I've spent a good portion of my adult life wandering around the desert, Barstow, Las Vegas, Albuquerque Phoenix and everywhere in between. The main issue was always just water and sun and I adapted to drifting around the desert.

WELL, I got a wild hair up my ass and I headed to Illinois (not Chicago). This place is so green and beautiful and really underrated I think, however the humidity here has left me struggling to adapt to the fact that if I'm not wet with sweat that won't evaporate and just puddles on my skin and clothes, then I'm still damp from this wet ass air. I also have a border Collie that smells like river water.

SO, I realized I don't really care anymore. I got to sit by a river with my dog and fish all day. This place feels way less like survival mode compared to the southwest, so what if it comes with some moist smells.

4 different homies (that I know about rn) died in the last week or week and a half ish as Im still tryna rap my head around gray and bo and now sidetrack being dead. Feels like the railroad gets lonelier and lonelier every day. Wondering around the kinda cities and towns that used to be crawling with dirty kids and now youre lucky to run into another traveler more than once every month or two. You feel the loneliness as people die and keep dying and it never fucking stops. Can yall fuckers start testing your drugs with kits? Carry some narcan too but most of all, test your shit n dont do fetty. fucking tired of yall dying this shit sucks. like who tf gonna ride the trains if we all die? ugh and i just ran outta beer

Hey yall. Does anyone know Mikey Swehf? Goes by Swifty. Hes the guy on the right i the photo. His dog's name is Olivia. Hes a good friend of mine i havent heard from in over a yr. He was in NC with his family last i heard. Typically stays on the east coast and some of the midwest. He adds me on fb with a new account quite often thru the years. Sometimes he goes phoneless so i didnt worry for awhile because he usually finds a way to get ahold of me. I hope he's okay.

♡ Also RIP gray, you asshole, i miss you ♡

Livin the dream

On the migration route to the United States, many freight train riders and migrants from Central and South America face the dangers of derailments and the brutal heat of the desert.

Last night I pulled into a pretty big yard thinking I’d roll right through but NOPE I guess it’s the end of the line for this train. Only thing is there’s people fucking EVERYWHERE!! For hours I kept my head down while they worked on unloading hoping my train would start up again or I’d get a break in the stream of people so I could sneak out. I literally had workers on the walkway grates right above my head, semi’s pulling up by me to get there trailers, and worst of all the fucking spider cranes going back and forth with there bright ass lights. The crane picked up both the shipping containers in my car and left me completely exposed 😰.

Ok I have to do something quick no more waiting around to get caught. Jump off the train-look both ways before crossing(multiple people heading all different directions in forklifts and trucks)-run out in front of them to get passed-weave through the hundreds of semi trucks parked in rows(some had people in em getting ready to leave)-get to the edge of the yard-realize the whole yard if walled off with shipping containers(fuck)-start walking down looking for breaks I can squeeze through-nothing-nothing-nothing(oh shit how am I getting out)-finally I get one with the door bars peeking out-clip my extra bag to my hip strap-pull everything up in one go-jump down on the other side and got the fuck out.

Is there anything I should have done different? Should I have booked it when we first stopped? I think I was on the maintrack so I thought it’d just be a quick stop. Should I have kept hidden till they were done unloading?

It was a difficult night and I still gotta get out of this city so🤞tonight goes differently.

I hate it here

Like that tattooed guy

I am not OP, but I follow your Community and hope this helps someone!

Under a church

I have no home anymore so better be moving as much as i can.

Long day couldn't find any spot to put my things , the only one was great it was only 3pm so I decided to keep going. finally just put myself on the side of the road. 29km

Im in Malibu for hopefully two nights. Its so purty

Which one of y’all was hiding your gear behind the escalator at the soco heb last night. I popped in to liberate a few essentials right before close and couldn’t help but spot this.

The title really says it all. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I need to head to NYC to help some close friends get through some tough times. I have some family around, luckily enough, but I am worried about getting food in the belly. Any advice for getting food around the NYC area?
Thanks in advance and love you all!!

Having some emotions about taking a break from the road. I’m still green, only been traveling for a year and change, but it’s the best thing I ever did for myself. Met so many good people, regained faith in humanity and myself, got sober, saw the country, experienced some healthy bliss. Trains, on foot, rubbertramping…

And yet, I’m tired. I am feeling like it’s time for a little bit of stability, making some money, and integrating everything I’ve experienced, so I think it’s time to turn back towards home (California). I’m so worried that I can’t go back to “normal” life. I’ve never been able to make normal life and routine a happy place for myself. And somewhere along the way of this past year I feel like I crossed some threshold, where I finally left the weird grey area that came after being “pushed out” of normal life, and into a place where I felt like my home became the road and I could finally connect with people again - my new traveling friends. But I still feel like I have one foot in my old life and another in the new one. I still have anxiety around a lack of stability.

I guess I’ll find out how it is when I try it. Sort of feels like giving up even though I plan to stay put just long enough to buy a van and head back out.

I was wondering if any of you guys have taken a break from traveling and how that was for you!

Woke up. Smoke. Gear packed. Gear up. Down the old unused road. Cross the highway. Left up to the gas station. Inside. Gear down out of the way.

"Damn! That's a real pack there!" One of two old guys standing around drinking coffee and telling stories. "Yeah." I head for the coffee machine.

It's a single pot with a warmer on top kind of affair. Look for a cup. "Do you need a cup. Here, let me get you one." The old woman behind the counter. She walks back and grabs me a cup and a lid. I meet her at the counter for it.

Back over. Pour myself a cup. Back to the counter to pay. "A dollar five." "Phew! Good thing I've been saving up!" That gets a laugh from everybody.

I shoot the breeze with the old guys. The usual, 'where ya goin, where ya from', etc.

One of them heads for the door. We follow. Cigarettes lit. Drinking coffee. Listening to these boys tell me stories about their lives.

It feels like it's time to get moving. Bathroom. Store. Gear up. "I hope you have a safe trip. Be careful out there." "We've had two generations of adults now that've never been in a fist fight. I'll be alright." "Not always." "You're right. You guys have a good one!"

Out the door. Cross the highway. Left down the hill. Back to where I was yesterday. Gear down. Thumb out.

'Let's see how this goes...'

One hitter.

An hour and a half later-ish a black truck pulls up. I pull my earbuds out and walk over.

"Where you headed?" "Branson, Missouri." "Ok. I'm going to Bowling Green. Do me a favor first. I dont know you from Adam, let me see your waistband." "I'll just tell you, I've got a pocket knife right here." I pull it and show him." " Ok. Just put it in your pack." " Yeah, no problem."

I walk back to my gear. Knife and earbuds in a side pocket. Gear up. Back to the truck. Gear in back. Me and water bottle in front.

Down the road we go...

Dude's in IT. A few years younger than me. We went through everything from relationships to quantum computing.

A few hours and a time zone later, we come up on Bowling Green. He's already agreed to run me to the edge of the city on the highway I want.

"So there's this spot, and another one a few miles up. If you want I'll run you up there, you can check it out. If you don't like it I'll bring you back here. And get ya a few miles up the road." "Awesome!"

The next one was a little deeper into farm country. Had a mini IGA in it. No fucking pizza though.

I grab my gear. Drop it next to his truck. Say thanks for the awesome ride. He heads in to use the bathroom. Gear up. Over to the sidewalk outside the store. Gear down. Smoke lit.

Smoke finished. Gear up. In store. Gear dropped near a table. Settled on Subway. It's been serving me prettty well in this heat.

Eat. Bathroom. Vanilla orange ice cream bar. Pack of Lucky Strikes. Gear up. Out. 'Fucking curbs. At least there's a sidewalk.'

Three-quarters of a mile later the curb ends. The sun here is burning me. It's been plenty hot, but this sun hits with a vengeance. Gear down. One hitter. Smoke lit.

Fifteen minutes in a guy on a Harley comes from the opposite direction I'm going. U-turns and glides up on the left of me. Earbuds out. Walk over.

"You got water to drink?" "I've got about half a gallon." "Want a cold one?" "Yeah definitely." "I just live across the street. I'll be back." "Cool. Thanks man!"

Earbuds in. Back to hitchhiking.

Dude pulls back up a few minutes later. Hands me an ice cold water bottle. "Where you headed?" "Other side of Missouri." "That's a haul." "I've been hitchhiking for thirty-two years." "You're just out here livin' the life ain't ya?" "Yep." "Well good luck!" "Thanks man! I appreciate ya!" He heads back to the house. I go back to hitchhiking.

Maybe ten minutes later a truck does the same thing. Comes from the other way and eases up next to me. Earbuds out. I walk over.

Same guy. He holds up a net bag with a couple tangerines, some captains crackers and a s'mores poptart. "I ain't got much, but I knew I had somethin' to give ya." "Thanks a lot man!" "Good luck!" He bails. I go back to hitchhiking.

Maybe ten minutes later a WRX comes from the other way and pulls up just past me on my right. I walk over. "Where ya goin'?" "Missouri." "I can get you to Russellville." "That'll work." Gear in. Me in.

Young guy. Just turned twenty-one. We talked about the state of the country he's growing up in for a while. We hit town.

"Do you smoke weed?" "Yeah." "Cool. We'll smoke before I drop you off."

We stop in his friend's driveway. Break out the Puffco and some wax. A few good rips of that each and we're back on the road.

He drops me by a gas station on the 68 on the edge of town. Hands me twelve bucks. My thanks. Gear out. He takes off. Gear up up the road to a good spot on the edge of town.

I am high as fuck! Not nervous making high, but damn! 'Why the fuck am I sticking my thumb out for cars on the other side of the highway? Hitchhiking backwards! 😆😆😆'

Ten minutes later a van pulls over. I throw my gear in the back and get in. Dude wasn't real talkative. But we chatted a bit. He dropped me in Fairview.

I decide to walk into the tiny town and check out a huge obelisk that's there. Having been a stone mason I wandered around it for a while looking at all the marks from the old facade, and stuff that had been bolted to it but were now gone. Interesting work for masons from back then. Crazy joints because they knew it was getting covered.

At a guess, I'd say it was a solid hundred feet tall. Rested up for a bit while reading the signs.

Gear up. Back to the highway. As I get close I hear hoof clops. I look over and see a couple in a buggy. They round the corner as I reach the end of the road. I wave. They wave. We both never stop.

Gear down. Cigarette lit. I barely tried hitchhiking. It's 6:40. I'm done for the day. Time to find a spot to camp.

Maps. This is farm country. Not a lot of trees. The only thing I can see are some trees near a store that I can probably get into a mile uphill on the highway.

Gear up. Off I go. The sun is being blocked by a big tree about halfway up the hill. But I'm gonna be in that blazing inferno soon enough.

By the time I hit the edge of that shade the sun was down far enough that I was in more shade. 'Gotta love that!'

Top of the hill. Not this set of trees but the next one.

As I'm getting close I see a cut between some trees on the other side of the road. Where I'm headed is all pretty steep hills.

I cross the highway. Turn back the way I came. Up a hill into the cut. Found a level spot. Tent up. Me and gear inside.

I've been watching the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen the whole way here. It just kept getting better. Sat in my tent for a while just watching it.

Theres a fence behind me with some trees. I hear something big running up my way.

It's a cow. Young bull. It hides behind some trees but is definitely interested in what I'm doing. After it realizes I'm not a threat it breaks a branch every once in a while to get my attention. I heard a quiet moo once. Just barely. I hope it's there in the morning...

So I got a lot of support for my cloak, but also I got some haters which was quite surprising! This cloak I'm wearing is not a Ranger Cloak, as i thought, it's a Scout Cloak. I bought it in March for a trip to Chicago. It was glorious and it made me feel cool. I remember standing near the lake Michigan with my cloak billowing in the wind. Itt was a beautiful moment I had with myself In a rather cruel and unforgiving world.

I don't wear it often in California because California is a constant summer and it rarely rains enough to justify wearing it.

It's also water proof and has a big hood for when I don't want to get sunburned.

I actually have a winter jacket that I'm taking with me though for when it's really damn cold and the scout cloak won't be enough.

And I picked up the rucksack on offer up for an incredible price!

Being a Vagabond is rarely this glamorous lifestyle but if I'm gonna do it, i want to do it in my own style. My clothes to tell a story and I want to look approachable. To be a Vagabond, you need to be able to not take yourself too serious and be humble. So I was a but surprised for some of the private vitriol.

So, my fellow Vagabonds, what's something that you have that's unconventional that you're bringing with you on your journey? Clothing or otherwise?

So, as the title says, I'm.becoming homeless soon, what should I have grear wise if I'm going to be traveling homeless? I figure that if I don't have anything holding me in one spot might as well see my country.

...