Supertramp help!

[JSLTIGER]

Originally Posted by Philipp_Thomsen

@ JSLTIGER

I have to take my chances here. What is happiness for you? I just can't accept to be like everyone else. People work to earn money to pay bills, and have children to perpetuate the mankind. In my head this is freaking redundant!

The most important thing is, when you reach the end of the road, you will look back and remember what you have been thru, what you have acomplished, what you have seen, the people you've met, will you be proud of yourself? I don't want to be a stubborn old man sitting on my butt, who have worked behind a desk his whole life and have done nothing but payed his bills and watched television. I rather die 30 years old of starvation in some remote place in the world after seen it all, then to die very old, warm in my bed, after passing by the whole life in blank.

Life is a whisper, you come, tell a story, and disappear. And I want to have a good story to tell.

I can't define what my idea of happiness is for you. I know it when I feel it, as it were. What I will say is that when I look back on my, admittedly short life, I'm already proud of myself.

I've not only met the majority of the goals which I've set for myself, but I've exceeded most of them. I am lucky enough to be learning as a student at one of the most elite universities in the world.

I am only 21 years old, but I've set foot on four of the seven continents (which would have been five had the Strait of Gibraltar not been to rough for the ferry to Morocco) and have seen approximately 17% of the world. I've been to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, had lunch in a Parisian cafe, and heard the chimes of Big Ben echo over the Thames. I've ridden a cable car in San Francisco, seen the Hollywood Walk of Fame, stood at the top of the World Trade Center, and lived only miles away from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. I've seen the homes (or, more accurately shacks) which multiple families share stacked on top of one another in the hills around Caracas, watched water cascade over Niagra Falls and been to the only (remaining) walled city in North America (Quebec, by the way).

Sitting at a desk and working to pay bills may be a part of one's life, but I agree that it doesn't have to be your whole life. However, having a good story to tell does not require taking massive risks and/or breaking the law.

[Philipp_Thomsen]

Originally Posted by JSLTIGER

I can't define what my idea of happiness is for you. I know it when I feel it, as it were. What I will say is that when I look back on my, admittedly short life, I'm already proud of myself.

Once you're able to answer that question, you solved 99% of your life!

I've not only met the majority of the goals which I've set for myself, but I've exceeded most of them. I am lucky enough to be learning as a student at one of the most elite universities in the world.

To each his own, my idea of happiness might be the opposite of yours. But doesn't matter, there is more then one way of reaching the goal. The vision of life changes a lot while you grow. When I was 21, my dream was to be very sucesseful, have a lot of cash, a nice car, a nice apartment and have wife and kids. Now, 3 years later, I don't want any cash (proved myself a thousand times that happiness is 100% unrelated to money), I don't want any material whelth, don't want to be stuck living in the same place and absolutely don't want to get married and have children. All the problems in the world that we are facing everyday have the same common cause: excess of people. The next generations will suffer like hell, this planet is collapsing. Our generation is one of the last generations that will live in the planet without too much struggle. The way I see it, theres no point in putting my decendents to live in this planet and suffer a lot in the future. (but Im running away from the subject here)

I am only 21 years old, but I've set foot on four of the seven continents (which would have been five had the Strait of Gibraltar not been to rough for the ferry to Morocco) and have seen approximately 17% of the world. I've been to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, had lunch in a Parisian cafe, and heard the chimes of Big Ben echo over the Thames. I've ridden a cable car in San Francisco, seen the Hollywood Walk of Fame, stood at the top of the World Trade Center, and lived only miles away from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. I've seen the homes (or, more accurately shacks) which multiple families share stacked on top of one another in the hills around Caracas, watched water cascade over Niagra Falls and been to the only (remaining) walled city in North America (Quebec, by the way).

There's all very impressive. You must have a lot of money or you must be a crazy guy like me. Either way, I think that evey single people should take a trip somewhere at anytime, helps to putting your head together, thinking straight, reorganizing ideas.

Sitting at a desk and working to pay bills may be a part of one's life, but I agree that it doesn't have to be your whole life. However, having a good story to tell does not require taking massive risks and/or breaking the law.

The law is there to protect people from doing wrong things to other people and the state. I'm going out there to make the good, to live and let live, to spread the joy, to teach people to love more. I've got a mind full of questions but a teacher in my soul. Sure I'll try to keep myself on the line, playing by the book, just so I don't give trouble to anyone that protects the law, but if I do break the law, will be doing something harmless.

Above in yellow.

[Etienne]

For the record, the visa you will need to enter the US onboard a merchant ship as a crew member (A B1, if I'm not mistaken) is only valid as long as you're attached to a ship. If you sign off, you're allowed to head to the airport and jump on a plane, that's it - You're not allowed to decide to spend a couple day in a hotel before you fly home. If you don't have the visa, you'll simply be deported as soon as the ship ties up.

So make sure you get the right visa, and that the captain will sign you onboad as a passenger. Actually, mind what you sign; a lot of people have ended up with long term contracts when all they wanted was a ride. If that happens, just make a dash for the nearest consulate, they'll help you even if you don't have your passport.

As for the rest, I'll say it's extremely, extremely unlikely. It'd probably be simpler to get your canadian citizenship and then travel to the US, but it's a lenghty process in any case...

ETA: American immigration and customs are, by far, the worst you will encounter in any civilized country. You'd think these guys get paid by the catch... And they're twice as bad when you're getting off a ship. Fingerprinting is sometime involved. And now that I think of it, I wouldn't sail on a boat where they allow passengers to work... Although if it's because you know someone onboard and they're making an exception, yeah, that could fly.

[Trex]

PT - Don't get us wrong. I think everybody wishes you luck. It's just that it might not be quite as simple as it may appear from down there. Do your research, get your paperwork in order, bring lots of cash and have a Plan B.

Good luck.

[seafarer]

I'd also point out that stays of more then 6 months in either Canada or the USA without a non-visitors VISA are more involved to arrange (in Canada, a temporary resident visa is good for 6 months). More then 6 months usually means you'll need to apply for some form of non-resident VISA - an employment visa, student visa, or somethig along those lines. You must apply for your VISA's BEFORE you arrive - in Canada, without one in hand, they won't even let you out of the arrivals area at the port or airport.

For those, you must provide a fixed residential address/contact within the country. Also, the fees for such visa's can get pretty steep.

Check out the respective countries web pages. For Canada,

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca...apply_TRV.aspx

For the USA - http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis (click on the Education and Resources link at the top, then on the VISA Resources link on the left).

P.S. DO NOT tell the customs guys (or gals) at either country that you plan on just "living off the land"!! As you'll note on the pages I linked to, you must show documentation that you have sufficient funds for the duration of your stay (for room, board, and travel - I don't know exactly how they decide how much is enough). So whatever you do, do not blatantly tell them that you are just winging it as you wander around the country - that for sure will get you denied entry. Also, do not tell them you don't know where you are staying - you must provide them with that information to gain entry, so even if camping, know some place names and address to provide them (or use a friend's place, a relatives, a hotel you know, but don't just say you are going to be staying somewhere in the great outdoors).