The Logistics of Tramp Life -- or Modern Itinerant 'Walden'
16 replies, posted
Original thread: [url]http://forum.grasscity.com/general/556790-logistics-tramp-life-modern-itinerant-walden.html[/url]
Hey blades. Well I seem to be in the throes of a complicated life dilemma, and I can think of no better place to profess my query than to a bunch of nerdy Internet losers I've never met before. (I kid, I kid. You know I love you guys! ) I'm currently a senior in highschool, and I graduate in three and a half months. Anyways, here's the situation:
In the 8th grade, I read Krakaur's "Into the Wild." The book follows Christopher McCandless, a rich white suburban east coast kid who, following graduating from college, becomes a leather tramp and hikes across America for over two years. In the climax of his experience, he hikes to Alaska and lives off the grid for 117 days before succumbing to an alkaline-provoked starvation. I've since came to regard him as a demigod and a hero, despite his fantastic hubris and his incomprehensibly unforgivable severance from his family. Bitch about his irreverence for the wild all you want, I've already made up my mind.
I've long since wanted to emulate his actions, but fear has repeatedly crippled my willfulness to do so. The paralyzing consternation my mind visualizes consumes me, in the situation where I cut ties from my modern life and explore the life of a tramp, only to find - after a month of famishment and and destitution - that I prefer the quiet, malcontent but assuredly pleasureful living of the glutinous materialistic fucks of the white-collar lifestyle. The horror of the scenario is unbearable; I cannot imagine the look on my parents' faces when I crawl back to them trying to explain my transcendentalist-inspired actions of reprehensible retardation.
This train of thought continued throughout high school until about two months ago. I (accidentally) insufflated 30mgs of 2C-E. A (++++) on Shulgin's scale. As I lay on the carpeted floor on the third story of my house for about six hours, entirely immobile, I decided that it's better to regret something you have done than something you haven't. My mind snapped, and I've become at least reasonably devoted to pursuing my life goal.
The experience has not entirely quelled my fear; however it has quelled my inhibition of planning for the experience. (I long did nothing about preparing for the goal, in case I actually took myself seriously.) I have devoted myself to a grueling workout regimen on a daily basis, where I practice calisthenics and upper and lower body strength until I black out or lack the willpower - or more frequently, the physical ability - to continue. I have continued my adherence to intellectual pursuits (I've almost finished my newest book I picked up from the public library, "Walden; and other assorted essays by Henry David Thoreau.") In addition, I've put myself through other arbitrary quests associated with the life of the homeless, i.e. starving myself for days on end, taking month long T-breaks from the ganja, etc.
Yet I continue to not be entirely convinced that I will ever be mentally, and physically, prepared for the decision, even if I do decide to wait until after college before leaving. I won't bother to post all of the things I fear that could quote easily haunt my travels on the road - my post is already long enough - but among them exist my inability to function entirely properly without at least two square meals a day, my cheesy, untested, altruistic ideals which I fear I'll find silly when I grow older and wiser, and my lack of pre-existing willpower. (It fears me that I required the catalyst of psychedelics in order to jump-start my internal motivation; for many years before the session, I would regard the main characteristic of my personality to be apathy. In a do-or-die situation, I would much prefer my motivation to come from my true inner self, and not a cheap chemically-inspired quick fix.)
I believe myself to be at least decently intelligent, and although I'm not necessarily the best endowed with a surfeit of common sense, I do believe that I could pull my ass out of the fire if things got too rough. So, following my epic saga of a thread, I ask of your opinions on the matter of whether my decision of an itinerant lifestyle is wise. Or your opinions on my life in general. Muchas gracias in advance, blades!
TL;DR: Skinny rich white kid wants to live out of a backpack on the road, but is afraid he's too much of a pussy.
You need to learn to write with vocabulary that suits your audience. It makes it seem as though you are trying to sound smarter than everyone else, and you just come off looking douchey. No offence.
As for the actual thread content, I can understand your desire to escape the materialistic world that we live in, and by all means go for it, just don't be an idiot about it. If my memory is correct,Christopher died when he couldn't cross the river he came across earlier in his trip, and died of starvation. If you're going to live like that, don't be cocky and refuse the necessary supplies like he did.
As well, make it possible to return to a semi-normal life afterwards. What if you came back and you had no way to get a foothold in modern life?
Just try to keep the world in perspective. If you feel this need to escape the materialistic world because of high school life, I can assure you, a lot of people feel the same way, I know I did. Once you enter university, people seem to change, they aren't interested in materialistic crap(as much), and they tend to mature a bit. Unless you get stuck in a cheap college, then you are set to endure another 4 years of the same crap(like me!).
The closest thing to this I can ever see myself doing is getting a cabin out in the woods somewhere and living there.
I couldn't possibly survive out on the road. I need a "base of operations", per se.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;20428945]The closest thing to this I can ever see myself doing is getting a cabin out in the woods somewhere and living there.
I couldn't possibly survive out on the road. I need a "base of operations", per se.[/QUOTE]
Don't feel bad, Viggo Mortensen couldn't survive on The Road and that motherfucker killed orcs by the truckload.
Do it. This idea somewhat appeals to myself as well.
Wait till you get to college and you stand more on your own legs. Until high school you have no worries at all.
Dogs have no logistics, and who calls them tramps anymore?
You need to read George Orwell's 'Politics and the English Language', especially the part he wrote about 'pretentious diction'.
If you tl;dr, it means that you should always avoid using fancy words unless they're absolutely necessary to convey your point. For example, I could traverse the roadway in a horizontal trajectory that bisects it;
Or I could cross the fucking street.
Tone done the vocab and drop the Oxford, you're trying to hard.
traversing a roadway in a horizontal trajectory that bisects it isn't the same as crossing a road.
you didn't specify that the horizontal axis is perpendicular to the road.
and also, bisect means to split into two equal parts. unless you crossed the road exactly halfway down it, it's wrong.
This is disgusting, OP. You're a kid in his senior year in high school making a horrible and obvious attempt to appear mature and intelligent through your vocabulary - the completely unneccesary use of big, fancy words. The result, however unintended, is that you look like a world-class douchebag. And you don't look intelligent by any stretch of the imagination. Many users on FP are not only older, but smarter than you. Pull your head out of your ass, why don't ya?
Or, you know, get all Shakespeare on our asses. It'd be more entertaining to read, anyway.
"'Verily,' I cried, 'Thou art a fop!'"
[QUOTE=archangel125;20431569]This is disgusting, OP. You're a kid in his senior year in high school making a horrible and obvious attempt to appear mature and intelligent through your vocabulary - the completely unneccesary use of big, fancy words. The result, however unintended, is that you look like a world-class douchebag. And you don't look intelligent by any stretch of the imagination. Many users on FP are not only older, but smarter than you. Pull your head out of your ass, why don't ya?
Or, you know, get all Shakespeare on our asses. It'd be more entertaining to read, anyway.
"'Verily,' I cried, 'Thou art a fop!'"[/QUOTE]
ITT I use big words to make myself sound smart so 13 year olds don't tell me I'm a fucking moron, and I overdo it.
[QUOTE=SKuM;20431683]ITT I use big words to make myself sound smart so 13 year olds don't tell me I'm a fucking moron, and I overdo it.[/QUOTE]
ITT Op thinks he's older and more mature than everyone else on this forum despite this likely being completely false.
[QUOTE=Exploits;20431544]Tone done the vocab and drop the Oxford, you're trying to hard.[/QUOTE]
And you're not trying hard enough.
[QUOTE=Chrille;20433242]And you're not trying hard enough.[/QUOTE]
omg wat i do then >':
yeah its a cool idea and if being a bearded burly ass mountain man appeals to you then by all means make living off the grid a goal.
however dont go about it like mccandless. instead of warming himself up to permanent outdoor life he just tarded off into the fuckin alaskan wilderness without any necessary skills and tools. also if i can remember correctly the only reason he lasted for as long as he did was because he got lucky and found an abandoned van or something to live in.
[editline]11:45AM[/editline]
just make sure you are prepared and dont get yourself in too deep
First of all, I'd advise the OP against living like a 'tramp'. Sooner or later, you'll get pulled into hard drugs or get on the law's bad side, and your future is fucked. Want to feel manly? Get some gear and a heavy-duty rucksack, and go on a wilderness hike alone over several days.
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