I dunno, i had a few drinks tonight, and bad advice(downunder guys....)

Shaggy........at 27 ! an your an Ole School Hamber, an You ca Hammer wel, an you can throw Lead, An..........You Can Rent/ Lease your House, and You don't mind ""Ramen", Yeah, I know !........an, YOU don't mind sleepin' on tha' aaafloor.......and,.............
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Story time !
At Lunch Break at Work, several were Talking about "The West ", after the conversation died down, I Sez, "I Always Wanted TO GO OUT WEST ", a fellow, I did'nt know, looks at ME an Said, "NO YOU DID;NT !............."Yes, I say, "I Want TO !" NO, He sez, " IF YOU DID ?....
"YOU'D GO !!!!!!! End of Story...........YES, I Went .
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What tha' Hell Are YOU askin' US , WHAT TO DO ??? You, already anwsered YOUR OWN
QUESTION !

I may be "smoked Up ", Butt, I ain't No Dumb Ass .
Keep US POSTED !

 

What about going just a for a short time say 30 days? Find a housing exchange with someone who wants to come to your place. Maybe your boss will give you a sabbatical or leave of absence from work? Like several have said. Don't make a decision until you are sober and do the math. I also agree to do it while you are young. The older you are the harder it is to do. Good Luck!

 

I've wanted to do a similar adventure too.

I'd love to travel the USA helping out fellow HAMBers on their cars out at no charge. The only thing I look to gain in this would be the experiences from on the road, the fellowship I create with others, helping more old cars see the road yet again, learn from some of the more skilled craftsmen, and getting to live life to the fullest before I get tied down with a wife, kids, and more bills.

But to travel the world doing this? That would be awesome..

 

Last year to join the Marines (27). You'll get to travel all expenses paid,retirement,healthcare,adventure....smiles

 

Don't turn 40 and say,"Shit! I wonder what my life would be like or if things would have turned out different if I would have gone to Australia?!?!?"
It sounds like if you don't do it, you will regret it later in life. When you have your heart set on something and you never do it, it eats you alive.
I have only started to find peace in my life by starting to do the things I always dreamed of.
Figure out what paperwork you need, rent the house for six months and go on a vacation/ walkabout. If things work out, it was meant to be. If not, at least you did it.
I'm only saying!!

 

Two trains of thought here,

Be happy for what you've got......

It's better to try and fail then not try at all.

Your 27, flip a coin and go from there, you only live once.

 

You own a house a hot rod and have a job that pays for them both. Sounds like the grass is pretty green on your side of the fence.

 

I drove by this sign the other day and it read:

"Sometimes a change of self is needed before a change of life."




good luck whatever you decide,

Brent

 

Dude, I don't know whether to envy you or cringe at the thought. I had visions of the same in my late teens and early twenties, but by 23 had a home, cars and a business. Tossed the business about 12 years later and hit the road with a friend racing midgets around the west. A couple of years later went to work for a larger corporation doing something I loved and traveling a bunch.(Causing my racing buddy to utter one of the best quotes ever said to me; "What do you need a job for, your a hot rodder!") Tossed that 5 years down the line to be an itinerate hot rod builder again... The security of the house and job is a damn good thing to have, but I have to say some of the best times in my life have been nights I slept in a truck somewhere laughing at how bad it was... I gotta say though, the night that I got home to my house and laid down on my own pillow I always slept the best!

I think P&Beaner put it best, take some time out, just go for a bit (especially if you have never traveled) here in the states. Set a time limit to be out, say three month or so, then make your BIG decision.

Edit: Oh, and if ya need a place to crash in Phoenix for a bit, look me up!

 

DO IT !

It won't be any easier later to leave and a whole lot harder to come back.

 

Save about 5k, lease your house for 6 mos or a yr. Go, see, do! Before your house lease renews, you'll probably know whether or not you're ready to go home, or be at home somewhere else. Bye the way, there's a lot of the U.S. and Canada that you haven't seen..........

 

I'm with all the guys that said it wont get easier as you get older. Do it now! I never did it when I was young, and have kind of regretted it all my life.

 

Spent a short time in both and I thought a lot about New Zealand. Didn't think about Australia at all.

 

If you have the desire to wonder, now is the time to do it. Go see the world if you want. When you get older the task will be much more difficult.

 

2 months ago i had a full ride union job(11 years seniority) at 18.50 an hour now im working retail for 8.50 an hour with NO benefits and i still have my 950 a month mortgage ....its just about time to sell some stuff....

o what you will and have fun doing it its just money ,you can make more

 

Just got back from a vacation in AUS, Very nice but very expensive, A deal was 6.50 Beers and 25.00 at Mac's for 2 eggMacmuffins and coffee. Need a visa and they want to know why you are there and when you are leaving.
going to see the rest of the US before going anywhere again

 

Drink more.

 

Just be greatfull for what you have now . A house and a decent job is doing very well for yourself today .
On the other hand there are many things I wish I did when I was younger and had the time and money to do it with . Now I am 58 and wonder how things would have turned out if I did some of those things when I was much younger . Don't get me wrong , I am VERY HAPPY with being married for 29 years this Friday and having a family ! I had a lot more than many did so I guess I was lucky there . I had a good job until I got hurt and now things are very hard . You just never know what tomorrow will bring !
If you can rent your house out for a year to a good friend and can travel to some places then go do it ! It might be the last time you will have that chance to travel . You just never know with the way things are in this world today so take it while you can . The way it sounds now , you won't be happy with yourself until you take that chance . So don't live the rest of your life wondering and wishing you took that trip !
Just something to consider ! Good Luck !

Retro Jim

 

Go eat out of a soup line for a week or so and see if you like it. If you don't go about your adventure right thats where you will end up. I've been there and didn't like it[soup line]. That being said you'll never know unless you try it. Set enough money aside with someone you trust that can wire it to you to get home.

 

i spent a lot of time as a race bum, only worked when i needed parts or stuff, sold my cars and sometime tools, a little wine and weed, did the self sufficency thing for 20 plus years and it was greatest time in my life, proabbly had to work for others for about 14 months in my life just to pay for the divorces, last had a real job in 1977, most think I am whacked, but it worked for me
O h and i bought a really cheep house too
you should have some skills though or a mentor to help ease the transistion

 

Man I have just turned 33, married with 2 boys at 3 and 5, Lost my job 3 years ago so started to work for myself. Then the economy went to shit so my business didn't do so well. Im not broke but had to shut it down due to the fact that I can earn more working for some one else. In the middle of all this my wife and I solf our house and moved town. I am now doing little bits and pieces to earn money. My point is this rent your house if you can and TRAVEL you will not regret it, just remember that what ever happens its an experience, whether you go to the other side of the world or just shifting state go in with an open mind and experience the local culture, eat where they eat, drink what they do and meet some locals.

I did it with a mortgage, just married and a 4th year apprentice. If your willing to work and do what ever is available to do for employment you will be fine.

Do it, swallow your pride, take a chance and just do it. You cant take anything with you in the end so live it up and get out there.

 

Do it. Rent your house out and jump through hoops to make it happen. I will buy you a beer when you do. You may need to pack supermarket shelves at night but you will be here.

(And you mean $450 a week right?? $450 a month mortgage is nothing, try $3600 a month for an average house 10km from Melbourne CBD)

 

Shaggy I've read the responses here from everyone and their differing viewpoints and there are valid viewpoints from each side. That said, I'm kinda close to this subject, not only in my own life but also in my 22 years old stepsons. He has similar issues he's dealing with. In my viewpoint the bottom line is, do you want to be my age (57) and wondering "What if" or remembering, "Man was that fun!". You won't know if you don't try. Most of my regrets are from women I've known but didn't chase or cars I should have bought but didn't and I learned from it all.
It sounds to me like all the responses are well meaning and, with due respect to all, you are young enough to go for it, triumph or failure. Like others said, make sure you have a safety net but get your ass on the road. If you want to hear some of my experiences ( like the M-16 toting bodyguard) to get a little perspective just pm me. Eli

 

$450 a month mortgage? Geez, I need to move to Washington. Here in over-priced Southern California you can't even get a crappy studio apartment in the nastiest ghetto for that cheap.

 

The cheapest house to rent in my town is around $1800 a WEEK. And thats for a shitbox 3 bedroom 1 bathroom pile of crap! For a nice and tidy 4 bedroom 2 bathroom house that is less than 5 years old, you can expect to pay up to $2500 a WEEK!!

Get out there and get into it I say..... though it easy for me to say that!

Good luck

 

until you get to the other side then it's not so green..

 

I say rent out your house and go for it you are young and if you have some one renting your place that cash in your hand for you to live on so way not.

 

I think one thing to mention is that there are about 20 hotrod shops in the u.s.a for every 1 over here so if you are looking to work in a hotrod shop try to sort out a job before you come as this sort of work is hard to get in australia.Don't let that turn you off though australia is a great place with lot's of cool people good luck.

 

Guys thanks a lot, ive been seriously thinking about it, and i really could use a change of scenery, i guess all my house bills are only like 8-900 or so a month so it really is doable. Its something that ive thought of before, but i didnt know how, now i guess i do.

As it stands i have a lot of loose ends to tie up whether or not i actually do it, so that certainly will give me time to think on it more but i guess that the bottom line is if i rent my place to good reliable friends, i'm pretty much in the clear.

Right now it's like i said things are going pretty good, i mean i pretty much own everything i want, i can make ends meet, i have a badass t-roadster project in the works, and a sweet little Harley 45". If it was just moving around the us, i wouldnt be even thinking about it, but it's one of those deals where i'm just bored, and if i can afford to have a little adventure and still pay my bills, well then i cant see a downside.

 

You're in luck! At the moment australia is experiencing a major economical boom and we have a major skill shortage.

Alot of irish have come over to work in mining, construction (there economy is in the shitter) and non of them seem to struggle to get visas.

If you're a fitter and turner you shouldn't struggle to find work over here.

Funnily enough i have a mate who's a fitter and turner and went to the states to work on private yachts. Earns a bucket load of money and gets paid to travel around to world. Doesn't think he could live back in australia, he can't get over the cost of living over here.