Hi everybody, I'm Steve. I'm a gonnabe with the intent on it being sooner rather than later. I'm a single, 43 y.o. man who has had his eyes opened recently that there is a whole community of people who feel the same way as I do about the "American Dream". I have felt this way since I had my first corporate job and realized that I was selling hours of my life to someone else with the hopes that I live long enough to enjoy my freedom from my indentured servitude. This knowledge of voluntary slavery always puzzled me and I wondered how I was indoctrinated and how I could break my chains. But like most people I was apathetic and soon forgot my dreams for the paychecks I was getting. I was buying more and more and was less and less happy. After the recent financial freak out (Thanks Corporate America!) I, along with a large chunk of the US, was laid off from my last permanent, full time job.  There went my credit, my house, my financial stability and all of the stuff I had bought because that's what I was told I wanted. After some time full of despair, frustration, anger and insecurity I moved back home with my tail tucked between my legs and all of my worldly belongings packed into my 2001 Dodge Neon.

Then a wonderful thing started to happen. REALIZATION. Along my trip home from the West to the East coast, as I drove through city after city, state after state I thought to myself "You are at rock bottom. If your car breaks down you are now a resident of whichever city you happen to be in. You have no house, no job and no "stuff"." Then I thought to myself "Wait... I have no HOUSE PAYMENT, No car payment, No cable bill, No electric bill." That thought was relieving, inspiring and freeing. While I realized I still had to pay back my former loans my chains were gone for the most part. But, being a good American, upon my arrival in my home state I quickly chained myself to the first offer for indentured servitude I found, like a good slave. Month after month, year after year I added more and more links to my chains and found myself in the same situation as I was in before. Until recently when I lost my job again. Now I find myself in a similar position but with more hope and a better outlook. I don't have much money saved but I am going month to month on my lease and I want to change my life and live it to MY advantage. I want to work when I want to work, live a simpler, purposeful life, have less things and have more freedom to do what I want and when I want. I am a gypsy by nature. I love living in new places, meeting new people and traveling this beautiful country. I hate HAVING to work everyday for someone else, following someone elses' rules and feeling chained down and used. I hate not having freedom. 

Then something else started to come to light when I started vocalizing my wants and desires. People regurgitated everything I was trying to break away from. All of the insecurities we are instilled with from the age were we can understand them. You need to have a career. You need to have a house, car and 2.5 children with a pet. You need to work at one company for 40 years and THEN retire. When you're 65 if you're lucky. 65!?! I saw those kinds of people on my "vacations" from work. They were mostly sitting in their cars, driving through state parks where I was hiking. Standing on lookouts over where I was rock climbing and sitting in canoes in rivers and lakes where I was swimming. They would wave and smile at me and I swear I could see the look in some of their eyes wishing they could do what I was doing. I know I don't want to wait that long to LIVE my life. I don't want to be too old to live my life. THAT frightens me. We are not guaranteed a tomorrow. We are not even guaranteed the rest of today. That realization shakes me to my core and lights a fire under my ass.

So, I've decided not to do that to myself again. Now that I'm unemployed again, with my lease on a month to month basis, I'm starting to plan. I'm lucky enough not to have many bills (school loans, 2 credit cards, car insurance, cell phone) and a work history as a computer technician that I can take anywhere. But I'm still a little apprehensive. How is the best way for someone who has ZERO experience with rv's, travel trailers etc to get started? My first instinct is to jump in with both feet and swim my heart out. So I'm going to start my search for rent-to-own "mobile suites" (my new favorite saying) and go from there. I plan on combing through this website and others for all of the help I can get to get my life started. 

I am looking forward to talking to and hopefully eventually meeting some of you guys, sharing tips and advice and living what I hope is going to be my new "American Dream". -Steve

-- Edited by RVNoob on Thursday 12th of June 2014 03:51:12 PM

***Update***

Well, it's been over a year since I posted this and what a long year it has been. Shortly after this post things started to hit the fan. Both of my parents health took a turn for the worse. I've been taking care of them (with the help of my sister) and have yet to begin my new life. But now that things seem stable again I'm refocusing. I've decided on getting a small 'Vardo' style wagon (10'x5') to start off with from a local business I found (www.amvardo.com) and to document my journey on YouTube under the handle 'The Hitech Hobo'. If all goes as planned I should have my new "rig" by this years' end. If you're interested, subscribe to my channel. I hope to see you guys on the road soon. -Steve