So this summer I plan on following my dream of hitting the road and going to college in the fall in asheville NC. I have a part time job and I turn 18 in March. I'll have about 800$ in the bank for living when I get off the road but I don't know if taking this kind of risk will leave me homeless. If I do this I will be able to pay for an apartment and expenses for at least a month and if I can't find a job within that time i'll be pretty much screwed. Can anyone speak from experience of doing this?
Times are much different now than they were in my day. We would go out on the road for three to four months at a time, some of us for a year or more. We started out with change in our pockets, if that, and came back with about the same. On the way, we were taken care of, one way or another. We ran into a few hassles with cops, rednecks, jerks, etc., but never came to any real harm. I'm not so sure that you could do that, these days. I don't think people trust as much as we used to, nor do I think they can be trusted as much as we used to. I don't know this for certain, because I haven't been on the road for almost 40 years. It just feels that way. It's a big ol' goofy world and there could be many more decent people than there used to be. Unfortunately, there could be way more nutjobs than there used to be, too.
When I graduated from High School in 72, jobs were easy to find as there was alot of construction going on, but now it is like we are in a depression or something. I wouldn't bet on finding a steady job as so many older experienced people are searching for work, PHD's slinging burgers at Micky D's.
You should probably try to find a job first. So when you get off the road, you'll have a source of income to come home to and live off of. I plan on doing the same thing as you pretty soon. I just got fired recently so I hve all the time in the world to explore. Just be wise in your decisions, don't spend too much money, and definitely try to snag a job before you leave. That's what I think anyway. Good luck
try getting some buddies to come with you, that way when you find a place, have jobs ect, you will have a combined income.... or you could find roommates where you are now and use the money you normally would have spent on rent on a saving thingy for your road trip...
well, while on the road one can hit day labor agencies in the cities and there's also work to be had like picking veggies and fruit on farms or shoveling shit at dairies or horse stables when your in rural areas. picking fruit and veggies is a seasonal thing so you have to know what's ripening where. there's also Renaisance Faires which are a lot fo fun and if you get to shows a week or so before they open you can often find work in crafts booths, rides, games, food booths or site crew. the Ren Faire circuit begins in the the Spring. the 1st show of the year (that i know of) is Apache Junction AZ which starts sometime in Feb. if you're lucky you can find a job that will carry you from fair to fair thus traveling the whole country with a small income. and Rennies are often hippy-like folk ... artists, craftpeople, entertainers and such. great drum jams at Shakopee MN. fair. whooohooo! it's best to have your own wheels but more often than not you can ride share with other Rennies. you'll need camp gear (or a sleepable vehicle) and enough money for a basic costume and to keep you afloat till you get paid opening weekend. jump on the Ren Circuit if you can. i did it for 7 yrs and had a blast. PS. the economy being what it is Ren Faires may be having a rough time too but i'd give it a go anyway, if i were you.
