Vagabond Jedi - Transients, Homeless, Gutter punks, Tramps, Hobos, etc...

I've lived as a vagabond for a few years now. I've shuffled around a lot of different jobs (Average 3-4 different jobs each year), and I've moved around a good bit as well. I sometimes stay with friends and family, I've also stayed at shelters on occasion. I've slept under bridges, in libraries, and sometimes just on the side of the road.

Living this lifestyle is both a combination of choice and circumstance, but truth be told I develop severe wanderlust if I stay anywhere for more than 6 months at a time. This has powerfully affected what kind of possessions I own, as well as my social habits and overall outlook on life.

I'm curious to see if there are any other Jedi who live / have lived this lifestyle, or anyone who might be interested in talking about it.

I did it for a few years.

Best years of my life, but I very much doubt I could go back to it.

I've become soft and tender and would not be able to enjoy being cold, wet, hungry, and mostly drunk for long periods of time :laugh:


(I also doubt there was much correlation between "jediism" and "having no waking interest in reality")

I wonder if a living like a Vagabond is that hard... does that depend on the character of your neighborhood or town you live/visit in?

The character of the neighborhood or town your visiting in definitely plays a huge part in how difficult life can be when living as a vagabond.

Some towns are actually set up to cater to transients, although these are usually located close to long distance hiking trails such as the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. In these areas, shelter is often cheap and you can occasionally find a "work for stay" hostel or lodge which will allow you to stay the night for free or at a reduced rate in exchange for labor.

Other towns have essentially made the vagabond lifestyle illegal within their limits, prohibiting common activities such as hitchhiking, panhandling, or asking for food outside of designated shelters and soup kitchens. Even looking like you are a vagabond can get you into serious trouble. One drifter I used to hang with got tossed in jail simply for sleeping on the roof of a building which the property owner had given him permission to do. He had to go through a several week long legal battle as the town tried to pin other bogus charges on him for unsolved crimes in the area.

In some towns, people will give you food and supplies without even asking for them. In others people will literally spit at you and get aggressive simply because you look like an outsider.

After a while, you develop a kind of 6th sense as to what communities are open to transients, and which ones are just going to harass you. Word of mouth is also helpful, although not completely reliable.

i'll try to remember this. I know of the safest places to be a vagabond (though these are just fledgling projects of trying to build a "new society.") Places around the less-known regions of Australia, where the people there have made a village which is completely self sustainable, and that place called "Auroville." also a self-sustainable, Resource-Based Economy village around India.

I'd like to share this facebook page too, if you want to know more about these "Resource-Based Economy" villages. these communities know only about all money being the "cancer of society." Tool of the Elite's "Empire." I assure you the places and projects they feature are safe activities and places for vagabonds. I hope you or anyone here discover these people and help support our cause.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/224148967647327/

Kohadre wrote: Living this lifestyle is both a combination of choice and circumstance, but truth be told I develop severe wanderlust if I stay anywhere for more than 6 months at a time. This has powerfully affected what kind of possessions I own, as well as my social habits and overall outlook on life.

Care to share more? Why did you choose this lifestyle? How has it affected your outlook on life? I really can't picture myself choosing to live this lifestyle, which is why I'm interesting in knowing more about it.

Magnus Staar wrote:

Kohadre wrote: Living this lifestyle is both a combination of choice and circumstance, but truth be told I develop severe wanderlust if I stay anywhere for more than 6 months at a time. This has powerfully affected what kind of possessions I own, as well as my social habits and overall outlook on life.

Care to share more? Why did you choose this lifestyle? How has it affected your outlook on life? I really can't picture myself choosing to live this lifestyle, which is why I'm interesting in knowing more about it.

I chose this lifestyle for a number of reasons, primarily being that it helps me to stay more stable than I would be if I otherwise tethered myself to a specific location. Primarily living out of the contents of a backpack, my mobile lifestyle has kept me from accumulating excess "stuff" and racking up unnecessary debt for that "stuff". For what I do own, monthly charges are cheaper comparatively than if I were to purchase a fixed residence such as a home. It also keeps me more physically active and encourages socializing with others around me. Since I also have multiple chronic illnesses, having the ability to pack up all my belongings in a sum of 10 minutes has offered me the ability to relocate to areas where I can get access to better treatment and medication that may be illegal or restricted in other areas.

Having everything I own able to fit into a backpack has also enabled me to get out of some pretty bad situations, such as extremely abusive relationships and situations where places I lived at temporarily were run by slumlords and drug dealers. The less you own, the easier it is to grab and go when the situation necessitates it. It also makes you more resourceful in situations that would cripple other people, such as power outages or loss of running water. Anyone whose been on the road any amount of time has found some work around to getting warm meals and clean water that doesn't involve an outlet or tap.

As far as my outlook on life goes, I've gone from being an optimist to more of a realist. I've come to read people quicker and second guess myself less. As far as interacting with people goes, I haven't had any "real" friends for over a decade now. Interactions with people stay at a level of casual acquaintances, I never stay around one place long enough to put in the effort for it to become more fulfilling. I've also come to feel that people aren't as genuine as they portray themselves to be. They put on a great show most of the time, and have no problem asking you for help or favors while talking out their rear about how they'll repay you, etc... When I've tried to get people to do something as simple as hang out or forward some information on something I'm trying to look up, getting so much as a text message back becomes an apocalyptic feat. People I come across seem to just want the fun parts of friendships, without having to put any actual work in or deal with any of the life problems that friends are supposed to support each other on.

I approach each day in an almost survivalist, "just push on through" mindset. I feel that there's no real security, and any perception of it is just a temporary illusion. My backpack could get stolen leaving me with nothing again (has happened before), I could lose my job due to layoff or poor performance (also has happened), my living situation could change and I could be evicted without advanced notice (happened), or all of these things at once (happened).

I don't let myself get excited or overjoyed about anything, because that's when I start to make really stupid and poorly thought out decisions. I make it a priority to keep a level head and be as emotionally "neutral" as I can, because some of the times I have been screwed over the worst are by people who were close to me that made me feel I could let my guard down.

I think people really only come into this type of life in one of two main ways.

Way # 1 is that you're forced into it as a result of disaster, be it natural, man made, economic, or otherwise. People loose their jobs all the time, and sometimes that's all it takes to end up hiking down the road to try and catch a bunk at the city mission.

Way # 2 is that life screws you up so badly that you come to a place where being an outsider offers you more hope of stability and purpose than being a permanent resident of a local community could ever hope to.

So it's a "shit happens", better not get attached mindset?

What about family? Are you married? How would you raise children this way?

Magnus Staar wrote: So it's a "shit happens", better not get attached mindset?

What about family? Are you married? How would you raise children this way?

I don't think it's as much as a "shit happens better not get attached" mindset, as it is more of a "Learn from experience and don't make the same mistakes" mindset.

I was engaged at one point, but I backed out of that due to my partner being extremely abusive. I literally had to throw what I could in a bag and run out the door, only grabbing a couple bottles of medicine and a few things of clothing. Past relationships I've been in have also been with very abusive partners, so I've decided going forward that odds would be more in my favor if I simply remained single.

I have no children, nor do I want or have plans on having children in the future. With everything I have to deal with, I wouldn't be a good parent, nor do I enjoy being around children. For obvious reasons, this isn't a family friendly lifestyle or "group activity".

My family knows of my chosen lifestyle, but doesn't pass judgement as long as I remain stable and in regular contact with them.

Places around the less-known regions of Australia,

Less known regions of Australia will mostly kill you, because they're horrible wastelands :laugh:

there are a number of reasonably well known areas in the southern states where the climate, and proximity to wasteful middle classes can make it exceptionally easy to get by - especially if you team up with other [strike]deadbeats[/strike] disenchanted folk who will want to rail against the government (but still expect the streets to be magically clean, roads repaired, public amenities serviced, and healthcare provided)

:whistle: