Anywhere but here. Anything but this.

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I did this and it hasn't worked out so well. Lived in my car for months, used gym/homeless services for showers, survived on food stamps and a couple hundred dollars my ex sent from time to time, parked in residential areas overnight to avoid the cops. I couldn't find a workable job in my chosen town no matter how hard I tried, didn't have the labor market knowledge to know where else to go or the gas money to get there. Vocational rehabilitation couldn't even help me. I had to quit the single job I got due to a disability, and it didn't even pay enough to cover rent, especially when my cash aid was abruptly cut off. Social services gives no safety net; cuts off benefits as soon as they get a hint you've got any low-paying job whatsover. I eventually gave up on employment and applied for SSI. Still waiting.

Traded the car in for a van so that I'd have more living space; the van broke down in six months, was parked in various lots over the course of a year or so and I eventually had to leave them all; then I ran out of lots to live in and now I can't live in the van at all and am camping out in a wooded area at the edge of an industrial park. It's been over two and a half years since I began my experiment.

Conclusion: It's doable if you have sufficient money stashed, a reliable vehicle, know where the jobs are and can do them, and have camping-friendly places to stay at night.

Good for you! Those wings can fly!

Makes me think of an old Irish blessing: may the road rise to meet you, may the wind always be at your back.

That is a fascinating experiment. Have you found a permanent home yet or are you living year-round in the woods? I hope it's somewhere warm...

I've known a few people who lived year round in a van.. taking odd jobs here and there to pay for their car insurance, gas, and food... they seemed very happy in some ways and very miserable in others... they had freedom... more freedom than most people who work 9-5 could ever dream of.... but very very limited resources. All food was bought at dollar stores, supermarkets, or gotten from food pantries and soup kitchens.. both men and women.

I've made a decision long ago not to attept to survive on other people's good will.. I never applied for SSI or anything like it. I do understand that if I place myself in this crazy adventurous position I may have no choice but to accept some sort of aid at first... maybe food stamps or something.

I guess you must have reached this point where anywhere was better than "here"...

I hope you are happy where you are... if you are not, there are ways to change and improve things. I have never lived outdoors but I have lived on my own for about 6 year.. I've slept in cars, apartment building basements, empty properties under construction (with the developer's permission) on beds and floors alike. I know what it's like to have a decent life and being supported by family and then all of a sudden everything falls apart and you are out there alone on the battlefield... it can be pretty traumatic.

Way to go for surviving all this. keep your head up!

I'm in California. It's summer and I've only just begun camping about two and a half weeks ago, so it's comfortable. If winter comes and I'm still in this situation, I have the money to get camping equipment and so I'll stay and make it work. Anything to avoid shelters. I'm waiting on a veteran's housing voucher, which I've been told may be available at the end of next month.


I did have a lot of free time. I had a camping stove in my van and managed to eat well on food stamps, buying organic produce at the local farmer's market every week, plus legumes, spices, nut butter, etc. from the grocery store. There was a dollar store with quality food that I used a bit, mostly for spices or cheaper produce.


Not really...broke up with ex and was eager to come back to this country after a year in Europe, even though I had pretty much nothing; the situation was uncomfortable but not bad. Mostly, I was naive and thought that I was sure to get a job if I put my all into it in a big city.

An aspie veteran.... the plot thickens. There's gotta be some interesting stories there.

is it easier to find spots to park overnight in CA then it is on the east coast?

The PA/West Virginia area sounds pretty nice... lots of open spaces and woody areas.. low cost of living... I will definitely look into it

Wheeling, West Virginia is actually a nice city which has a nice bridge. It's more in the Pittsburgh sphere of influence than it is in "West Virginia." There's Victorian architecture, too, and some culture.

You could live in the sticks, and commute to Wheeling for work.

I've never been to the east coast. I imagine the larger cities on either coast are about the same ? very urban, nowhere to park. I suspect you might find more out of the way, woodsy little towns where you can hide out on the east coast. As far as I can tell, California is so crowded, there are people packed into every town and one is sure to be noticed somewhere, except maybe in the extreme north of the state.