My family doesn't want me to live with them anymore and expect me to be gone before my 18th birthday in May. I didn't finish high school and have no working experience. I also have no money. But I have huge hippie dreams. I can play the guitar, keyboard and sing somewhat well, not exceptionally, though I do have a knack for songwriting and generally creative writing. I would love to just go off somewhere, my parents said they would pay for the ticket and everything and send me anywhere I want to go as long as I don't come back, but I wouldn't know the first thing to do when I got there. What advice is there for a young hippie going off into the world alone? Where is there to go and what is there to do? I am at a very bad place in my life. I'm cynical, depressed, suicidal and generally disgusted with who I am. I don't want to give up on my life but there seems to be no options. I would work hard, I can, but I've never even had a job before. Where are the communes, festivals, and communities of hippies? I'm sorry for ranting it's just everyday I'm less and less wanted by my family and will have to move out soon.
wow, you've got so much to learn, no offense or anything, but it's not a good idea to just get up and go you should probably travel around your area until you have to go. backpacking/hitch hiking around... that's my advice. it will teach you much about survival and things about yourself. always carry a knife when you're on the road like that.
I was on the road for a month this summer living like that, hitch-hiking through Cali, but I had someone to protect me then.
my advice is don't be naive, keep your brain in gear, and be prepared to defend yourself if necessary. you're talking about putting yourself in a very vulnerable situation where you'll be depending on random strangers for kindness. i hope you have very good judgement about people.
join an NGO(non govermental organization) they always will have a job for you(well not a high pay job) anyway for a period of short time youll learn a good and helpful ability. im talking from a personal experience. i was one of the founders of an NGO in my hometown. its been a looooong year but it payed off... till now i worked voluntarily and now i got a job offer(high payed), im a director of a TV show(my idea and project) and enough working experience. i just turned 18 (three days ago) and now i can vote and legally sign a contract. until the end of the year im out of my house living alone (possibly with my girlfriend ...a long and romantic story). the problem isnt about the money. money can be found anywhere just you should know how to get it. im just worried(as i am for me) can you handle the pressure and can you find yourself in the new life...it can be tough...no IT IS tough... my advice... BE SMART...set your priorities. start planing from now how you gonna get money, job whatever and NEVER BE ON MERCY OF ANYONE EVER....be your own man/woman...mos importantly HAVE FUN living your life...live your young life, BUT NEVER FUCK IT UP... i dunno if i was clear on what i said... GOOD LUCK MY FRIEND... never forget BE A GOOD, SMART PERSON love
monterrey_purple, ...I happened to read your post in the "mental health" section from a few days ago. It sounds like a lot of the idiots in the world are destroying a beautiful, worth-while person inside and out... You've been through a terrible ordeal. Don't blame yourself for whatever generalizations stupid people make about you. I think you have tremendous strength to have survived this far... If your parents are turning a blind eye to your life and what you've been through, only to try and make you disappear, then they should be the ones disgusted with themselves. Not you. You're just young and are learning a lot of things the hard way. I don't know your situation other than what you posted, but if you ever need to talk, please feel free to contact me... I've lost many people I cared about to depression and suicide. I know what it's like to helplessly watch someone waste away when love and talking could have solved so much... I would gladly offer you at least an ear to listen. Love and Peace, Dear. Please be strong. This isn't the end for you.
well, you have several months to get it together. Get some education or training so you can support yourself. Lay off the drugs to focus on it. (I'm not saying stop, I'm saying make 'em special) get a part time, at least, job so you have some experience. I can't imagine tossing a kid out full stop, but I can see the tough love side where a kid does nothing, nothing and is not contributing to the general welfare of the house. My kiddo is almost 17, so I can see saying, look, you have a place to stay free if you are in school, and if you aren't, here's the rent cost, and you have an X month lease. If the post in Mental Health is true, get into some help now, as it can be harder once you are 18. Do your parents carry insurance, and does it cover mental health? if so, get in treatment.
whatever you decide, I wish you the best. I'm honestly half and half with this. I left home at 16 to get out a dangerous situation, but inevitably got in another one just as worse. Out of the freezer and into the oven, or however that goes. Do I regret it? For the most part, hell no. But it was definately tough. Just be smart, don't put yourself in bad situation... But do what you have to. Leaving home would be a fun, learning experience.
Why doesn't your family want you anymore? That is so sad. You are very young, and were I you, I would mend fences with my family before I left to face the world alone.
