Why?

“I just need some words of encouragement or something. My dad just drug me to church and my pastor was going on about me being selfish in my journeys, and being dependent on my family and i should settle down and get a job or something like that. Did I overlook this or what? Can't I just go off and be on my own for a while and settle down later, makes sense to me. What's wrong with a drifter lifestyle for a while, I will not look back 20 years from now and say that I had the chance to walk around the country and never did it. Two Roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.

I took the path less travelled and will continue to follow that path, right? why not... sorry, just had to vent, open to opinions.”

“what the hell does this mean?”

“depends on who's supporting you on this path less travelled...”

“Go for it Simer! It sounds totally awesome:) I'd do it too if i had the time and money. It seems like a great opportunity. After you can write a book about it or something.”

“Oh jeez, here's another Burden on Society.

Just get a job and be a responsible adult, you jerkoff. Do you really think you are the first punk kid to think that he can live a 'drifter' lifestyle and avoid responsibility and growing up?

LOOK AROUND YOU. People WORK for a reason - you have to, unless you're rich.”

“People get scared and uncomfortable if you don't fit the mold that they won't you to be in. Be true to your heart, or you will regret it later in life.

Most of my friends are married with kids and settled. I feel the pull sometimes to be like that, but I have too much to discover. There is so much out there to see!

If they really love you, they will set you free...”

“"...and being dependent on my family..."

The eater of twigs beat me to it. If you are supporting youself, then I say more power to ya and tell 'em to piss off. If,on the other hand, you are mooching off mom and dad, get off your dead, worthless @ss, get a job and join the real world, sonny!!! If you wanna play, you gotta pay...”

“Your dad is just worried about you, simer. The only piece of advice I have for you is, "He who pays the piper gets to call the tune." There is nothing quite as liberating as self-sufficiency, so if I were you, that's what I'd go for.”

“They say (and who the heck are they anyway) that in life you rarely regret the things you've done, but rather the things you haven't done.

"I'm the one thats gotta die when its time for me to die"
Jimi Hendrix”

“R U kidding me? You were forced into a backpacker intervention meeting with a priest? Sounds like a 21st century remake of "The Graduate". May I cite the Chemical Brothers -- Leave Home!”

“Whats with the attacking people Master Hiker?

You can make your comments but you don't have to be derogatory about it...”

“yes yes yes........do what you want, but don't expect anyone to take care of you or your "free" lifestyle..........ain't nutin' free sonny”

“Capn Bobo, he said pastor, not preist. Let's not drag the Catholics into this! LOL!

Ditto what FG said....”

“Masteer Hiker used to work on a fishing boat. Back then, he was Master Baiter...







...looks like old habits die hard...:D”

“And you are pretty young too, aren't you? I think I met you at Tc2. No rush to get a full-time job. No point in rushing into something that your heart is not in or you end up wasting time and money as well... and feel miserable to boot...

However, if you live with your family, and they are saying that if your are dependent on them, then you need to fit this type of mold - well then, move out or don't be dependent on them, and do your own thing. Its like when I lent my friend some money - and I didn't like the way she spent it, which was irresponsibly. I cannot control her and if I didn't like it, I should not have lent her money...”

“at least you all make me smile, lol

the support from my parents is just while i'm sitting around home here, living in their house, eating their food. once i leave here, i'm on my own, money that i've saved up - i tried to mooch off companies and other people, but realized that i have to do it on my own, and that's what i'm doing. I wont regret my decision, and I will walk across the country.”

“yeah, simer, i think that's the problem. sounds like your parents don't like you mooching off of them. is your last post a joke? you are so non-chalant about what they're giving you.”

“Father Goose - be original or don't bother posting you dimwit. You're the type who comes here to create an image of the seasoned grandfatherly type. BS. You're a phony, and it's obvious. You're not even aware of people laughing at you, are you. How pathetic.”

“To be played at MAX VOLUMN...

If the sun refuse to shine
I don't mind
I don't mind
If the mountains fell in the sea
Let it be
It ain't me
Got my own world to look thru
And I ain't gonna copy you

Now if 6 turned out to be 9
I don't mind
I don't mind
If all the hippies cut off all their hair
I don't care
I don't care
Dig it
Got my own world to look thru
And I ain't gonna copy you

White collared conservative flashing down the street
Pointing their plastic fingers at me
They're hoping soon my kind will drop and die
But I'm gonna wave my freak flag high, high

Fall mountain, just don't fall on me
Hello, Mr. Businessman, why you ain't dressed like me?

I'm the one who has to die when it's time for me to die
So let me live my life the way I want to
Sing on, brother,
Play on, drummer

"I said 'A young man ain't got nothin' in the world these days!'" but thats a different gig altogether, man.”

“see ya”

“Simer, you've been talking about it for a while. I say do it. I've made some turns in my life that my parents tried to persuade me not to do, but it all worked out because I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do.. eventually, they saw that also.

I know where you're coming from though, it sucks because you want your parents to support you and you respect them.”

“part of it was a joke yes, hey, i love my parents and everything they've given me since i was wee little one. I'm ready to be on my own though, and don't understand everything...”

“That sounds great, simer, as long as you're haulin' your own freight...but don't even THINK of asking mommy and daddy to bail you out if you get stuck in East Jesus, Montana...”

“Limpy - nice rendition of "If 6 were 9". I can here Jimi in my brain. You got me floatin'....”

“Wow simer, you've got pretty understanding parents there. Hopefully they'll wise up and won't let you come back home once you leave.

How old are you? And if you don't have a job, how did you save up money?”

“My parents are doing this to me. Although they haven't drug me to the priest yet (my dad's sermons are enough I suppose). Anyways, smokygirl has really good advice. "Be true to your heart, or you will regret it later in life." No regrets!
I've found that seasonal employment works well for me. You work awhile to fund your next adventure, run out of funds and move on to the next location to find a new job. It keeps things exciting anyways.
I often think of settling as preparing to die. Who wants that? Good luck there, Simer”

“I left home the summer after I graduated from High School. I had $300 from my job at a grocery store and some clothes. That was in 1979. My parents thought I was a fool to be leaving home and not going to college. I left for Wyoming and started work immediately. Been here ever since and haven't regretted a thing, well maybe some things, but not leaving MN. Not once did I ask for support, but they did offer a couple of times and I took it.

Maybe some day they'll give me a little credit for where I am today.

42 yrs old and everything but the house is paid for, and that will be paid for in less than 3 years.

My brother and sister stayed and have gotten tons of support from them, and they aren't half as well off as me.

OK, theres my rant on my soap box for the day.

Do what you want while you can, get out of that situation.”

“thanx, i'm 18, i have a part time job, i worked the summer away when i wasn't backpacking in the mountains, i spent money on a road trip, i'm saving money now - but i hardly get any hours during these slow winter months, I'll ask for as many as i can get. At least you all understand :)”

“Chief is a genius.”

“Hey simer if you get out to california let me know. :)”

“Halfway in the journey of our life, I came to myself in a dark wood. For the straight path was lost.”

“i thought hikingirl was from florida?”

“well i say....Do whatever ya want. Sometimes you just gotta do what you think is best for you and don't listen to people like Master Hiker, who can bite me.

"The people who mind, don't matter, and the people that matter, don't mind"”

“If this is something you plan on doing once you graduate HS, then go for it!

Your original post sounded like you were not working, just sitting around mooching off your parents.”

“Have fun . . . on your own buck.”

“my .02


help them to understand your need to see and do while you can.....

I think just about everyone on this board wishes they had not rushed into life so fast....how many here talk about "thru hiking" when they retire or when they get where they can....

how many here say "I want to try....(insert applicable adventure here)...

I, like most here, rushed into life....get the degree, get the job, make the money, borrow, invest, family, etc without first taking a casual stroll to see what life looked like. Now, like the rest, I say, when I retire I am going to hike all the places I want to see. Be free and go as I please. Life could end tomorrow, I don't have any guarantees from God that I will stay on this planet.

Simer, in order to figure out where you want to go, sometimes you have to read the map. Wander, look at the map, see life while you can. When you incur more obligations, as you will if you become a responsible member of society, it will be difficult to impossible to seek new ground.

I went to law school with one mission, to become a trial lawyer and defend the Rights granted by the Constitution of the United States of America. I did this with a conviction that everyone should have benefit of a capable lawyer. What I didn't do was to look around before I got to that stage to determine where I felt like I could make the maximum impact. The rigors of criminal defense left me disillusioned with my clients, the ills of society and a sinking feeling that I was feeding the problems, not defending Liberty. In retrospect, if I had looked to problems of society at the level of the core causes, I think I might have taken a different path. As it is, while I have found a different career that I enjoy, I am limited to the things I can do because of the obligations I incurred. I can't go spend time in Appalachia teaching impoverished children. I can't run an inner city program to help street kids understand the values of an organized civilization. Simply, they just don't pay enough.

Look around, look to find a place where you can maximize your efforts to enhance our planet and its inhabitants. Look for a place where the world where be better for you efforts. Look for a career that will make you heart swell with pride over your contribution to society.

Resist the urge to rush into the world and become a contributing member as soon as you can. What I see in alot of the posts is "dont be a drain on your parents,,get a job,,,be an adult".....

When does a parents responsibility to nuture the child end? At 18? 21? I contend that it has no bounds, that a parent should not only tolerate, but endorse the growing process.

There is nothing in your posts or in your demeanor that I have observed that leads me to believe that you plan an endless journey just to have the "big adventure". What I see in you is someone who wants to look into the very fabric of society. Is it structured and subject to time limits. No. We get accustomed to time limits...school 12 years...college 4 years...mortgage 30 years, car payment 48 months....we lead ourselves to time limits and artificial limits...

The lessons of life follow no clock...at some point you have to figure out that you are ready to apply yourself,,,you will know when that time comes.

I say as long as you are in the educational process (either structured or unstructured) then you should not feel obliged to incure obligations that will result in the end of the learning process and cause the beginning of the production process. The trick is to know when not to become a professional student. I believe you will know when it is time to enter the working world full time.”

“march to the beat of YOUR OWN drummer imo”

“18? I thought you were a lot older than that, at least 20. ;)

Ever family is different, but in my parents house, as long as I was getting help from them, I felt I had to respect their rules.

If you want to take off a couple of years, and not leach off your parents, now's the time to do it. You will become a wage slave soon enough.”

“Yeah. Like chili said - get a job, ya bum!
8D”

“and not biting you...

Master Hiker=bacPac??? hmmmmm

Simer...to thy own self be true!!!”

“don't be a remora............go it alone for once”

“"Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,"

Frost was aware that we follow where others have gone before, regardless of which path we choose.

Ask around. Find someone who chose the path you are considering. They'll have some insight to share.

Neither choice will make any more difference than the other...”

“Chili, you old Dawg, that wasn't .02, that was a half-dollar!!!
Master Baiter, you're a funny guy...can we call ya Chuckles?”

“Get a loan, go to college. It's like being on vacation for 7 years..... I mean 4 years.”

“...or 12...”

“Hit the road Jack!

Butchya don't have to read Kerouac......make your own thing!”

“I have a friend who is 19 and she roams all over the place- in her most recent letter she had just gotten back from roaming around central america for three months. And although she went solo she said, and I quote this exactly from the letter, " I went travelling alone but I was never really alone." If you go and you have the roaming spirit I think you will be ok. Who cares what others think about it? You are 18- you have to find yourself first before deciding what to do in life.”

“"Finding yourself"?
That's easy:
Go to the mall, find the map thingy with the arrow that says "You Are Here".
No brainer...”

“thank you - even if you are a troll

I find it interesting that the first place i come to vent, seek advice, or just let things out is tt, here I am

I don't think my parents are against my plans at all, my dad says he's always been supportive of my goals, and my mom is sticking up for what i want - the pastor is the one that doesn't understand, and i don't know why i got dragged there in the first place. now religion is all good, i follow God and he leads a role in my life, but it seems to me that the pastor was trying to talk me out of my dreams, though my dad has been supportive of them, my dad says it sounds like something he should have done when he was young. My mom is supportive, she's sticking up for my decisions and my dad wants to help - i don't understand where anything is going, and i know for a fact that i will head out my door and see the country, learn about things, i like what chili said it makes some sense - it's hard to put everything down in words... but i'm here, and i'm going where i want to - not straight to a job, not to college, sure some people take this path, but the general belief is that one should go to college, get a degree, settle down and blah blah blah, ya know that crap, it's always - do what you can while you can, or you have to do this, and all this crap... and then i don't make any more sense of anything...”

“Pastor's sometimes think they are God rather than His servant. They overstep their bounds, even if they mean well.”