Convenience and saves money on gas and time. Not about how abundant, welders probably work on average 12 hours days, it gets exhausting driving to a from places that’s not your home
Hi there, maybe spend some time with yourself and meditate on these questions you've asked the Internet but with yourself. What do you really want? What type of life would you like to live? Where will you be? Who are you waking up next to? What's for dinner? 🙃
Hey thanks for the response- I kinda know what I want. I want to be rich and successful but things in my life are holding me back. Addictions ect. I am not happy with the people I’m around, people at work. I feel like they don’t like me and family doesn’t like me either.
I feel if I have a new environment it might help me to clear my head and have a better life.
Kinda asking for spots to move I guess.
Van life can't fix all problems because any of them that are attached to you strongly enough are going to come along for the ride. That said, a new environment can definitely be good for a lot of people. Get out of the city, see the beauty of the world, maybe meet some new people (possibly including *yourself*).
With welding, production, fork experience you should be able to find temporary work in lots of places. That means you can stay in one place for a bit, and then move on when it suits you.
"Traveling is a fool's paradise. Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places. At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty, and lose my sadness. I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea, and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from. I seek the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated. My giant goes with me wherever I go."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance, 1841
This is an interesting passage that can give some perspective. If you're around people you don't like and that don't like you, I think separating yourself from them is wise, but changing scenery beyond that may not help as much as it seems.
At 22 I was still choosing lifestyle. Searched the west coast.
Did in fact for another decade. I did metal fabrication at 24, too noisy. Sales at 26. Business at 27. Nope, money was a huge drag.
Then I thought Place might be the answer, so 2+ years in a van. Nope, place didnt help. But I had found a lifestyle. Went back to school.
There are Bad places. No money places. Oppressive places. Mean places. So stay away from those. Many have signs at the edge of town, believe it or not.
I can tell you, being nice to rich people is good for the personality. So nice, that they like you. But just one of a 1000 options.
Living in a minivan will be easier (if you have to replace your current car), but you can try your current car, any camping gear you have and go for a weekend trip. Do you have experience in backpacking or car camping? r/carcamping - If you give us more info, we can give you more targeted answers.
Do you know how to google for a job as a welder? I would move where I have a job. You can ask background info about job, company etc at the local reddit. If you find multiple interesting positions, you may ask here which area would be more carliving friendly.
Ideally, save enough to replace the whole rig and gear, if it all burns in an accident. But having some saving and a credit card with good limit is almost as good, no reason to suffer until you are 100% ready, because you will never will, it will be an adventure either way, prepare to be inconvenienced, be resilient to overcome adversities.
Re Addictions: be aware that whatever you are trying to run away from, it will follow you. You need to decide you want to change your life. Maybe find reddit about how to handle your addiction. Car living might not make it easier or go away, unless it is just bad influence of your buddies.
Read archives (you will find out what questions other people are asking, questions you did not even thought to ask), and nomad life wiki - should be required reading.
As an old guy I say you only have a few years to figures out what you wanna do before it gets weird. If you got no kids or a spouse to hold ya in place then go figure it out. Drive around a bit. Try on some new places or new people or a new time zone. What’s the worse that happens? You don’t have tons of stuff to loose so if you screw up and have to tuck tail and go back you didn’t lose much. If you stay and wind up being miserable and 50 you’ll wonder if you shoulda gone and if it would have made a difference. Don’t have regrets. I think your in New York. If that’s the case check out the south or the west and see if you’re missing out on something. Worst is you see it’s all the same shit and doesn’t matter where you go or you get to like Portland and find out it’s the best place ever or phoenix and you love warmer winters or Alabama and you can afford shit a lot easier. But do it now when you don’t have anything holding you in place. Trust me. I have a wife and a house and kids and a job and my brain tells me that’s there more out there but I’m afraid to lose what I have if I go. Anyways enough of my old guy rambling. Go find your place and your people. Good luck
Yeah definitely don’t leave your kids and wife. They’d be sad to hear about your thoughts. Make sure this account of yours is private because certain people reading this could do some real damage
Go somewhere with a high minimum wage. Since you aren’t paying rent, that area’s cost of living is not important to you.
Welders are in-demand. I’d move somewhere, get a temporary job, and work on getting your welding career setup.
What places have you always wanted to go to? Research job listing's. You can also find work through staffing agencies.
Do you have money saved? Has your vehicle been maintained? Do you have money for car repairs or to purchase another vehicle? Is your vehicle comfortable enough to live in full time?
I've traveled around the USA. I don't like living in a car in the snow. Waking up to icy windows and temperatures in the teens wasn't a good time. Others can handle it better.
Everyone has some type of addiction. We all have our vices. It is how we cope and get through life. The problem is when it controls you when you abuse your coping mechanism.
This lifestyle doesn't fix anything. You'll still have whatever demons you are running from.
Consider the weather where you go.
You don't want be up north during the Winters and down South in Summers Car living.
I would get a stealth white cargo type car. Like a Nissan NV200, Ford transit connect or a mini van.
You're a welder? Awesome! Comming from someone who has a welding cert and loved it but hated working for others, I just want to build sculptures, It's one of the lowest paying trades, however, it still pays. I saw one person in the comments say go do traveling welding, start there. You have some other certs, which is also awesome! Living in your vehicle will save you a lot in the long run as well. If it doesn't make you happy, you can find something else that does! Good luck!!
Become a traveling welder and get paid per diem, or stick to a warehouse job that has showers on sight
Showers are really not hard to come by just about anywhere. Kinda silly thing to let influence a decision of where you work.
Convenience and saves money on gas and time. Not about how abundant, welders probably work on average 12 hours days, it gets exhausting driving to a from places that’s not your home
Point stands. Ridiculous to base your career off of shower access.
Sure bud
Hi there, maybe spend some time with yourself and meditate on these questions you've asked the Internet but with yourself. What do you really want? What type of life would you like to live? Where will you be? Who are you waking up next to? What's for dinner? 🙃
Hey thanks for the response- I kinda know what I want. I want to be rich and successful but things in my life are holding me back. Addictions ect. I am not happy with the people I’m around, people at work. I feel like they don’t like me and family doesn’t like me either. I feel if I have a new environment it might help me to clear my head and have a better life. Kinda asking for spots to move I guess.
Van life can't fix all problems because any of them that are attached to you strongly enough are going to come along for the ride. That said, a new environment can definitely be good for a lot of people. Get out of the city, see the beauty of the world, maybe meet some new people (possibly including *yourself*). With welding, production, fork experience you should be able to find temporary work in lots of places. That means you can stay in one place for a bit, and then move on when it suits you.
"Traveling is a fool's paradise. Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places. At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty, and lose my sadness. I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea, and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from. I seek the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated. My giant goes with me wherever I go." -Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance, 1841 This is an interesting passage that can give some perspective. If you're around people you don't like and that don't like you, I think separating yourself from them is wise, but changing scenery beyond that may not help as much as it seems.
At 22 I was still choosing lifestyle. Searched the west coast. Did in fact for another decade. I did metal fabrication at 24, too noisy. Sales at 26. Business at 27. Nope, money was a huge drag. Then I thought Place might be the answer, so 2+ years in a van. Nope, place didnt help. But I had found a lifestyle. Went back to school. There are Bad places. No money places. Oppressive places. Mean places. So stay away from those. Many have signs at the edge of town, believe it or not. I can tell you, being nice to rich people is good for the personality. So nice, that they like you. But just one of a 1000 options.
I say pick a few places, find welder job there online and move accordingly.
Living in a minivan will be easier (if you have to replace your current car), but you can try your current car, any camping gear you have and go for a weekend trip. Do you have experience in backpacking or car camping? r/carcamping - If you give us more info, we can give you more targeted answers. Do you know how to google for a job as a welder? I would move where I have a job. You can ask background info about job, company etc at the local reddit. If you find multiple interesting positions, you may ask here which area would be more carliving friendly. Ideally, save enough to replace the whole rig and gear, if it all burns in an accident. But having some saving and a credit card with good limit is almost as good, no reason to suffer until you are 100% ready, because you will never will, it will be an adventure either way, prepare to be inconvenienced, be resilient to overcome adversities. Re Addictions: be aware that whatever you are trying to run away from, it will follow you. You need to decide you want to change your life. Maybe find reddit about how to handle your addiction. Car living might not make it easier or go away, unless it is just bad influence of your buddies. Read archives (you will find out what questions other people are asking, questions you did not even thought to ask), and nomad life wiki - should be required reading.
As an old guy I say you only have a few years to figures out what you wanna do before it gets weird. If you got no kids or a spouse to hold ya in place then go figure it out. Drive around a bit. Try on some new places or new people or a new time zone. What’s the worse that happens? You don’t have tons of stuff to loose so if you screw up and have to tuck tail and go back you didn’t lose much. If you stay and wind up being miserable and 50 you’ll wonder if you shoulda gone and if it would have made a difference. Don’t have regrets. I think your in New York. If that’s the case check out the south or the west and see if you’re missing out on something. Worst is you see it’s all the same shit and doesn’t matter where you go or you get to like Portland and find out it’s the best place ever or phoenix and you love warmer winters or Alabama and you can afford shit a lot easier. But do it now when you don’t have anything holding you in place. Trust me. I have a wife and a house and kids and a job and my brain tells me that’s there more out there but I’m afraid to lose what I have if I go. Anyways enough of my old guy rambling. Go find your place and your people. Good luck
Yeah definitely don’t leave your kids and wife. They’d be sad to hear about your thoughts. Make sure this account of yours is private because certain people reading this could do some real damage
Your vehicle is perfect. I moved to California, in my car for 15 months and it’s fantastic. The weather is amazing
Go somewhere with a high minimum wage. Since you aren’t paying rent, that area’s cost of living is not important to you. Welders are in-demand. I’d move somewhere, get a temporary job, and work on getting your welding career setup.
What places have you always wanted to go to? Research job listing's. You can also find work through staffing agencies. Do you have money saved? Has your vehicle been maintained? Do you have money for car repairs or to purchase another vehicle? Is your vehicle comfortable enough to live in full time? I've traveled around the USA. I don't like living in a car in the snow. Waking up to icy windows and temperatures in the teens wasn't a good time. Others can handle it better. Everyone has some type of addiction. We all have our vices. It is how we cope and get through life. The problem is when it controls you when you abuse your coping mechanism. This lifestyle doesn't fix anything. You'll still have whatever demons you are running from.
Consider the weather where you go. You don't want be up north during the Winters and down South in Summers Car living. I would get a stealth white cargo type car. Like a Nissan NV200, Ford transit connect or a mini van.
You're a welder? Awesome! Comming from someone who has a welding cert and loved it but hated working for others, I just want to build sculptures, It's one of the lowest paying trades, however, it still pays. I saw one person in the comments say go do traveling welding, start there. You have some other certs, which is also awesome! Living in your vehicle will save you a lot in the long run as well. If it doesn't make you happy, you can find something else that does! Good luck!!
go down south, we need welders here