Posted: May 30 2004,3:55
——————————————————————————–
As Jane Jacobs says in her book “Dark Age Ahead”, ‘To see where we are headed in the near future, look beyond such perennial American crises as race and class divisions and early childhood education, instead, focus on the faltering five pillars of society: the financial undermining of the family household (the lack of meaningful work causing crime one result); the increasing emphasis on credentials instead of learning in higher ed (Bush’s Yale degree given, not earned); the corruption of scientific analysis (intelligent design proponents increasingly attacking Darwinism as a ‘Theory’ not as the accepted scientific fact it is); the decreasing local control of taxes (pick your own example); and the failure at self-policing by learned professions such as accounting (Enron and the like).’
Because of these reasons, I am planning and actively pursuing a life change. I bring it up here in order to let my family know, and to ask everyone’s advice, input, & objections, etc.
Here is my plan, in preparation for several months now:
Prepare my house for sale, I have already started; sell all but a few of my possessions, I am on schedule; sell house to take advantage of this housing bubble. Either fly, buy motor home, or coastal cruiser of 35′ or larger. Hit the air, road or sea. Or some logical combination of these three. Head up north for this summer, then south for this winter. End up in Costa Rica or Panama (they are both hot beds for high tech). Sell transportation, buy or rent house. Stay there until I’m bored or broke or dead. Make my plans according to my whim, somewhere within my budget. Stretching my cash out where ever possible.
Some things I need to have happen: Get my house sold (I own it outright). If it doesn’t sell, hmmm, might stay here. Shouldn’t be a problem selling it, though.
Buy a boat of 35′ or so that will travel safely, and that I can live aboard ($36,000 to $60,000) or a motor home I can get 20,000 miles out of ($12,000-$18,000 for a used one that is usable, prices falling now because of the gas prices, and gas prices will fall, like always, just before the election).
The boat would require I find a sailor/friend that has an income of $400 or so a month (to pay own expenses and buy gas occasionally) and knows how to cruise the coast. The motor home I could afford on my own and run alone as long as I got consulting work once in a while and my luck holds up, though I wouldn’t be opposed to a paying rider occasionally.
Although sketchy, I’ve been working on these plans for some time and have run some numbers and looked into living in Panama or the like. For instance, I should be able to get 10 comfortable years out of my holdings in Panama (less then $500 per month for all the stuff I have and use here). Without getting a job. Getting a job there would just make it better.
Mush, I’ll soon be sending you some of the family pix and stuff you might want to save.
Anyone think this sounds like fun???
Posted: June 01 2004,4:06
——————————————————————————–
A motor home is an inprocess idea based on what I’ve heard from many owners, including your aunts and uncles…it’s just much more convenient to have your entire home with you. And I need some room for my shop, like about 360cuft or so. I need that in order to help pay for the whole living on the road or sea thing so I don’t run out of $$ too quickly.
Naturally, I am also considering flying to Panama and having my stuff shipped to me, haven’t decided on the best way to do any of this yet. I’ll pick according to my whim based on how much I net from the sale of the house.
Posted: June 02 2004,11:54
——————————————————————————–
A blog it is! Mush, send me a write up on how to upload to your site and all…
About the Eastern European areas…the tickets to get there would be much more expensive then CA (Central America). Since I won’t be looking for a woman (too much maintainence), other then as a housekeeper, I’m not impressed by how good-looking they are in E. Europe. I would like to pass through on a visit though. Especially Prague.
India is out, because it is one of the oldest, yet most backwards civilizations on the planet. I have no desire what so ever to even visit the place, it’s known as being far too crowded and I’ve read and seen (travel shows on PBS) far to much about it, even the far reaches are wacked. And too much knowledge about a place isn’t good.
I backpacked for almost 10 years off and on and I’m just fucking tired of having 70 pounds on my back…but, shedding all for a stuff sack of my stuff is one of my plans (there is a travel sack for $350 or so that would be perfect, just the right size for carry on) and is on my list of what I could do, along with the other choices of motor home & the yacht. I would have to lug it from airport to taxi but I don’t want something on my back anymore. And I don’t want to walk more then 3-5 miles at a time, either. I still have my backpacking equipment, even a tent, but I’m planning on selling it all at my yard/estate sale soon.
China sounds like fun although I have been too many places in Asia and I fear it would be all too familiar. I would like to revisit Da Nang, maybe spend a year there, really neat people. Thailand, at least southern Thailand (mostly free of rebels), is a definite possibility. Maybe spend a year there as well. Don’t know yet.
CA is at the top of my list because it is close to family, has a booming electronics industry, especially in Panama, has a large land area at 3000′ (60F to 80F year round, normally 73F, and I don’t like too much heat), and has liberal emigration policies.
I’ve lived for years at a low consumption rate but still managed to pay off my home 12 years early so I have a good idea that I could stretch out my funds for 10 or so years in CA. Without working. Working in the consulting field would help. I have the Electronics degree, the BA degree, the computer consulting expirience, licenses and training, the Real estate brokers license, etc. so it is possible I could find work where ever I go (or I would like to think so).
Unless something bad happens (long hospital stay) I think I can stretch my $$$ quite a while.
June 17 2004,8:54
——————————————————————————–
POST MY REASONS? Easy, those of you that have been around for awhile on this rants site, know that I grew up near the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and was exposed to radiation as part of a human expiriment that first the government started and then allowed & encouraged their corporate lackies to continue. Check out www.downwinders.com (currently being remodeled) for FACTS. Since I was a kid at the time, and kids are more susceptible to radiation damage, I don’t expect to live longer then to my mid seventies, when the men in my family use to live till their 90’s, dying quickly from a stroke. So, I’m going to cash in now, hit the road while I’m healthy, and try to enjoy the trip. It will be my goal to take this government to the cleaners, when the time comes, since they have probably killed me and mine (Dad, mom, Teri, Dan). Mush, please remember, I’m a Vietnam Vet and as such they have to take me as a patient at Vets hospitals if I’m incapacitated. Free. (At least for now, tho I’m sure the republicans will kill that soon).
Am I bitter about this? Yes.
But do I have a happy & health outlook? Yes.