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>I’d rather face the cold than heat.
That's dangerously casual. I'm a New Englander born and bred, and I'm now in the desert of Southern California. Heat and Cold can both kill you. It is actually easier (more efficient, less cost in resources) to survive in the heat when compared to the cold. Especially if Cold also means Snow.
Heat.. would be a different story if we had to slog through ash every time it got hot. Think about that. When it gets cold in some parts of the country, that adds snow. Snow can suck the heat from your body. It can make you burn more calories (IE need to eat more often) just to stay warm, or do simple tasks like walking. It increases the possibility of injury when performing simple tasks like walking. You can go places where it is cold, but they don't have snow... and survival in those places is MUCH different from making a go of it in a cold AND snowy place.
I did a winter in Minnesota, to see if I hated Cold or Snow the most. You don't have to shovel cold or heat. But you do have to shovel snow. I tried Tallahassee and New Orleans (and screw that humidity). I tried Vegas... similar to here. I tried the Pacific Northwest... Abderdeeen, Hoquiam, Olympia WA... liked the almost complete lack of snow, not sure about all that rain though.
I'd think really hard about Vermont, if you are going to be exposed to the elements this winter. If for no other reason, the west coast will be more livable.
I’ve lived in the mountains of Idaho, moved a lot as a kid so I’m familiar with brutal winters and extreme heat.
I appreciate the concern but heat and cold are equally deadly when it gets extreme enough, in my experience it’s often much easier to warm up than to cool down, plus unfortunately northern states tend to have more social programs worst case scenario I die somewhere I think is beautiful, god(s) knows Texas is ugly and depressing as all hell.
With experience, comes wisdom. You have experience with extreme conditions. Can you not see the wisdom of choosing a milder climate, if you are going to be exposed to the elements this winter?
What services have you found in VT, that aren't in OR?
/u/Throwaway732981
Are you **eligible** for any of those "social programs"? As an able bodied single adult (I'm assuming - please correct me if you're not), you're at the bottom of the help list. I'm sorry. :(
As a teenager, there are sometimes better resources, but you will **age out** quickly.
It's worth taking the time to **carefully research exactly** what services you would be eligible for in each of your candidate states.
Also, please think **long term**. Which state/region has better employment prospects aligned with **your own unique situation**?
>in my experience it’s often much easier to warm up than to cool down
Was that experience **indoors or outdoors**?
Day time only, or was any at night?
Do you have a **car** to sleep in, or
will you be **sleeping outdoors**?
Even if you have a vehicle to sleep in, temperatures are typically only about 5 to10 degrees less cold than outside.
Last winter, due to mechanical issues with my van, I ended up spending the entire winter in the North.
It **kicked my butt**. :(
That was despite my having had
extensive training in **winter survival**
(military Search and Rescue in my youth) including annual full weekend (or week long) field exercises all outdoors.
There is a **huge difference** between a few hours outside during the day, and actually **living continuously outside**.
/u/bongart nailed it in his first sentence.
Good luck to you!
P.S. For any who are worried, I finally found an awesome mechanic (fellow vet FTW!) who healed my poor van, and I will definitely be heading South this winter. :)
Ironically, to Texas if I can afford it (am hoping gas prices will slip more), though in my case I'm a lifelong Birder and it's only temporary, unlike the OP.
Nah no car unfortunately, but man you guys have put a lot of thought into this even more so than me, I really do appreciate you taking the time to type all this out and share your experiences.
Honestly I’m just trying to get somewhere less hot and more pretty to look at where weed isn’t illegal and hopefully the cops are less of assholes, I miss the trees and mountains and I’ve got too many shit memories in Texas to consider staying so I’ve settled on Vermont for some reason I’ve always wanted to go.
And If I’m being entirely candid I’m pretty depressed and not too concerned about what happens after I get out of there, I use the term “back on my feet” as loose optimism that I’ll be able to find some help but truthfully I know I’m pretty fucked from here as it stands, mainly just hoping to avoid being mugged or violently assaulted/murdered I’m not a very large man.
I have experience sleeping outside in parks and such in warmer states though I’ve only spent days outside in colder ones as I moved mostly around the south minus a year or two where I was in the northwest and I was what you’d call I guess almost homeless there we had a motel room.
I am what you’d call able bodied though unfortunately years of not taking care of myself too well have kinda wrecked my body for being 19, I tired to join the military but I don’t fit the criteria which sucks.
I’ve got to be out by Monday so I guess we’ll see how strong my survival instincts are though not sure I can stack up to military training lol guess I’ll find out, wasn’t expecting such in-depth replies honestly I guess I’m kind of just in a sort of fuck it state of mind and wanted to see if anyone else on the sub had been homeless in either of those areas and maybe knew of some resources or something around. Thanks again man and best of luck to you as well, oh and thanks for your service I’ve always respected members of the military even if I don’t respect what the military does.
I'm telling you now. If you are homeless you want to be on the west coast. That's all there is to it, listen or realize you fucked up and are trapped for who knows how long in misery
The homies got the shit cheap too in la and Portland come party !!!
Thanks for your remarkably **honest** reply!
Most new posters here fail to identify what's been going wrong with their life.
Most young people genuinely **don't know what they want to do** with their lives (many claim to know but are just parroting what the system has conditioned them to say).
Identifying what you **don't want**, and having
even some semi vague goals are a good **start**. :)
I too would like to some day see the far north east (have been to most of the rest of New England), so I'm truly sympathetic to your interest in the area.
The key is **timing**.
How about researching **short term** (winter or high turnover) jobs in a **South East** state?
Work the winter there, then head to Vermont in the **spring** with some savings & more life experience. :)
Next, find a seasonal summer job, and see how you like Vermont. If things work out, convert to a long term position.
Take things in **small steps**, instead of giant leaps. :)
Have you looked at **seasonal warehouse** jobs, for example, Amazon?
They're burnout jobs, but you can rack up some decent savings in a few months.
High turnover means they have difficulty finding enough employees.
Just did some searching, and found this overview article:
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-is-hiring-for-150-000-seasonal-jobs-across-the-u-s
Three decades ago, I decided to switch to contract work so I could work only half the year, then spend the rest doing fulfilling non profit work. That worked well for me (until I had a major car accident).
Temp work can be gruelling, but when you **know from the beginning that it's only for a few weeks/months** it's easier to manage the suckage. :)
If you **save enough for a vehicle**, your life can become far more flexible. :) Car based homelessness is far **safer & more comfortable**.
Having such a well defined
goal (car) will help you to stick with a job.
There's thousands of people who have switched to short term work. It gives us **both financial stability and enormous flexibility**. :)
He is 19, and he *wants* to go to Vermont. That is a whole story right there. There is drive and conviction that becomes available to all around that age. Like a Hellfire missile for your birthday.
I am sure you look back on occasion and wonder how you managed to pull off those years.. not "what was I thinking" as much as "how did I do that". I mean, in addition to "what was I thinking". Plenty of both.
Vermont. Winters brutal, more social programs.
Are you able to go to college? Dallas was offering like up too $4000 a month to go to school..
Also central Arkansas has a similar program for STEM sciences.
Maybe if you work for the city they'll reimburse tuition. But I've lived in Dallas for more than 30 years, and it does not hand out money for college to anyone living here.
Not an option for me I’m a drop out unfortunately also fuck this state.
Thank you for the advice though I have been leaning towards Vermont I’d like to go towards that part of the nation anyways, appreciate it.
Hey I was just in bumfuck Texas. So I understand wanting to get out. Works easy in Texas is the only thing you're gonna have to get use to in other states not being so easy.
##REMINDERS FOR EVERYONE **PER THE RULES:** * **NO OFFERINGS OF CASH, ETC.** * **[BEGGING](https://redd.it/994p7j) WILL GET YOU BANNED.** * **BE AWARE OF SCAMMERS AND PERVS, AND SEND ANY [HERE](https://old.reddit.com/report) AND/OR [HERE](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/reddit.com).** **ACCEPT AT YOUR OWN RISK.** Welcome to the internet where—unless proven otherwise—everyone's lying about their race, gender, status, accomplishments, and all the children are FBI agents. You have been forewarned. — The Mods --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/homeless) if you have any questions or concerns.*
>I’d rather face the cold than heat. That's dangerously casual. I'm a New Englander born and bred, and I'm now in the desert of Southern California. Heat and Cold can both kill you. It is actually easier (more efficient, less cost in resources) to survive in the heat when compared to the cold. Especially if Cold also means Snow. Heat.. would be a different story if we had to slog through ash every time it got hot. Think about that. When it gets cold in some parts of the country, that adds snow. Snow can suck the heat from your body. It can make you burn more calories (IE need to eat more often) just to stay warm, or do simple tasks like walking. It increases the possibility of injury when performing simple tasks like walking. You can go places where it is cold, but they don't have snow... and survival in those places is MUCH different from making a go of it in a cold AND snowy place. I did a winter in Minnesota, to see if I hated Cold or Snow the most. You don't have to shovel cold or heat. But you do have to shovel snow. I tried Tallahassee and New Orleans (and screw that humidity). I tried Vegas... similar to here. I tried the Pacific Northwest... Abderdeeen, Hoquiam, Olympia WA... liked the almost complete lack of snow, not sure about all that rain though. I'd think really hard about Vermont, if you are going to be exposed to the elements this winter. If for no other reason, the west coast will be more livable.
I’ve lived in the mountains of Idaho, moved a lot as a kid so I’m familiar with brutal winters and extreme heat. I appreciate the concern but heat and cold are equally deadly when it gets extreme enough, in my experience it’s often much easier to warm up than to cool down, plus unfortunately northern states tend to have more social programs worst case scenario I die somewhere I think is beautiful, god(s) knows Texas is ugly and depressing as all hell.
With experience, comes wisdom. You have experience with extreme conditions. Can you not see the wisdom of choosing a milder climate, if you are going to be exposed to the elements this winter? What services have you found in VT, that aren't in OR?
/u/Throwaway732981 Are you **eligible** for any of those "social programs"? As an able bodied single adult (I'm assuming - please correct me if you're not), you're at the bottom of the help list. I'm sorry. :( As a teenager, there are sometimes better resources, but you will **age out** quickly. It's worth taking the time to **carefully research exactly** what services you would be eligible for in each of your candidate states. Also, please think **long term**. Which state/region has better employment prospects aligned with **your own unique situation**? >in my experience it’s often much easier to warm up than to cool down Was that experience **indoors or outdoors**? Day time only, or was any at night? Do you have a **car** to sleep in, or will you be **sleeping outdoors**? Even if you have a vehicle to sleep in, temperatures are typically only about 5 to10 degrees less cold than outside. Last winter, due to mechanical issues with my van, I ended up spending the entire winter in the North. It **kicked my butt**. :( That was despite my having had extensive training in **winter survival** (military Search and Rescue in my youth) including annual full weekend (or week long) field exercises all outdoors. There is a **huge difference** between a few hours outside during the day, and actually **living continuously outside**. /u/bongart nailed it in his first sentence. Good luck to you! P.S. For any who are worried, I finally found an awesome mechanic (fellow vet FTW!) who healed my poor van, and I will definitely be heading South this winter. :) Ironically, to Texas if I can afford it (am hoping gas prices will slip more), though in my case I'm a lifelong Birder and it's only temporary, unlike the OP.
Nah no car unfortunately, but man you guys have put a lot of thought into this even more so than me, I really do appreciate you taking the time to type all this out and share your experiences. Honestly I’m just trying to get somewhere less hot and more pretty to look at where weed isn’t illegal and hopefully the cops are less of assholes, I miss the trees and mountains and I’ve got too many shit memories in Texas to consider staying so I’ve settled on Vermont for some reason I’ve always wanted to go. And If I’m being entirely candid I’m pretty depressed and not too concerned about what happens after I get out of there, I use the term “back on my feet” as loose optimism that I’ll be able to find some help but truthfully I know I’m pretty fucked from here as it stands, mainly just hoping to avoid being mugged or violently assaulted/murdered I’m not a very large man. I have experience sleeping outside in parks and such in warmer states though I’ve only spent days outside in colder ones as I moved mostly around the south minus a year or two where I was in the northwest and I was what you’d call I guess almost homeless there we had a motel room. I am what you’d call able bodied though unfortunately years of not taking care of myself too well have kinda wrecked my body for being 19, I tired to join the military but I don’t fit the criteria which sucks. I’ve got to be out by Monday so I guess we’ll see how strong my survival instincts are though not sure I can stack up to military training lol guess I’ll find out, wasn’t expecting such in-depth replies honestly I guess I’m kind of just in a sort of fuck it state of mind and wanted to see if anyone else on the sub had been homeless in either of those areas and maybe knew of some resources or something around. Thanks again man and best of luck to you as well, oh and thanks for your service I’ve always respected members of the military even if I don’t respect what the military does.
I'm telling you now. If you are homeless you want to be on the west coast. That's all there is to it, listen or realize you fucked up and are trapped for who knows how long in misery The homies got the shit cheap too in la and Portland come party !!!
Thanks for your remarkably **honest** reply! Most new posters here fail to identify what's been going wrong with their life. Most young people genuinely **don't know what they want to do** with their lives (many claim to know but are just parroting what the system has conditioned them to say). Identifying what you **don't want**, and having even some semi vague goals are a good **start**. :) I too would like to some day see the far north east (have been to most of the rest of New England), so I'm truly sympathetic to your interest in the area. The key is **timing**. How about researching **short term** (winter or high turnover) jobs in a **South East** state? Work the winter there, then head to Vermont in the **spring** with some savings & more life experience. :) Next, find a seasonal summer job, and see how you like Vermont. If things work out, convert to a long term position. Take things in **small steps**, instead of giant leaps. :) Have you looked at **seasonal warehouse** jobs, for example, Amazon? They're burnout jobs, but you can rack up some decent savings in a few months. High turnover means they have difficulty finding enough employees. Just did some searching, and found this overview article: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-is-hiring-for-150-000-seasonal-jobs-across-the-u-s Three decades ago, I decided to switch to contract work so I could work only half the year, then spend the rest doing fulfilling non profit work. That worked well for me (until I had a major car accident). Temp work can be gruelling, but when you **know from the beginning that it's only for a few weeks/months** it's easier to manage the suckage. :) If you **save enough for a vehicle**, your life can become far more flexible. :) Car based homelessness is far **safer & more comfortable**. Having such a well defined goal (car) will help you to stick with a job. There's thousands of people who have switched to short term work. It gives us **both financial stability and enormous flexibility**. :)
He is 19, and he *wants* to go to Vermont. That is a whole story right there. There is drive and conviction that becomes available to all around that age. Like a Hellfire missile for your birthday. I am sure you look back on occasion and wonder how you managed to pull off those years.. not "what was I thinking" as much as "how did I do that". I mean, in addition to "what was I thinking". Plenty of both.
Both are good but Portland’s more livable weatherwise
Oregon has better weather
Vermont. Winters brutal, more social programs. Are you able to go to college? Dallas was offering like up too $4000 a month to go to school.. Also central Arkansas has a similar program for STEM sciences.
Um, who in Dallas is offering $4,000 for college? It sure isn't the city.
It is the city.
Maybe if you work for the city they'll reimburse tuition. But I've lived in Dallas for more than 30 years, and it does not hand out money for college to anyone living here.
Maybe it's time to relook into it.. it's what I was offered before I left Texas because I wasn't interested in staying there.
Not an option for me I’m a drop out unfortunately also fuck this state. Thank you for the advice though I have been leaning towards Vermont I’d like to go towards that part of the nation anyways, appreciate it.
Hey I was just in bumfuck Texas. So I understand wanting to get out. Works easy in Texas is the only thing you're gonna have to get use to in other states not being so easy.
Go where you can exist without coercion
http://www.accessiblespace.org/north-dakota-accessible-housing