Okay, guys, I'm torn.
It's Life-Changing-Decision time.

So I am 21, my life is in a ditch right now, and I feel like for the twentieth time now I'm being forced to start over again. I don't wanna get into the specifics, but society is designed to suck for anyone who never does what they are told to do.

Freedom, meh.

Anyhow, I believe I have two options right now, at least two that I am willing to do.

Option 'A' is that I throw as much useful things as I can in a big backpack and jump on my mountain bike to trek across the country from Virginia to California. I'm thinking of making a new life in Humboldt. People are kind to each other over there, which is more than I can ever say about any place I have lived in, and a pleasant community means more to me than an abundance of money-making opportunities. Plus the scenery and weather are gorgeous!

Option 'B' is that I find a Buddhist monastery and spend a few years gaining permanent ease of mind.

Honestly, I wish I could just do both, but I am leaning towards 'A'. I can still visit the monks.

Anybody got any advice for me?

I wish I had some good advice for you, my good man, but unfortunately I don't. However, the trek across the nation sounds like fun, but dangerous... especially on a mountain bike. Whatever you decide, make sure it is what YOU WANT to do and not what YOU THINK you should do. Take care of yourself and good luck with your decision, eh!

*ahem*
Military!

Speaking of which... At what specific date and time is your ass going to belong to Uncle Sam?

I wish I could tell you, but I don't even know.
I think I may stick around for the summer, so I can vagabond and see more of the country, but then again, I don't want to miss out on this war and any chance of getting deployed.
I just switched recruiters the other day, so hopefully this guy will get on the ball and pull out the papers I need to sign.

Alright you might not like what I have to say, but you asked for it:

No, I don't think you should pick up your s**t and leave. Escaping from your problems doesn't make them go away. It's irresponsible and dangerous. The Buddhist thing sounds nice but what after? you'll find yourself being peaceful yet broke.

You're JUST 21, at that age it's ok to be lost. It sucks that whatever is going on in your life right now is making you feel as if you need to start over again but it's just another notch to your experience belt.

I think you need to do some growing up on your own. Get a regular s**tty job, take some classes at a local college (or if college isn't your thing than just jump in and try to find a nicer job.) Stay put and take some serious time to think what you want to do with your life, where you want to be in 10 years. If it's friends that are causing this ruckus in your life, get rid of them. If it's family, then save up and move out. Making big life changes doesn't necessarily mean picking up and going somewhere else. Asking people for advice on a major life decision isn't the best thing to do. For one, we don't know your situation. It's vague, and the answer you like might not be the smartest one in the long run.

I wish you the best in whichever thing you choose to do, regardless of which one it may be. In the end it's YOUR life and your the one who should ultimately choose what to do with it.

*hugs*

Follow your heart dude.

I think we could offer more constructive insight if we were privy to more details. Otherwise you end up with lame cliche vague advice like...well like what doggy said...

Also, totally unrelated but, remember the golden rule: a*****es are everywhere. If you haven't met any, then you're it.

Follow your heart.

I wish I would have done things I dreamed of when I was younger, but I was in the military, had kids and could not.

I am saving that for the last part of my life, God willing.

I wish I would have the head on my shoulders I did when I was younger. I wish I would have not been so naive and gotten grants and went to school instead of going in the military as I thought that was the only option I had as my parents could not afford college for me. I knew nothing of student loans, grants, etc. I longed to be a marine biologist, camped out in the Pacific northwest, studying Orcas.

I feel in love with California myself a few years back. Palm trees and the ocean call to me. When my youngest is out of high school I am leaving Ohio. With my RN degree I can go anywhere.

Life is too short. If I get hit by a bus tommorrow, I will have put off my dreams and never achieved them. If you have the means and desire to do it now, I say do it.

How much cash do you have saved up?

A trek across the country might be a little bit of a b***h with no funds. Specially out in the more isolated areas where you'd need to have a stash of supplies (i.e. food and water) so you don't wind up dying before you get to Cali.

I say do choice "A". Chez's advise is good, but in my opinion, you have plenty of time for that.
At 21, this is the perfect time to do what you want, you still have plenty of time for the sh**ty job, and the house and kids and everything. Do this while you can, or you'll never be able to.

Once you are out there though, you might also be able to do choice "B". there are monasteries out there too.

GO, DO IT!!

Have you read/watched Into the Wild?

Nothing is really worth running from. Well, ok, abuse, danger, etc. But whatever your specific problem is, it may be better to deal with it. Confront it head on, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you.

Peace is not found in a Buddhist monastery or across the continent. It's found somewhere inside you.

In the end, it's your choice alone that matters. Nothing anything of us say will matter. We cannot persuade or dissuade you.

I sincerely hope you will find what you seek, no matter where you go or what you do.

I wish that I had taken a year off just to go do something.

I would chose "A" - maybe not to live there for the rest of my life, but the road trip will be something you'll remember forever.

Just be smart about it. Take some emergency cash and a cell phone. Don't have an itinerary. Don't get caught up with strangers that could get you in trouble or killed.

I did something very similar to Option A when I was 17 and 18. If you do any drugs, ANY drugs at all, DO NOT DO THIS.

If, however, you're clean and are honestly just wanting to bike across the country, then it can be a wonderful, wonderful experience.

The road is tough, and you need to have a good head on your shoulders. Get acquainted with truck stops. They're all different and they're usually pretty interesting. Dirty, but interesting.

Trust your gut. If someone looks shady, don't mingle with them. Stay clean-cut, and talk to locals, they'll think it's fascinating that you're biking so far.

Have someone that you check in with every day or every other day. It can be a Plimate even. Just make sure that someone out there knows where you are and that you're safe. If they go a certain amount of time without hearing from you, they're going to call the cops where you last called from and they're going to find you.

Bad things do happen. Take a knife.

Brush up on your bike-knowledge. Make sure you can repair anything and everything on it. And get a bike lock if you don't already have one.

And most importaintly, if you're following the I70-ish way (which runs from Maryland to Utah), call me when you're near Lawrence, KS. I70 runs through part of my town. And, we're an oasis in Kansas. Lots of travelers make a point of stopping (and sometimes staying) here.

That's an a*****ey comment if ever I heard one.

Sometimes when you have a decision to make you know deep down what you want and you've already decided what you'll do before you consciously know you have.

That's what I meant by follow your heart, sorry you found it "lame".

At your house? Or in Lawrence, in general?

;-)

In Lawrence :p

We all get handed some crappy deals in life but in the end how you deal with them is what make you who you are.

I'm going to back Chez up on this one because she makes an excellent point. Problems will follow you wherever you go. Best to learn how to deal with the world then to run away from it. The Buddhists would laugh at this. You know that their first big rule is that life is suffering.

Maybe you need to do what your told once in a while. Who knows?

Good luck and stay off the moors.

First question, What are you running from?

Why do think Humboldt is such a great place to live? What makes it better than where you are now? A place is just a place, it's the life you choose to make for yourself there that makes the difference.

Much to the dismay of most people, a life doesn't just "happen", it requires work. Sometimes it requires compromise, doing things you don't want to do right now to get to where you want to be later. Other times it requires sacrifice. And every now and then it means not getting what you want, no matter how much you want it. Well adjusted people find a way to live with that.

Happiness is a choice. It's not a place.

muahahaha...sorry.

i changed it for you.

Yeh, you're so sorry you added more to it.

Don't insult me by apologising when you don't mean it yeh?

/threadjack.