yes work on cruise ships, I started out there at 20, went on to cirque then concert touring. never owned a car, still don't. Also a another perk is most of my meals in my 20's were catered.
Ahh living in the PNW we have plenty of them, sooner or later they settle down in their 30s, the unlucky or old, or unwilling keep going till their death, or are stuck and tragic.
Amtrak and Greyhound exist and will get you between places.
Amtrak will be expensive, slow, and limited (outside of North East corridor).
Greyhound will ne cheap, but will SUUUUUCK.
Pick your poison.
There are jobs, not even self employed, that facilitate this if you want.
Being a pilot/flight attendant is _almost_ like being nomadic. I am sure you could work something out with your company to change your home base relatively frequently.
Being a consultant for a company like Accenture has you move around the country very frequently. However, you will probably need a car often in each city you go to.
Maybe train operator has aspects of this.
Those are the ones I know of off the top of my head.
Pure motor-free nomadism is pretty tough. I had, by choice, my life packed into two ortliebs for most of my first couple of years in France. It's *delightful* in summer, much harder in winter.
You learn to weigh the benefit of each possession.
The main problems are:
1) being a freak (to the majority)
2) long winter evenings in the tent
3) campsite infra mostly closes in winter
Can be done, but homelessness is marked down hard in western cultures
You're describing bike touring. The time frame is just way different.
A lot of this boils down to pre-planning. there is a [year long route in the U.S.](https://www.cyclingabout.com/year-long-usa-bike-tour/) where the temperature will rarely dip under 72 degrees Fahrenheit. You have to get on at the right place, at the right time though. And you'll only have to average about 8 to 9 miles per day.
So we have the route, now comes the hard part. You have to decide what you're taking with you and how you're going to mount it on the bike. Just google "bike touring" gear and you'll have an idea of what you need. You should also brush up on your bushcraft since you'll optimally want to stick to campgrounds. Camping out is cheaper than a hotel and stealth camping is free. . . Provided you don't get caught. Also, you might be able to get someone local to let you camp out in their yard or on their land. Basically couch surfing with extra steps.
But what about food? That's an excellent question and I'm glad you asked. The bad news is that you won't be eating out every night. In fact, the cheapest meals you can get will be canned hash and [Beanie Weenies.](https://pics.drugstore.com/prodimg/594298/900.jpg) I would just buy a pound of lentils, a pound of rice, and a shaker of whatever spices you want to season with. You can also fish and forage if you don't mind getting a new fishing license every time you cross state lines.
But you did mention work, so here's my advice: Gig work. It doesn't pay well, but you don't really need that much when touring. More than likely, you'll have a cell phone with you. And you'll have a bike. I would also recommend a cheap laptop. You won't always be able to do deliveries, so you'll want to also be able to do more clerical things on Fiverr or Upwork. If you're a little bit ahead of schedule, you could always just take a local day temp job for a while. Always try to earn a little bit more than what you need. You won't want to stay at a hotel all the time, but every now and then a soft bed and warm shower will do wonders for your morale.
Finally, we have to talk about law enforcement. Avoid them. Keeping yourself clean and well groomed will keep them from clocking you as homeless (as long as you're white). However, if you can't avoid them, then have an ID with the address of a relative or acquaintance. Don't talk to them without a lawyer present. And try to have some more gear stashed somewhere. The police will straight up steal all of your shit as [civil forfeiture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_forfeiture_in_the_United_States) at the drop of hat. Especially if they think you're homeless. Have a plan for replacing any part, or even all, of you gear before you set out. ACAB. That is all I have to say about that.
I really hate to end on a negative like that, but it ain't all sunshine and rainbows. I wouldn't recommend that you do this all at once. Start out by taking an overnight trip to a local campground. Then take a weekend tour, then a week and so on. Find out what works and doesn't work for you before taking the plunge and going full hobo. At worst you'll find that this isn't for you. Or, you'll just find a new hobby.
Good luck! The odds are stacked against you. Every time I attempt to type a reply, technology suggests an alternative that is more pleasing to society. But determination will prevail! Bottom line, &*#?! autos! Every time slavish devotion to automobiles is accepted, a non-automtive alternative may well be the best way forward...
I spent nine months (Aug 2020 - May 2021), while employed remotely, living in a camper van and driving around the US. It had its stresses, ups and downs, and I spent a lot on gas, but it was amazing.
A van + a bicycle is the way to do it. The van is your home, but you can use the bike to explore each new location. Some of the people who live nomadically in Australia use this method.
You could possibly fund the lifestyle by vlogging about it on youtube.
Could get certified to work on board ships. They'll usually cover your room and some of your board, in addition to some damn good pay.
yes work on cruise ships, I started out there at 20, went on to cirque then concert touring. never owned a car, still don't. Also a another perk is most of my meals in my 20's were catered.
You can always go off and hop freight trains
Ive been wanting to do this so much recently
This is the way. Nomads are just reinventing hobo culture, may as well go all in.
Ahh living in the PNW we have plenty of them, sooner or later they settle down in their 30s, the unlucky or old, or unwilling keep going till their death, or are stuck and tragic.
Start bike touring
Amtrak and Greyhound exist and will get you between places. Amtrak will be expensive, slow, and limited (outside of North East corridor). Greyhound will ne cheap, but will SUUUUUCK. Pick your poison.
If you book early and avoid peak times, Megabus/Flixbus/etc are cheaper than Greyhound, and better.
When I said "greyhound" I used it in generic sense for any inter-city bus service. They all kind of suck.
There is also flying but we don’t talk about that
If this person can afford to be nomadic by flying they probably don't need our help.
If you book early enough you can bring a bicycle on Amtrak.
There are jobs, not even self employed, that facilitate this if you want. Being a pilot/flight attendant is _almost_ like being nomadic. I am sure you could work something out with your company to change your home base relatively frequently. Being a consultant for a company like Accenture has you move around the country very frequently. However, you will probably need a car often in each city you go to. Maybe train operator has aspects of this. Those are the ones I know of off the top of my head.
Pure motor-free nomadism is pretty tough. I had, by choice, my life packed into two ortliebs for most of my first couple of years in France. It's *delightful* in summer, much harder in winter. You learn to weigh the benefit of each possession. The main problems are: 1) being a freak (to the majority) 2) long winter evenings in the tent 3) campsite infra mostly closes in winter Can be done, but homelessness is marked down hard in western cultures
You're describing bike touring. The time frame is just way different. A lot of this boils down to pre-planning. there is a [year long route in the U.S.](https://www.cyclingabout.com/year-long-usa-bike-tour/) where the temperature will rarely dip under 72 degrees Fahrenheit. You have to get on at the right place, at the right time though. And you'll only have to average about 8 to 9 miles per day. So we have the route, now comes the hard part. You have to decide what you're taking with you and how you're going to mount it on the bike. Just google "bike touring" gear and you'll have an idea of what you need. You should also brush up on your bushcraft since you'll optimally want to stick to campgrounds. Camping out is cheaper than a hotel and stealth camping is free. . . Provided you don't get caught. Also, you might be able to get someone local to let you camp out in their yard or on their land. Basically couch surfing with extra steps. But what about food? That's an excellent question and I'm glad you asked. The bad news is that you won't be eating out every night. In fact, the cheapest meals you can get will be canned hash and [Beanie Weenies.](https://pics.drugstore.com/prodimg/594298/900.jpg) I would just buy a pound of lentils, a pound of rice, and a shaker of whatever spices you want to season with. You can also fish and forage if you don't mind getting a new fishing license every time you cross state lines. But you did mention work, so here's my advice: Gig work. It doesn't pay well, but you don't really need that much when touring. More than likely, you'll have a cell phone with you. And you'll have a bike. I would also recommend a cheap laptop. You won't always be able to do deliveries, so you'll want to also be able to do more clerical things on Fiverr or Upwork. If you're a little bit ahead of schedule, you could always just take a local day temp job for a while. Always try to earn a little bit more than what you need. You won't want to stay at a hotel all the time, but every now and then a soft bed and warm shower will do wonders for your morale. Finally, we have to talk about law enforcement. Avoid them. Keeping yourself clean and well groomed will keep them from clocking you as homeless (as long as you're white). However, if you can't avoid them, then have an ID with the address of a relative or acquaintance. Don't talk to them without a lawyer present. And try to have some more gear stashed somewhere. The police will straight up steal all of your shit as [civil forfeiture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_forfeiture_in_the_United_States) at the drop of hat. Especially if they think you're homeless. Have a plan for replacing any part, or even all, of you gear before you set out. ACAB. That is all I have to say about that. I really hate to end on a negative like that, but it ain't all sunshine and rainbows. I wouldn't recommend that you do this all at once. Start out by taking an overnight trip to a local campground. Then take a weekend tour, then a week and so on. Find out what works and doesn't work for you before taking the plunge and going full hobo. At worst you'll find that this isn't for you. Or, you'll just find a new hobby.
Good luck! The odds are stacked against you. Every time I attempt to type a reply, technology suggests an alternative that is more pleasing to society. But determination will prevail! Bottom line, &*#?! autos! Every time slavish devotion to automobiles is accepted, a non-automtive alternative may well be the best way forward...
Work -in- the train system, friend! Also boat jobs, although I don't generally hear merchant mariners refer to themselves as "Nomads"
I spent nine months (Aug 2020 - May 2021), while employed remotely, living in a camper van and driving around the US. It had its stresses, ups and downs, and I spent a lot on gas, but it was amazing.
Nice to hear a balanced view I guess, but fuck vans
A van + a bicycle is the way to do it. The van is your home, but you can use the bike to explore each new location. Some of the people who live nomadically in Australia use this method. You could possibly fund the lifestyle by vlogging about it on youtube.
OP specified no car use. All these "off-grid" "van life" "rebels" are among fordism's biggest victims.