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Thread: The plan

  1. #1
    fabiodriven's Avatar
    fabiodriven is offline Aspiring romance novel cover model, and the Official 3WW slayer of thieves and swindlers. Catch me if you can
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    The plan

    Subject to alterations but too late to deviate.

    Assuming a lot who will read this have seen my blog, you'll know that my recent trip to Thailand was life altering. Prior to my arrival in Thailand, I had been working myself sick and perpetually tired as a Greater Boston truck driver. I had become a robot and a slave to all of my belongings which I had very little time to use. While away in Thailand on vacation, I got a very focused view of myself back home. It's no secret that I have had some issues from my deployment in Iraq, then just when I thought I was figuring out who I am I get hit with Lyme disease. I am doing extremely well as far as feeling sick from the Lyme disease and I am eternally grateful to my holistic doctor to whom I literally owe everything, however the disease has certainly left it's mark on me in ways I feel will always be with me. So kind of a double whammy between PTSD and Lyme disease, also most likely Gulf War Syndrome now as well.

    Upon my return from Thailand, I immediately quit my job. That was not something I had in mind when I went away, however when that plane touched down in Boston I was extremely sad. I watched my fellow drivers through the window of the bus sitting in the same traffic that I was about to immerse myself in again and I pitied them as I was still not working. I wouldn't be working the next day either, but I knew I would "have to" again soon. The thought of it sucked all the light out of me I had just found while I was away. I got an energy back while I was in Thailand that I was concerned would never return, and there was no way I could give that up now because life without that inside of me is not living. Being known best as an integral part of a truck and not much more is not how I will live my life. These people are insane on the roads here, myself included, however I am a trained professional and an extremely good driver. These people are neither of those. I barely had time to do laundry or dishes or sleep, never mind try to go riding on a trike or something. That's also assuming the machine I want to take is operational at that time because I have no time to fix anything either. To put things bluntly, I thought about hanging myself a lot during the day and went to bed with that thought most nights. I am using that term literally. Life was not worth living.

    But that was then. You can never expect change without making changes, and changes were due. Major changes. The week before I left for Thailand, I had a passenger in the work truck with me to show him what I do so he could cover me while I was gone. I will never forget his words when he said to me "You won't change anything. You'll come back here and get right back in that seat." Those words echoed in my head after he said them and I immediately responded to him that he really doesn't know me. I had no idea at that moment that my future would head the way it is currently, but if I know me, I knew whatever changes were coming would be big. I just didn't know they would be this big, haha. I figured I would still be driving truck but at a lesser capacity. If I had continued on doing what I was doing, I could have easily ended up dead. That could have been intentional or by accident. I also started to have growing concern for those around me. I was a truck driver in Iraq and we would push other vehicles off the road there, that's what we did. They would flip through the air sometimes and stuff like that, so that is my reality. That is part of what I have experienced first hand in life. Obviously I do know the difference between right and wrong, however most times the first thing that goes through my head is not how you treat other drivers. If you've ever heard someone who knows more than one language describe how they translate, many people still think in their original or "best known" language then translate to themselves in their head. That's kind of what I get. The first thought that crosses my mind instinctually is something that I have to consciously dismiss. The fact that it's a thought in my mind at any capacity is not right. Obviously it's wrong to push other vehicles off the road and for the last 13 years of driving since I returned from war I have never done that, but I do have to consciously suppress that consideration. I do bully other vehicles though which seems perfectly normal to me, however I've been learning more about how extreme my driving is. It appears reckless to onlookers, however I always exhibit extreme control of everything I'm doing in the vehicle at all times. Regardless, just because it seems OK to me does not mean it's acceptable to society, even though I am usually on the right side of the law. Basically I have to accept what I am and deal with the hand I've been dealt. The VA asked a lot of questions in '04 '05 after I got home about me continuing to drive truck. I would never let them touch that aspect of my life and told them to frig off. I'm a gear jammin rig jockey and that's what I know and that's what I do. I did it successfully for a very long time with very few incidents, however it's time to stop. PTSD + Lyme + Boston = no go. There is no good outcome in this situation, so time to change.

    I decided my own health, happiness, and well being must be paramount and come before money and how society might view me. I've given up (for the most part) on the opposite sex. I don't plan on getting married or having kids anymore and I'm not going to concern myself. I'm 37 years old and for the first time in my adult life I feel completely happy with the direction my future is heading and content by myself (with one cat). Being truly happy on my own I feel is part of the healthiest I can be mentally. For me, when things are not going well mentally, they are not going well at all. Everyone has bad days, but when I have a bad day things get really bad really fast. I had my boss write in his words what he felt of me in a letter to the VA that I had to supply to them, and I told him by all means do not hold back. I expected a lot of what I saw, but there were some things in there I was completely blind to because these things just seem normal to me. Don't get me wrong by the way, I hold nothing against my boss for writing what he did about me. He's a fantastic person in every sense of that word and wrote what he had to write which will actually be to my benefit. It also showed me more about myself that I needed to learn.

    So to set the theme; This is not a hardship. There is no sympathy needed here, haha. I seem to have found my path. To lay it all out there right now, I am selling everything and I am going to live in a truck camper pulling an 18' enclosed trailer. I have been selling everything and my trailer is being made to my order as I type this, ordered two weeks ago brand new. I have sold my Mustang which was with me for 17 years. I sold my DR and I have 35 auctions on Ebay as I type this. I have almost as many ads on Craigslist. Almost every day I'm in the post office sending stuff out, just was today. I will profit from the sale of my home which will leave me with a decent chunk of change in my pocket. The last thing to go will be the toy hauler. Thing's a turd, worst purchase of my life. I'll take a huge hit on that but I'll buy it out once the house is sold then trade it in for a truck camper. My pickup is going to go through an extensive transformation. There will be a ton of fabricating, upgrades, and maintenance as soon as the weather breaks. The truck will be equipped to run waste oil as well as diesel with separate tanks for both. The trailer will have all my tools (two roll aways with tops), two generators, a welder, oxy/acetaline, 220v, 110v, 12v, compressed air, etc... It's all built in my head already. I have parts arriving now and I'd be wrenching instead of typing right now if it weren't winter.

    As I said, I'll have some dough from the sale of the house. A respectable amount, but I'll also be living off my disability. It's difficult to admit that for me sometimes. I feel like someday I'm going to run into someone who's going to have a problem with that. I haven't yet though. Only a handful of people know about this at the moment but nobody has had anything but well wishes for me. This will be a dream come true for me, to live perpetually traveling. I will be everywhere. East coast, west coast, and everywhere in between. I will go to national parks (where veterans can stay for free), landmarks, and monuments. Daytona, Sturgis, etc... And then there are trike events. There are so many trike events now across the country and I will be at a huge amount of those. I will have my SX, the 480R, and the Buell for sure. Zinger possibly as well as the XR650L. The XR is the next one on the chopping block if I have to sell something else, but I'd like to keep it. Room in the trailer is another concern as well. They will all have safe, permanent mounting positions inside of the trailer. Everything in the trailer will be bolted down tight and ready to take some bumps and hard braking.

    So life could potentially become a dream, which is great. I'd like to say I'm fortunate to have this opportunity to take but that's a double edged statement. On the one hand yes, I am grateful to have the means to do this. On the other hand, having a disability or seven is not exactly how I would have chosen to live my life had I foreseen all of this. Based on my experience there probably aren't a whole lot of people looking at me and thinking I'm some sort of scum bag sucking off the system, however I do expect I might hear that at some point. I will be living off my disability in a lifestyle that may seem excessive for someone with means only provided by the government, and I think that could easily ruffle a feather or two here and there. For those who see me that way, if anyone does, I will say this; I would have traded it all, everything I have, for what many of you have. I have had some absolutely fantastic women in my life, none of which I have now. When you look at your lovely wife and beautiful kids, this is my alternative to your life. This is my second choice. This will be the best possible choice I can make for me as well as everyone around me right now. Just remember what you have, because I wanted that more than anything. You have nothing to be jealous of, trust me. Sounds like a dream traveling around living the life or Riley right? Every moment of me smiling from this point forward has been paid for, trust me. I have no problems at all taking from the government.

    So adventure lies ahead. First question I always get; "Where will you go?" Everywhere. I will go everywhere. I don't know when the house will sell but ideally I'd like to be locked, cocked, and ready to rock before Trikefest. I know I'll be spending time at Mik6's house and my sister's in Arkansas, I'll be seeing Weezy, HoosierLogger, and god knows who else or where else. Anywhere really. To end this on the correct note, this may sound like kind of a downer or whatever so I'd like to reiterate; This is not a hardship. I have been very happy lately enjoying my home, which is in really good shape now that I'm ready to sell it. If I get bored or down all I have to remember is that I'm not behind the wheel of a rig right now. And to clarify, I do love driving. It's a passion of mine. To segue from truck driving to driving a truck all the time most likely doesn't seem like a big jump. I can assure you it is apples and oranges. Take away the stress of "having to" be anywhere in a certain amount of time, getting up at 4am and going to bed at 10pm after giving every fiber of my being for someone else's profit, and dealing with Massholes day in and day out will keep this temperamental being even keeled.

    Every time I travel, I'm so happy. Every time I come back to Massachusetts, I ask myself why the frig I just did that? If I find someplace I like, I could potentially buy. I will have enough money to possibly buy something outright if I wanted to, but keep in mind I only need modest living. A lot of the places that catch my eye are off the grid and very affordable. But I'm OK with not owning anything for the foreseeable future. So if some of you start seeing me a lot more and wonder how I can be at everything, this is how, lol. I will be smiling and enjoying myself because I must. The alternative is not an option. I hope to see a lot of you soon.
    Last edited by fabiodriven; 06-04-2017 at 04:42 PM.
    85 Tri-Zinger 60
    85 ATC250SX
    86 ATC250SX
    87 ATC250SX
    02 XR650L conversion
    84 ATC 480R

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    When you joined the Army you wrote a check payable to the United States of America in the amount of "up to and including your life."

    For that reason and nothing more, I am glad to see my tax dollars being used to make your life comfortable and hopefully putting you towards happiness.

    I have no higher respect than for people who choose to serve this country. It's not perfect, but I still think it's the best, and to see it giving back to someone who would have given their life for it, gives me hope.

    The Ozark region of Missouri is absolutely gorgeous and cost of living is nill. The Arcadia Valley is one of my favorite places in the state and is a hidden gem. There is atv riding close by at St. Joe State Park, beautiful state camping parks, and it's surrounded by the Mark Twain National Forest.

    Liberty, Life, and the Pursuit of Happiness. We're only here for a short time, congrats on grabbing life by the horns and making it yours.

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    Central PA
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    The plan

    Obviously a decision like this isn't taken lightly, so I'm sure you've thought about it all 10x more than anyone else will who's so quick to judge. Takes a lot of stones to do what you're doing. But if you have the opportunity, that's great. And you do. I worked with a Vietnam veteran a few years back that when I quit he was going that summer to buy his motor home and sell everything. He just retired and was working this job just for extra cash like me. I had two jobs at the time. He had plans to park in the "off seasons" with hookups on his sons farm. This keeps becoming more and more popular so it's not something crazy to me. Go and live life man, enjoy it while you can. If you can't be happy what's the point? Slaving for the "man" only gets you so far in life. It's not all about money and a nice house. I'm glad you're not one of those guys who are selling off their collection and giving up on their passion. As we speak I'm working in Virginia (been here for over a month now) working 7 days a week sun up to sun down and haven't had a day off since I came down here. Won't have off for a couple of months until I'm back home. Then I'm back to working 6 days a week. It's killing my body. I have a bad back, I have my whole upper spine fused with metal rods and screws. I'm forced to live off narcotics just to deal with the pain. But your body gets use to those after time and they don't work. What do I do? I build roller coasters. Seems fun right? Hardest work I've had to do in my short lived life. But the pay is awesome. But I miss sleeping next to my girl and my cats. Is it worth it? I use to think so. But now, id quit if she came and picked me up lol.

    Point is, do what makes YOU happy. If you can still put food in your mouth and gas in the tank and be happy living a simpler life, then do it.
    (Today we got told if we post pictures on social media before the park opens we were going to get sued, I wonder if they like 3 wheelers???)


    Hope to see you at some of the events in the near future, if I manage to get a day off this year...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    new england
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    Wow

    Takes guts Fabio, my hat is off to you. U are living the dream

  5. #5
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    Good for you man. Bryan put it perfectly. Sure there will be some a holes who snicker at a pension. Why would that bother you for one second? It is their problem ,not yours.You know you earned it ten fold. End of that story. Following your heart is something very few get to do. Good for you. Maybe you can find your way to PA sometime You're always welcome here. You know that.
    Please help those who cannot help themselves.

    ALWAYS buying Museum quality machines,3 and 4 wheels. And any and ALL ,NOS parts,EVERY brand.

    I am turning my PM's Off,my Email is billsracing@hotmail.com,put 3WW in the subject. Thanx!

    Gun laws do not stop criminals. BULLETS do.

  6. #6
    fabiodriven's Avatar
    fabiodriven is offline Aspiring romance novel cover model, and the Official 3WW slayer of thieves and swindlers. Catch me if you can
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    Thanks so much boys! I mean it!

    Quote Originally Posted by plastikosmd View Post
    Wow

    Takes guts Fabio, my hat is off to you. U are living the dream
    Coming from this guy! Lol! I have to go get caught up on your thread now, lol.
    85 Tri-Zinger 60
    85 ATC250SX
    86 ATC250SX
    87 ATC250SX
    02 XR650L conversion
    84 ATC 480R

  7. #7
    tripledog's Avatar
    tripledog is offline I could be geriatricdog... at my age Got the holeshot
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    If your travels find you in CNY, I have a spot where you can camp for a few weeks (gratis). It is really nice here in the summer...
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    Last edited by tripledog; 02-17-2017 at 10:09 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Fergie power! Baling beats mowing
    Please help those who cannot help themselves.

    ALWAYS buying Museum quality machines,3 and 4 wheels. And any and ALL ,NOS parts,EVERY brand.

    I am turning my PM's Off,my Email is billsracing@hotmail.com,put 3WW in the subject. Thanx!

    Gun laws do not stop criminals. BULLETS do.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    London, Ontario, Canada
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    Make sure to add The Sandpuppy Memorial ride the first weekend in Aug as a stop in your healthier lifestyle. Lots of the great three wheeler people hanging out in mid Michigan enjoying some of the best trails out there. Like Bill said, not many people get the courage up to leave the expectations of society behind and follow your heart.....Best of Luck Fabio.

    Ross..
    My Rides
    1985 250R original (Garage Queen)
    -under restoration

    1985 250R black and blue full rebuild ( Daily Rider)
    -Paul Turner pipe
    -+2" Westcoast

    1985 Red and White Tecat-EH Sold

    1985 Green Tecate Sold

    My Wife's Ride
    -2003 Suzuki LTZ 400 Showroom fresh and completely stock

    My Kids Ride
    -2004 Yamaha Blaster, Completely Stock
    -2006 Yamaha Blaster, Completely Stock

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
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    I'm 29, started at a company when I was 15. Worked there until late 2016. More like it worked me, I felt the same way, just my balls all day to make another guy piles of cash, while at the same time I was ruining myself both physically and mentally. I was making "good" money but I was up at 5am and got home at 6-7pm. I had zero time to enjoy anything I use to like. I forgot what it's like to enjoy things. I hated life. One day last November I was running a job and something happened, I looked up from what I was doing and decided I was over it. Walked to my work truck, went to the shop and turned in my phone, credit cards, keys, and walked. Didn't know what I was going to do with my life, and I still dont, but I don't care.
    Took a job running an excavator for a guy worked there a week and he wanted to mAke me the foreman. Stopped at my buddies on the way home that night and ended up taking a plane to Washington to work on a freezer building that his company had engineered. Got back home after a month of being out there and quit my job again. And I've never been happier. Got another job offer all ready from a site development company, don't know if I'm going to take it or not.
    Ive learned a great deal about myself over the last 3 months. I'm done slaving away for a stupid paycheck. All that money I've made hasn't made me happy, it's made me bitter and angry about many things and I can only blame myself.

    If your ever in the northern Indiana area and need a spot to park and stay a while get a hold of me. I've got an open spot for ya to plug into brother. I haven't been to TF in many years but that will change this year, even if I'm only on my adventure bike. I want to be a rambling man. Good luck on your adventure sir!

  11. #11
    Join Date
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    No, seriously many people including myself would love to do what you have just done But don't have the intestinal fortitude. I'm not saying it's going to be easy or there won't be any stress but for those of us that are just running on a hamster wheel, you are an idol

  12. #12
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    Life is a rollercoaster. Enjoy it.
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  13. #13
    fabiodriven's Avatar
    fabiodriven is offline Aspiring romance novel cover model, and the Official 3WW slayer of thieves and swindlers. Catch me if you can
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    The plan

    Thank you all so much for the great offers, I'm incredibly flattered.

    The hardest part is the first step, but as 90nut can tell you, opportunity cannot present itself if you never give it the opportunity. For a few days when it became obvious to me that I could no longer maintain my career path, I did fret. All I could think about was how many "things" are counting on me. I have all of this crap which is all supposed to enhance life, and for some it does, however it had become very much a burden for me. I am finding the less crap I own, the better I feel, and the more money I have. I am prepared (waiting on weather) to focus all of my money and energy into a relatively small package, thereby having one awesome rig (collectively, truck, trailer, deployables) rather than being a slave to living in a place I don't like for more money than the rest of the country. Although I fretted initially for a couple of days, the realities of my potential future showed themselves and I knew I had made the right decision by stopping what I was doing immediately, even though I didn't know what lay ahead. That's the hard part. Stopping before you know what you're going to do from that point forward. It's very easy to get caught in a cycle and just put your head down and push. I'm sure I would have continued on that path if I were capable. For me that way is simply just not an option.

    It's funny how clearly I could see my life from the other side of the planet. I don't know how I knew where to find me, but for whatever reason I was there (you follow?). That was my first plan actually, to move to Thailand. The current plan was my father's idea. He said something about traveling the US before I leave and at first I said naah... Then all of a sudden I was consumed by the idea. That's when eBay and Craigslist became my full time job. I've pulled more shite out of the basement, shed, and garage, good stuff too! Crap that I paid a lot of money for and then just tossed in a corner and forgot I had, shite that friends had left here just to get rid of. Things worth money though! I always bought, I'd almost always pay high to get what it was I wanted, and I never sold anything. The crap just sat around collecting dust. I'd give things away before I'd sell things, but once I started selling everything was getting listed. I've got some things I'll put into storage and I've got more to list for sale as well, but criminy, this materialist lifestyle we have in this country is a trap. I was snared big time. Now as I see this stuff going out I see dollar signs. Why do I need three welders that all work halfway?

    So if this is a jump some can afford to take some time, I say go for it. I don't know how things are going to go for me, it's a bit soon to be celebrating, but I have all the means necessary to do this and I have the will. It's doubtful I will get any more healthy than I am currently as I age and I'm not going sit around a nursing home talking about how much I worked. My buddy that just popped in to the Invasion last week is on a walkabout right now. Quit his job, rented out his house, and he hit the road. He's still ironing out details in order to have the means to continue his journey, but he's well past the first step. I hope this works out well and I fail to see any reason why it wouldn't.
    85 Tri-Zinger 60
    85 ATC250SX
    86 ATC250SX
    87 ATC250SX
    02 XR650L conversion
    84 ATC 480R

  14. #14
    Scootertrash's Avatar
    Scootertrash is offline Just Too Addicted: Protecting Our Community The day begins with 3WW
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    I'm happy for you Fabio! I hope your plans work out for the best, I wish you well.

    I have 6 years left before I plan to retire, my pension is slated to pay me about the same I earn a week right now at my job. I love my job for the most part, but every job has bad days. 40 hour weeks with a smidgen of OT, perfect as far as I'm concerned.

    My wife and I have never lived the "materialistic" lifestyle. Our home is average and on approx 7 acres, our vehicles were all bought used (2000 Monte Carlo, 2003 Impala, 99 Silverado 2500) our toys were all bought used (76 Harley FLH, 98 Harley Road King, the only one that was bought new was my 85 Harley Low Rider), same with our ATVs (2-Polaris Scramblers, 1 Polaris 350L, My 85 200S, as well as a couple 3 wheeled projects in the works.) All were bought because they were what we wanted, not to impress or compete with others, because as you and I both know that is a lame way to go thru life. We don't have to have every new improved gadget, widget or object.

    I will probably always "work" in some capacity, just not for someone else. I love to fix things, especially things that people say aren't fixable. Amongst my friends and in my neighborhood I'm know as the fix-it guy. One of my friends says "You could fix anything from the crack of dawn to a broken heart" lol. On a side note, I did date a girl named Dawn in my younger days, so I was *ahem* Up at the crack of Dawn *cough* back then, but that's a hole.. ..I mean whole different story.

    The wife and I do plan to travel when we retire, but probably not "pack everything up and sell the house" type of travel, but as you said, one never really knows how things will work out. That may change once my parents pass, hers have already passed on. Donna and I want to make sure we are close enough to care for them when the time comes, I owe them that for raising me. All we can do is devise a plan and work it the best we can. Your plan seems sound and well thought out and you'll have tools and supplies with you to deal with most unexpected "Murphy" incidents.

    Travel safe and keep us updated! Good luck!
    Quote Originally Posted by fabiodriven View Post
    Trick the people into thinking they're enacting their own will and you have willing slaves.

    Liberalism suspends the intellect of its victims, while at the same time tricking them into believing that they're smarter than everyone else.


    If we've done business together, please leave me feedback. Thank You!:

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  15. #15
    Join Date
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    Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada
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    Good on you Fabio! From the short time we conversed at TF 15 I could tell you weren't a BS'er and could be taken at face value. It's apparent that you've planned this everyway to Sunday and are ready to tackle each challenge head on. As was stated earlier; you paid your dues, now it's time for you to enjoy your life as you see fit. And as a fellow 20 yr vet from a different nation who's also collecting a pension, the judgers can simply FO. I don't think the perceived suburbia model (house, 2 kids, white picket fence.....) that we grew up hearing about is the recipe for happiness. I think that shedding ourselves of materialistic BS is THE true path to hapiness. It's ironic that you were working this plan through when I contacted you last weekend to come do some ice riding up this way; who knew it could come true! And the offer still stands if you ever do a cross Canada adventure.
    Trikes
    1970/71 US 90 (Aquarius Blue)
    1970/71 US 90 (Future Project)
    1972/73 US 90 Camo Project (110 Big Bore)
    1972/73 US 90 Green
    1977 ATC 90 w/83 110 motor (Fugly)
    1982 ATC 70
    1983 ATC 70 (Ladybug)
    1973 ATC 70

    1965 Marketeer 3 Wheel Golf Cart with 1986 Honda 250 drivetrain

    TF 2015

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    1983 Honda Z50
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