the animal's journal

[mxlr650]

Honestly, I just want to do whatever I want..without any restrictions or constraints (like a job). So that's what makes me think of going after FI in the more traditional route. I mean, I'm only 21. I could reach FI and retire before I'm 30. It feels like a huge chunk of time but 5-7 years really isn't that long..

How about working for 3 years, take an year off and work for another 3 years?

[jacob]

One potentially non-obvious thing I would advice taking into account is the life-cycle/age aspect of choices. Now it may be that this is not important to you, but if it is/will be it's better not to be surprised by it.

It's been mentioned in other threads that a good piece of advice is to look at the age of the people doing the same thing as you. E.g. if you're in a corporation and the average employee is 25, it suggests that people don't last long in this business. Similarly if you're traveling or woofing and you notice that few other backpackers/volunteers are over 30 that's another hint. Combine this with whether you're fine interacting with people much younger or much older or having significantly other interests than your own, either due to you changing or generations changing. Only you can answer this --- unfortunately, life experience is required here and that comes slowly.

TL;DR - some things are better done at a certain age.

[theanimal]

mxlr- That's definitely something to consider. I'll probably take it 6 months or 1 year at a time and see how I feel if I go that route. Thanks for your insight.

Jacob- Yes, I think this is important and I have thought about it. If you couldn't tell, my main interest is wilderness travel. The people who do things that I aspire to emulate span a large age range, from 20s to 70s. Generally, these people have been doing these trips and activities for a long time, so I'm not too concerned about it for this field.

Now with something like WOOF I can see it being mainly younger people. If I don't do that it's really no big deal. I figure I can learn the skills on my own. I just think it would probably be an interesting experience.

[Matty]

I can appreciate wanting everything now. A lot of my friends from uni are either unemployed, volunteering, travelling or working part-time (I studied environmental science…). Instead of feeling the pressure to work and consume from my peers I have the pressure to quit and YOLO (consume experiences)!

All the best with the decisions you make. I’ll look forward to following your progress!

At the wise old age of 24 my final advice would be: commit to whatever you decide to do and make the most of it, try not to pay too much attention to the inevitable second guessing. There are many paths to ERE but I think it’s important to be at peace with the journey you choose.

@Jacob - That's something I worry about, missing out on age-specific experiences. Right now I have the drive to do more adventurous and uncomfortable things like tour across countries by bike, wwoof, long expeditions. I guess the question is two-fold: will I still want to do these things and will I still be able to relate to the people I will meet? I think part one is more important to me.

There are a bunch of other things I'd like to do like improve carpentry skills, cultivate permaculture gardens, buy a fixer-upper, run a part-time business to boost the stash, which are perfectly suited to 30s and beyond so I'm happy to delay these activities to prioritise age-specific ones.

My answer to this dilemma is to semi-ERE and hope I still have the drive at 27!

Sorry to take over your journal theanimal!

[theanimal]

I was flipping through an old notebook and came across something I had written a few months ago. Much of it still applies today..

Random and Philosophical Musing

Why do I waste my time in front of the stupid computer for hours at a time each day? It is against my values, and frankly a waste of time. Most videos I watch are completely pointless and have no effect on me over time (Update: Doing much, much better at this). I don't want to be on there, why do I still do it? Is it fear of missing out? The websites stay relatively the same. It isn't often that I receive an important email. Yet, I check anyway. I am drawn to this virtual, fake world for some unknown reason. Is it to feel connected? Am I missing something? Books lie around on my floor, desired but unread. Miles of outdoor trails and possibilities surround me. Yet, I limit myself to this device, letting time slip by.

Is it naive to think that this problem will disappear after graduation (Update: HA! Yes!)? After all, I plan on spending weeks, months and possibly even years in the wilderness. But what about when I come back? How do I avoid falling into these bad habits? I returned from Alaska last summer and the internet was unappealing to me. My goal was to severely limit my time with electronics and that seemed easily within reach. My mom said that I'd have to be careful because I could slide back into these habits. I thought she was crazy. She proved to be right.

It sickens me to see everyone constantly glued to their phones, tablets and computers. However, I have conformed to their practices. I want to be free of these technological chains and addictions in order to live freely, outdoors, on the road or the trail. Unified as one and living every moment to the fullest. No more watching shallow celebrity videos or any others that I deem a waste of time.

Who is to say how many seconds, minutes or days one has left on this earth? Each moment is precious, meant to be lived, not squandered. It is the man who lives life fully with a wealth of time that has no qualms about his demise (death). While the monetarily rich, yet time poor, man sees the empty hour glass with great disappointment. For he spent his life chasing things of no true value.

Miscellaneous

In other news, I've thought a lot recently about publishing my work as a book again. It would take an overhaul and a lot of work to get it where I want it to be, but I think it would be a fun project. I've been researching the editing process lately. Anyone have any good recommendations for finding a quality copy/line editor?

[theanimal]

Quick Update

Not much has changed. I've recently been working part time doing construction site clean up. That has been paying pretty well but that's about it. I went and visited friends at school this past weekend and had a pretty good time. It does feel pretty weird though to be done, while everyone is still there.

Anyways, other than that I'm hoping to take a couple short trips soon, one to a state park and the other to Isle Royale so that's somewhat exciting.

I'm still feeling pretty lost and am not sure what to start doing or where to go from here. I've applied to a variety of seasonal jobs, a few park ranger jobs and the like. I don't know, maybe I'm just overwhelmed. Any thoughts? Advice?

[George the original one]

Continue to pursue your goals while keeping some income rolling in. Any ranger job is a foot in the door. Keep talking to people working in your field.

[JohnnyH]

Ranger jobs are going to go, almost exclusively, to vets... Try wildland firefighting: seasonal jobs (w/ full yr health insurance), 20 yr pension potential, overtime, work outdoors. Plus it's a fear based growth industry. A war you can't win where fighting it only makes original problem much worse (we Americans seem to love these ).

[Chad]

Ranger jobs are going to go, almost exclusively, to vets...

I agree with JH. It is going to be very difficult to get any government job that even remotely attracts veteran applicants. I'm a gov't consultant and my client recently tried to fill 4 positions. The basic formula used by the gov't created a final candidate pool of 50-100 people (can't remember exact number). All of them were veterans.

I'm not saying don't apply, just have a plan B.

where fighting it only makes original problem much worse (we Americans seem to love these ).

We do seem to love these. Probably, because the correct decision is one a Rep/Senator with unlimited term limits and essentially unlimited funding needs doesn't have the courage to make.

[Ego]

I've got a friend who I watched progress from warehouse worker to county park ranger. He began by volunteering and becoming friends with those who had the job he wanted. He went through the police academy (rangers carry guns) which was a huge hurdle for him and he got several of the required certifications on his own. Toward the end of his time as a volunteer he was responsible for a few big programs that brought him to the attention of the big bosses. When it came time to hire a new ranger, they had no choice but to hire him.

That said, he became a ranger about ten years ago. Today vets get a boost. You might call those in managerial positions in those agencies to ask if the recent hires were exclusively vets.

[JohnnyH]

You could do peace corps, 2 yr commitment and you'll learn another language... At your age, if you are interested in fed jobs that might be a worthwhile investment to get veteran status.

[Dragline]

Isle Royale is awesome!

Having just got back from a trip to Philmont in New Mexico last month with boy #2, I met a lot of interesting young people who worked there, from people who were pre-college to post college to musicians to a veteran who almost died in Iraq. You might look into it: http://philmontscoutranch.org/Jobs.aspx I got the impression from a number of people who worked there that it was as much a spiritual experience as a learning one.

We had a GoPro and made some (mostly poor quality, but interesting) videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 2xcpzOiZ04

[theanimal]

@GTOO, Chad, Johnny and Ego- Thanks for the advice. I know the ranger job is a stretch but it is fairly low on the grade scale and I do qualify. From what I've read, the actual park ranger jobs go to a much younger demographic as the administration tries to transition to move the "promising rangers" into permanent office positions and another good portion move on to other jobs. That said, it still is a fairly tough job to get into. I'm going to keep pestering them about it but I do have back up options. For example, work in a lower grade job and then apply the next season (summer) or something like that.

Edit: To further clarify, the rangers I'm talking about are for the National Park service.

@JohnnyH- I thought about doing peace corps for a while but ultimately I decided I really don't want to do it. I don't want to commit to something like that and honestly don't really have a desire to leave North America anytime soon.

@Dragline- That's what I've heard as well. I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks for the advice on Philmont, I hadn't thought of that but I'll look into it. By the way those are some neat videos! Looks like you had a great time.

[theanimal]

Things are going fairly well. I do not feel lost and have still been working construction since I last posted. I've decided to continue on what I had originally planned, which is the outdoor ed path. As many of you could have guessed, I did not make much headway with any of my applications for federal positions. No big deal. I might have to try again down the road when I have a bit more experience.

One thing I am very glad I didn't/am not pursuing something related to construction. I don't think I have worked with one sub contractor or anyone on a job site who had a positive attitude about the job. All these guys are so grumpy! Its like working with a bunch of little kids, always complaining and gossiping about others. I'm glad I don't have to deal with it for much longer. An interesting thing I've noticed though is that I have not seen anyone even close to my age. Everyone has been at least 10-15 years older. I know its a pretty small sample size, but I'm wondering if many of the trades are dying out ( I guess there is data on that online).

The fall trip north unfortunately didn't work out. I was going to go to the Boundary Waters instead of Isle Royale but then I had A LOT of guaranteed hours at work that I felt were too good to pass up. I was all set to make a trip to Isle Royale this week until I found out a good friend from grade/high school died Saturday morning. Only 21 years old...it's had me thinking a lot these past few days. Nothing is guaranteed.

I've become really interested in developing a strong skill set lately (much more than before) so that my output can get as low as possible whenever I decide to settle down. The major interests right now are hunting, fishing, foraging and small machine repair. And I guess I'm trying to learn more about bikes too. If anyone has any helpful resources in any of those areas, I'd be happy if you sent them my way!

Edit: Forgot to mention that I'm getting certified as Wilderness First Responder in early November. I'm really looking forward to that. It will hopefully add a lot more depth and knowledge to my current wilderness first aid skills.

[George the original one]

The young ones are smarter and working the oil fields for higher pay (or the dream of higher pay). Your grumpy coworkers have families and other obligations that they're chained to.

[theanimal]

Last week I took a Wilderness First Responder class and became certified. I had a blast taking the course and now have a huge array of medical skills/knowledge to add to my skill set.

Furthermore, I have crossed the barrier with regards to bears! The course was in northern Michigan and for lodging I set up camp in a state forest. Of the 5 nights I was there, I had 2 bears pass by my tent during the night, one hanging around the area for a few minutes. Both incidents were a non-issue mentally. This is good!! I was also treated to the constant howling of a rather large pack of wolves on the final night, something that I had not experienced before.

One thing that I've noticed when returning from these outdoor experiences, like Alaska, Colorado or Michigan, is how mundane my everyday life is in comparison. Early on, as I settle back into an inside, "normal" lifestyle I often think, "Is this it? How boring." I can't wait until I'm back out again, spending the majority of my days sleeping under the night sky.

[jacob]

Congrats on crossing the bear barrier without a .454 Casull revolver!
https://www.magnumresearch.com/Firearms ... Barrel.asp

I still have nightmares about bears gnawing on my foot (but only when sleeping in a tent in bear country .. yeah this happened at Yosemite Nat park ) though recently we went to Apple River, IL and listened to a bunch of coyotes howling all night... I guess I've graduated to "coyote"-level on the "concerned about getting eaten alive"-scale ;-P

In my next "chapter of life" (I failed to find that smbc cartoon illustrating my point ), I want to be you.

[theanimal]

Haha, thanks. From what I've read and obviously in my experience it goes away with exposure.

In my next "chapter of life" (I failed to find that smbc cartoon illustrating my point ), I want to be you.

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2722
Does that include the beard too?

[theanimal]

Random Musings, Review of 2014, and a look ahead at 2015

Random Musings
-A couple weeks ago marked my 22nd birthday. I went out with a group of friends to a bar downtown. To get in you had to buy a $25 wristband that gave you unlimited drinks. I thought this was a ripoff and a huge waste of money. However, the rest of my friends thought it was a steal and quite the bargain. My friends seem to have champange tastes but have a PBR budget, so to speak. I guess the major difference in thinking is that I compared the price starting from $0 whereas they started at standard price of drinks times number of drinks and went from there. I think this is the same mindset as KevinW (?) described on here with regard to sacrifices. ERErs start at 0 and consider anything they add a bonus. Average consumers look at whatever is decreased from their current lifestyle and see what's "lost."

-I also noticed that this was the first year where I was not excited at all for either my birthday or Christmas. It's not that I wasn't not looking forward to it, rather it was just another day. I'm guessing this is pretty routine as you age, anyone else experience this?

-I discovered a long time friend who shares much of the same ideas as myself and others here. I introduced him to ERE and lent him my copy of the book. He's loving it. Did not see this happening.

2014
Ah, what a bittersweet year. I had big ambitions but life worked out otherwise. During the first half of the year I finished up school and graduated early (something that I definitely do not regret). Then came the tough (but necessary) lessons in Alaska and Colorado. Outside of my time in northern Michigan I've been stuck in Illinois since the summer with a strong desire to go west/north.

I definitely did not do as much as a could of with regards to skill development. The major areas I further improved: wilderness travel/planning/camping, medical (Wilderness First Responder), hunting (although no practical experience), Alaskan history, biology (with an in depth understanding of a few animals: namely wolves and bears), ecology, geology, as well as a few others on a smaller scale.

A Look Ahead

I intend to further develop my skills this year with a major focus on bike repair and hunting. I need to start doing actual practice with each of those as I have only been doing non-practical work so far.

I read somewhere between 80-90 books this year, I wanted to hit 100 but had some lazy weeks. Next year probably won't have as much time devoted to reading so I'm shooting for around 40-50.

So I recently got hired for a guide position in the Brooks Range (Alaska) starting this upcoming May! Its a pretty flexible position, with free room and board and a decent amount of free time. Certainly not the adventure that I had planned for this past summer but should be a great experience nonetheless. I'm also waiting to hear back on a position as a wilderness therapy field guide, should be hearing back any day now. I'm hoping to get a couple big trips under my belt before heading up to the far north in May. I'll update here if anything happens. Things are looking up. Here's to my 23rd year on earth and 2015.

[Ego]

Whoa..... great new on the job. Congrats!