So, I’m having one of those weeks, the ones where you just fantasize about packing a rucksack and cleaning out your bank account and running away somewhere to start a brand new life.
I’m staving off the urge by plotting where I could go, on a practical level. Assuming I left tomorrow (payday), I would have about $3500 in cash. That’s not a lot, and I also have the disadvantages of no passport and no driver’s license.
I think I’d take the bus into Downtown LA, and see where I could get via Greyhound. I’d want to settle in a fairly large city, but an inexpensive one to live in - I’d probably have to get a retail job to start with, which I’m good at but which doesn’t pay much. It’s spring already, so I should be able to cope with the current weather as long as I stay below the midpoint of the country.
I’m thinking somewhere in Oklahoma, maybe? Or Tennessee? My family would never think to look for me in a red state. Detroit is tempting, cheap to live in, but hard to find a job in and still too cold. Also, whenever I jokingly complain about running away, I say it’s to Detroit so they’d look for me there.
What do you think? Where should I go? Where would you go?
If the part about “fairly large city” mixed with Tennessee is to be considered, then the obvious choices would be Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga oe Knoxville. After those then Jackson, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, the “Tri-cities” (Kingsport, Bristol, Jphnson City), Oak Ridge and one or two others before you get to the “smaller cities” and towns might be worth a look.
All things considered, I would head for Asheville, North Carolina.
If I want to drive anywhere I have to figure out a way to turn off the GPS in the truck.
If I take my phone I have to figure out a way to block that. Would changing my number work or would I have to get a new phone with a new number?
If I run away I’m heading south where it’s warm and no snow.
I second that, you can live off that $3500 for about 2 months here including a deposit on a new place, if you are careful. Good luck and sorry you have had a terrible week.
If the true goal is to run away to somewhere nobody will look for ya, then Carthage, Mississippi. Nobody would ever think to look for anybody in Carthage, Mississippi!
It is harder to disappear within the U.S. than you think. You really have to abandon all of your former identity and contacts (including family and friends) completely and start over. You certainly can’t take something like your your cell phone or credit cards because you can be easily traced using those. New Orleans would be a good choice. There are a lot of people that just show up there and decide to stay for all kinds of reasons. It is fairly easy to get a service industry job in a kitchen somewhere and stay out of sight. Cost of living is fairly low and tolerance for people with questionable pasts is very high. You could do it but it there and build a new identity but it would be safest to invent a new identity and cover story ahead of time and know it cold.
You probably need to change your appearance as well (grow a beard, dye your hair, wear hippie clothes etc.). A grown adult who hasn’t committed a crime has the right to disappear in the U.S. whenever they want. There won’t be a nationwide police manhunt for you but that doesn’t mean that some people won’t be looking for you anyway and you could be found accidentally if you don’t take great care.
Depending on your employment plans, the cost of a passport might repay itself easily in lowered cost of living. But since it’s hard to cross borders with a fake name, any pursuers could presumably learn (via police?) what country you moved to.
First come to Vegas and put it all on RED.
If you win, then you have $7,000 and can get a lot further.
If you lose, you can go home and claim you were robbed by a band of evil North Korean tourists roaming around Hollywood and Vine.
Now you see why it is always good to have a valid passport.
You could take a bus to Mexico, then hitch a ride to some country further south, take a plane from there to anywhere. Give yourself some cool name…Danger Dan From LA…and work as a bartender in a dive bar until you meet that person of your dreams - and then find a shanty on the beach and live happily ever after!
Or you could just move to Gary, Indiana and realize nothing is worse than living in Gary, Indiana and you either die of depression or go crawling back home.
San Antonio, Texas. Late January and February are the only really “cold” times,
but even then, the temperature rarely stays below freezing for more than 36 hours. The cost of living is below the national average (and lower than Houston’s where housing is concerned).
I’d be happy to rent you the spare room until you found a mobile home and acreage to rent way out at the end of a gravel road in Atascosa or Medina counties. The kind of place where, as long as you mind your business and aren’t disruptive to the neighborhood, folks will generally let you alone. Be sure to budget for a shotgun; you’ll need one to run off the coyotes and feral hogs.
It’s a pretty location. It’s not too close to other major cities. It’s in the mountains. There’s an “artist colony” feel to the place.
Of all the places in Tennessee I mentioned earlier, none tickles my fancy as much as Asheville. Smaller Tennessee towns, yes. Bigger cities, no.
I’d be willing to bet that people who have never been to Tennessee, and have built up an image of what it’s like, would say something like, “Oh, hell yes!” when they see Asheville.
You, well, I don’t know, but someplace you don’t have relatives. You don’t wanna run into Cousin Vinny who’ll tell his mother who’ll tell her sister who’ll tell her brother who’ll tell your brother.
For me, Barcelona would have a high probability of running into a relative, so it’s out. Ask the magic bones: Italy, the UK, Ireland or Costa Rica (the only one which would require a work permit but man I loved the place)? Greece would be nice too if not for a little linguistic problem: I know only half a dozen words which aren’t food names.
Just start asking everybody you know for money, again and again. You will become completely anonymous and unknown, and don’t even need bus fare to do it.
Or buy a tee shirt that says “ASK ME ABOUT MY RELIGION”.
Asheville often makes lists of the best places to retire to. I’ve never been, but apparently, its one of those communities that is small enough to feel cozy and big enough to host a few arts organizations, surrounded by natural beauty, fairly high average income, relatively low cost of living (though high for North Carolina), fairly high average education, and good year round weather.
Honestly, I don’t have enough money to just drive off into the sunset, and I wouldn’t leave my brother and my mom worrying about me. But, since it’s a hypothetical exercise, I think I’d go to either Portland, Seattle, or Port Townshend. Since I’m being hypothetical, and cost of living doesn’t matter or likelihood of getting a job.
I could have written this OP also. I was just fantasizing last night about moving to Australia (yes, I REALLY want to get away - as far away as possible). Melbourne perhaps, or Perth. I could spend the rest of my life selling T-shirts on the beach.