feel social or moral pressure to raise kids.


Who said anything about pressuring anyone?

[QUOTE=UGASkiDawg;8879639]Machka I don't believe Chieftan was talking at all about material goods. He was talking about living for something bigger than oneself. <snip> QUOTE]

Exactly. Thanks for the clarification. :)

The American Dream.

But not everyone has the American Dream or wants to have the American Dream ...... some people prefer a simple, happy, adventurous lifestyle instead, full of experiences and memories and travels ... rather than work, work, work and the accumulation of material goods.

Hard work and raising a family is not the American dream. Nothing about those two things is exclusively American. That's a HUMAN thing. You missed his point, as he was not talking about working for the acquisition of material things.

Machka I don't believe Chieftan was talking at all about material goods. He was talking about living for something bigger than oneself. This can be something as simple as having and raising the next generation of humans, or it could be devoting one's life to educating others. Living a life defined by something beyond just getting the next thrill or adventure.....



But what if living for something bigger than oneself involves getting rid of our possessions and living a simple, happy life free of all those things? That is one ideal in many religions.

A person doesn't have to devote his/her life to work and procreation in order to live for something bigger than oneself. For me, travel and nature makes me live in awe of God and all the things He created. I want to see it all! I want to experience nature and the elements. I don't want to spend my life cooped up in an office or wherever working my life away, and not being able to fully enjoy the things that are so much bigger than myself.



And back to the question of supporting one's self on the road ... some long-term cycletourists do it through real estate and investments/savings, others do it by writing books, doing lectures, etc., some work in IT and can do contract work that way ... there are lots of options.

Who said anything about pressuring anyone?

calling someone selfish for not spawning is a form of social pressure.

Hi fellow riders, as i sat by the side of the road i wondered is there any one else out there who is living on the road, with there whole worldly assets beside them. A sobering thought as I see my 47th year coming up. (yea i know i am still young compared to some of you old fellas).
Would be nice to know i am not alone in this life style, i feel my biggest asset is my health the bike sure keeps you fit, we come into this life with nothing and leave the same way, so if your in the same boat and dont mind sharing please let me know it would help knowing there are other travellers out there cheers

With all due respect here, if you are THAT destitute, how in the hell can you get this message to where I can read it?

Kind regards.

With all due respect,...we may have come into this world with nothing, but we certainly shouldn't be leaving with nothing. We should have built a lifetime of experiences and friendships, and through those, somehow contributed something that leaves the world a little better than when we arrived. Normally, this is done through hard work and raising a family. Somtimes, the results can be extraordinary. More often than not, you just try to work hard, help those that can't help themselves and provide others(Your children, if you are blessed with any) with oppurtunites to achieve more than you could. Sorry for being a party pooper, but this seems like too much of a self-gratifying, self-indulgent lifestyle to me.

Tom

I think it's high time we realised that having children is an option, not a requirement, and that those who choose not to bring more children into this over-populated world are actually doing the rest of us a favor. They shouldn't be made to feel guilty.

With all due respect here, if you are THAT destitute, how in the hell can you get this message to where I can read it?

Kind regards.

Public library, coffee shop? If you have a few skills, I imagine it wouldn't be that hard to come up with the cash for a cheap laptop - especially given the "netbook" trend of the past few years. I don't understand what is confusing about this?

calling someone selfish for not spawning is a form of social pressure.


I think it's high time we realised that having children is an option, not a requirement, and that those who choose not to bring more children into this over-populated world are actually doing the rest of us a favor. They shouldn't be made to feel guilty.

Both oh so very true. My (thankfully ex)-fiancee's parent's were the sort to say we owed it to them to get reproducing because they wanted grandkids. They, in fact, specifically said it was selfish of us to want to save our money and enjoy other parts of life than have kids. That is a very destructive attitude.

I think it's high time we realised that having children is an option, not a requirement, and that those who choose not to bring more children into this over-populated world are actually doing the rest of us a favor. They shouldn't be made to feel guilty.

+1

And sometimes having children can be self-gratifying and self-indulgent. Many people have children because they really want them and love them and so on, and that's great ... but some people have children with other ideas. Girls get pregnant to get the guy, couples get pregnant with some idea that they are going to save their marriages. Some people have children with the idea that their children are going to "make good" where they didn't. Others have children in order to try to fit in with a certain crowd. And isn't there often a little shred of self-indulgence with the whole idea of living forever by producing children.

I've met two couples that are living either a transient or semi-transient lifestyle as a matter of choice:

the first was a older-middle-aged couple that was in the process of selling all of their belongings, including their house, and buying a sailboat. She was a nurse and he was a handyman, jack-of-all-trades, if you will, and they set sail from New York and sailed down the coastline of the Americas. When they needed repairs or food, she would take up a job as a nurse, and he would do odd jobs for some money until they could set off again.

The other was a couple from Australia who I met while on a mini-vacation in Budapest. He was a gourmet chef and they were traveling from city to city across Europe while they figured out where their lives were going. Last I heard from them they were headed to the French Alps where he had gotten a job at a fairly snooty ski resort.

I have a certain romantic notion about doing that sort of thing, having only the possessions I can carry with me and exploring the country, meeting people and having all sorts of jobs. I just don't think I can make it work. Maybe if I check out that other forum....

I think Rowan would like the sailing idea. He sails ... it's one of his passions up there with cycling. If I can ever get used to the idea of living on the water, it might be an option for us.

And as for making it work ...

In early 2004 a friend of mine suggested that we go on a 5-year tour of the world. I laughed and said something along the lines of "Yeah, right!" ... and then I started thinking about it, and wondering what it would take to do that ... and I came up with a 5-year plan.

First, I thought I would need to have skills so that I could get a job in various countries and the first thing that leapt to mind was teaching. I've always wanted to teach, so I started checking out those 1-week, Teach English Overseas courses ... and discovered that they were expensive, and not all that good. I discovered that if I were to go with one of those types of courses I should choose something that is at least a month long and preferably associated with a University. So then I started considering just going back to school and getting my teaching degree so that I could teach in just about any country including my own. And that's what I ended up doing. :)

As a part of that plan, I had to move and so I got rid of about half my things, packed up the rest and put most of it in storage. I've been living in a very small place while I've been getting my degree, with very few possessions. And I've discovered that I really don't need much to be happy.

I also had to give up my nice, stable job where I could have likely worked for the rest of my life (but that was going nowhere), and take my chances on whatever jobs came along. That's where temp work came in, and it has been great. I've got no regrets at all about going the temp work route. One of the things that made leaving the nice stable job easier was observing one of my coworkers. He had started working for the company when he was about 25 years old, and had stayed with the company all those years ... doing exactly the same thing for 35 years. He was saving up for his retirement when he was going to go out and do all sorts of exciting things ... but as he approached the age of 60, he started showing very distinct signs of Alzheimers, and ended up taking early retirement because he could no longer do his job. I realized that you never know what's going to happen as you get older, so if there were things I wanted to do, there was no time like the present.

And I decided to take my friend up on a part of his offer and head off on a 3-month tour to see if I even liked life on the road. There were a lot of problems and difficulties ... but I like life on the road. :D

My 5-year plan is now finished, and I'm off to Australia. :D

Right now I'm in the process of getting rid of most of my remaining things, which is proving to be a very freeing (although long) process. Rowan and I will be living very simply once I get there in an almost pioneer-like setting. I'm really looking forward to it ... it'll be an adventure! Now I don't imagine it will be easy all the time or anything like that, but I'm game for it.

The last two photos in this set are of the cabin we'll be moving into:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14302884@N04/sets/72157611337191865/

We're also putting together ideas of living a transient or semi-transient lifestyle like the people you've met. I've now got skills I can use in other countries, and so does Rowan. We'll figure it out when I get there.

If you really want to make it work ... you can. :)


EDIT: Oh, and partly why I was able to afford to go back to school and also take those 3 months in Australia was because I had been carfree for 6 years. I saved the money I would have spent (and had previously been spending) on car payments, fuel, insurance, repairs, etc.

I think it's high time we realised that having children is an option, not a requirement, and that those who choose not to bring more children into this over-populated world are actually doing the rest of us a favor. They shouldn't be made to feel guilty.

Wow! How do you people miss such an obvious point? Nobody said to go forth and procreate. Nobody said you're bad if you don't. I said, "More often than not, you just try to work hard, help those that can't help themselves and provide others(Your children, if you are blessed with any) with oppurtunites to achieve more than you could."

Now, I did not "spawn" any children. I am still a father, however. If you don't want children, that's your choice and I'm certainly not going to judge you for it.

The point is that there is a difference between living a simple life and living on the fringe of society. You can live simply and still contribute to the world and the people that live here. Or you can choose to care only about yourself, contribute nothing and rely on the good graces of your fellow man to provide for you in times of need. In this country, that is also your choice. Just be prepared to receive judgement from others when you post about it on a forum....be it right or wrong.

Tom

Tom

The point is that there is a difference between living a simple life and living on the fringe of society. You can live simply and still contribute to the world and the people that live here. Or you can choose to care only about yourself, contribute nothing and rely on the good graces of your fellow man to provide for you in times of need. In this country, that is also your choice. Just be prepared to receive judgement from others when you post about it on a forum....be it right or wrong.


Who said anything about not contributing and relying on the good graces of our fellow man to provide for us in our times of need?????

You're making an assumption that if a person doesn't have a regular job, and doesn't collect material possessions, and doesn't live a "normal" lifestyle as defined by American society that the person must therefore not contribute and must depend on others (i.e. beg?).

calling someone selfish for not spawning is a form of social pressure.

Who called anyone selfish?

Who called anyone selfish?

self-gratifying & self-indulgent = selfish

I think it's high time we realised that having children is an option, not a requirement, and that those who choose not to bring more children into this over-populated world are actually doing the rest of us a favor. They shouldn't be made to feel guilty.


How exactly is this world overpopulated? What is the level of death you require to get us back to NOT overpopulated?

Who said anything about not contributing and relying on the good graces of our fellow man to provide for us in our times of need?????

You're making an assumption that if a person doesn't have a regular job, and doesn't collect material possessions, and doesn't live a "normal" lifestyle as defined by American society that the person must therefore not contribute and must depend on others (i.e. beg?).

Partially, you're correct. I am making an assumption that when one does not work and lives a transient lifestyle, that they are indeed not contributing anything and will eventually need help. The help that you, specifically, will probably need is a job. I never said anything about material posessions and I never made any claims about American society other than freedom of choice. I think you'll find most people in the world expect you to be an active member of society, not just Americans. Work, contribute, and at least try to make a difference. There are many ways to do this, and they don't all require a cubicle and 8 hours of your life every day.

Tom

How exactly is this world overpopulated? What is the level of death you require to get us back to NOT overpopulated?


How about lack of birth?

And where have you been with all the articles written about overpopulation in the past ... oh, let's say 20 years or so? Just type the word "overpopulation" into Google and see what you get.

Partially, you're correct. I am making an assumption that when one does not work and lives a transient lifestyle, that they are indeed not contributing anything and will eventually need help. The help that you, specifically, will probably need is a job. I never said anything about material posessions and I never made any claims about American society other than freedom of choice. I think you'll find most people in the world expect you to be an active member of society, not just Americans. Work, contribute, and at least try to make a difference. There are many ways to do this, and they don't all require a cubicle and 8 hours of your life every day.

Tom


1) You're assuming the OP doesn't work. I don't know ... maybe he doesn't ... but in my case, I've opted to go the temporary work route which involves working hard for a while, saving my money rather than buying "assets", and then not working for a while and living off the savings.

2) You're also assuming that the OP doesn't contribute. I don't know ... maybe he doesn't ... but a lot of people travel around for extended periods of time moving from one volunteering job to another. Some teach, some build houses, some put in water systems, etc. etc. Rowan and I have thought about including stuff like that in our travels. Meanwhile, I contribute in other ways.

3) The subject of this thread is "no assets and living on the road" ... assets are material possessions, so the thread is about not collecting material possessions. You brought up the subject of working hard. Most people devote their lives to work in order to make money in order to buy material possessions ... otherwise, why work so hard/much?

4) And being an active member of society means different things in different societies. You say: "There are many ways to do this, and they don't all require a cubicle and 8 hours of your life every day." You're absolutely right ......... and sometimes those ways involve "living on the fringe of society". Some of the most admired people in the world lived on the fringes of society .... think of people like Mother Teresa and Gandhi. :)

1) You're assuming the OP doesn't work. I don't know ... maybe he doesn't ... but in my case, I've opted to go the temporary work route which involves working hard for a while, saving my money rather than buying "assets", and then not working for a while and living off the savings.

2) You're also assuming that the OP doesn't contribute. I don't know ... maybe he doesn't ... but a lot of people travel around for extended periods of time moving from one volunteering job to another. Some teach, some build houses, some put in water systems, etc. etc. Rowan and I have thought about including stuff like that in our travels. Meanwhile, I contribute in other ways.

3) The subject of this thread is "no assets and living on the road" ... assets are material possessions, so the thread is about not collecting material possessions. You brought up the subject of working hard. Most people devote their lives to work in order to make money in order to buy material possessions ... otherwise, why work so hard/much?

4) And being an active member of society means different things in different societies. You say: "There are many ways to do this, and they don't all require a cubicle and 8 hours of your life every day." You're absolutely right ......... and sometimes those ways involve "living on the fringe of society". Some of the most admired people in the world lived on the fringes of society .... think of people like Mother Teresa and Gandhi. :)

I'm done talking about assets with you. That seems to be a passion for you and keeps getting dragged back into every reply.

Regarding Mother Teresa and Gandhi...I get what point you're trying to make, but I think those are two terrible examples. These were not two wanderers who just happened to have a tremendous impact on the world. These two people devoted their lives to make sure they had an impact, and made a difference for others. That, Machka, is working very hard and hardly counts as living on the fringe. Gandhi and Mother Teresa were incredibly connected with society.

Oh...yes, I am still assuming that the OP and other people living that lifestyle are not contributing anything. I also concede that there are some exceptions.

Tom

I'm done talking about assets with you. That seems to be a passion for you and keeps getting dragged back into every reply.

It's the topic ... it's what this thread is about. Read the subject line and first post again ........... and ask yourself what it was about what the OP said that prejudiced you against him.



Oh...yes, I am still assuming that the OP and other people living that lifestyle are not contributing anything. I also concede that there are some exceptions.


There are many exceptions. People contribute in many different ways. I highly recommend getting out and travelling more ... travelling simply (i.e. by bicycle and public transportatin, camping and in hostels etc.), and travelling out of the usual tourist places.

It's the topic ... it's what this thread is about. Read the subject line and first post again.

Actually, I think you should read it again. It's half of the title and not at all what the thread is about. You've just tried to make this thread all about money, stuff and kids.





There are many exceptions. People contribute in many different ways. I highly recommend getting out and travelling more ... travelling simply (i.e. by bicycle and public transportatin, camping and in hostels etc.), and travelling out of the usual tourist places.

:roflmao2: I'd love to know what picture of me you have inside your head.

Actually, I think you should read it again. It's half of the title and not at all what the thread is about. You've just tried to make this thread all about money, stuff and kids.



The other half of the title and original post is about a guy who is touring Australia by bicycle ... not unlike many of the other cycletourists on BF who post in the Touring forum and on CrazyGuy.



And you were the one who brought up kids for some unknown reason.

Would be nice to know i am not alone in this life style, i feel my biggest asset is my health the bike sure keeps you fit, we come into this life with nothing and leave the same way, so if your in the same boat and dont mind sharing please let me know it would help knowing there are other travellers out there cheers

Having nothing, is far ahead of a lot of people. At your age I would brush off panhandlers because they were in far better shape financially than I was. I had no job and $20K of credit card debt from trying to start a business. That was a deep hole and I never could have climbed out of it without my bicycle. :)

I did live a lifestyle like yours for short periods in my late 20s. It was wonderful how you could fit all you need in a backpack or a set of panniers.

But now, I have a small apartment and a small herd of bicycles. Keeping it simple is staying focused on what I want to get done while alive. My big excitement is monitoring the local creeks, watching their ebb and flow and how resilient the fish are as they disappear after a storm and are replaced soon by a new generation, and listening to the mockingbirds singing during a stormy night. That's what's real.

How exactly is this world overpopulated? What is the level of death you require to get us back to NOT overpopulated?

It's a sliding scale, but just look at how Europe blossomed after the Black Plague. :thumb:

3) The subject of this thread is "no assets and living on the road" ... assets are material possessions, so the thread is about not collecting material possessions. You brought up the subject of working hard. Most people devote their lives to work in order to make money in order to buy material possessions ... otherwise, why work so hard/much?


Machka,

"Assets" are not nessicarily physical possessions. Stocks, Bonds, Patents, various forms of intellectual property...... your accumulated knowlege & education..... etc. I consider all of those in the category of assets, but none of those are physical.

Also -
I understand both Canada & Australia have nationalised medicine. So you could (probably) afford to go to the doctors or have medical procedures done that will not cause you to go bankrupt & be in debt for the rest of your life.... In the USA we don't have that luxury. If one doesn't have health insurance, who is going to pay the $150-$250 US for a doctors' visits? $100US bloodwork panels? $100,000 - $500,000US medical procedures (chemotherapy, heart/organ operations, etc).

just some food for thought.....
I understand both your points, both of you make good points though.......

Having nothing, is far ahead of a lot of people. At your age I would brush off panhandlers because they were in far better shape financially than I was.

That reminds me...