I'm pissed off that I grew up with a sheltered life. Where should I move to? (living, bus)

[Radical_Car]

Im 19, lived in a small town of around 3000 people for 16 years. I felt like I was sheltered and was always fascinated with bigger cities and dense downtown type areas. Im moving to Richfield this October, while not downtown or uptown Minneapolis, it's still a heck of a lot better then where I am currently at(Saint Cloud, MN) and I'll be close enough to downtown Minneapolis anyway. If I would of sat around saying I hate my life and where I live, then I wouldn't be moving to a suburb fairly close to Minneapolis, now would I? I had to actually do something, get a job, save up money, have to line a job up before I move away, and have to find and apply for an apartment. I was able to be able to be roommates with an older cousin of mine, which required me asking him if he needed any roommates or something. Since I am going to be living in Richfield, and Normandale is close by, I'm going to be starting at Normandale community college in Bloomington this spring, because without college, I'll never have more then just a crappy retail or fast food job making minimum wage or a little more. I've also had to apply for financial aid and do a lot of other things as well. It takes effort, you can't do nothing and expect to receive nothing in return.

Some day I'd love to move out of state to a city like Chicago or Seattle. That isn't just going to fall into my hands out of nowhere, I'm going to have to actually do something and plan to achieve that. And I will certainly have to go to College.

You have to figure out what you want and want to do, and figure out how to achieve it. If you have no money, first thing to do is get a job and save up some money, and buy yourself a car if that is what you want. A car isn't just going to fall from the sky for you. Do you have any college education? Did you graduate from high school atleast?

[uptown_urbanist]

Get yourself a car or move to a neighborhood with good public transit. Or, if your part of the Twin Cities DOES have good bus options, then get yourself a bus pass and get out and explore the city! Travel is wonderful, of course, but if you don't have the money (or in between trips, if you do have the money) you can find a lot of new experiences right here in the metro area. Check out different neighborhoods, go see places you haven't seen before. An added bonus about public transportation: the "public" part means that you'll see and perhaps talk to people from all backgrounds and walks of life, and it should help you start to feel more connected to the world as a whole.

[audadvnc]

Save up some money and go on a nationwide bus trip. See the world, then decide if you'd like to live here.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by audadvnc

Save up some money and go on a nationwide bus trip. See the world, then decide if you'd like to live here.

Or get a plane ticket to somewhere in Europe, buy a Urail pass for next to nothing, travel at night so you don't need to spend money on a hotel room/youth hostel and see the world.

The key is to get a job, save some money and get out and do things.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Or get a plane ticket to somewhere in Europe, buy a Urail pass for next to nothing, travel at night so you don't need to spend money on a hotel room/youth hostel and see the world.

I would price out individual train tickets first, especially if not traveling long distance daily. The eurail "global" passes start at $520 for 15 days which works out to about $35/day if you use every day.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by moving123456

I would price out individual train tickets first, especially if not traveling long distance daily. The eurail "global" passes start at $520 for 15 days which works out to about $35/day if you use every day.

Is that the 'student' fee? It's been a LONG time but students used to be able to get a eurail pass for insanely cheep.

[Glenfield]

The OP doesn't have the money to get to Europe, much less travel around there. The days when Europe was a cheap trip are long gone. I've been there twice this year, and everything is insanely expensive, largely due to the VAT. If travel is indeed the cure for what ails the OP (and I'm not sure it is) then the idea for a bus trip around the US is a much more practical solution.

As to the military, it is very difficult to get in these days. Fewer than 1 in 10 applicants qualify. If the OP did manage to get accepted, they'd wash out in no time with their current woe-is-me attitude.

[uptown_urbanist]

If you get a student card you CAN get relatively cheap rail passes, but the days of them being dirt-cheap have passed; airfare has also gone up. I'm all for trips to Europe (and Asia, and South America, and wherever else you can get yourself to, but Glenfield is right on the mark with this one. Much as I love Europe (and was there bleeding Euros earlier this year), it's a poor choice for a budget traveler these days. I'd concentrate on traveling domestically, or better yet -- if the OP wants a MAJOR change of pace -- try to get a job that involves travel. Might be easier said than done, but perhaps a cruise ship, carnival company, etc. I knew a bunch of people who spent a couple of years in the Ice Capades and/or Disney on Ice, and always wished I'd at least tried out.

If the OP is just looking to experience some new things and get a new outlook on life, though, they can also find that if he (or she) spends some time doing new things here in the Twin Cities. Go visit Cedar-Riverside or Karmel Plaza or something. Get a job in a totally new field. Take up exotic hobbies. Volunteer somewhere. Travel is wonderful, but if you can't afford a trip, there are still plenty of ways to get out right here at home.

[Oh OK]

I am 27 years old by the way.

I enjoy hearing about American soldiers getting defeated, so clearly, I don't qualify HAHA.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Is that the 'student' fee? It's been a LONG time but students used to be able to get a eurail pass for insanely cheep.

That is the "Youth" price for people under 25 which is a 35% discount off full price.

They don't offer a student specific discount.

Are there special student discounts on Eurail Passes?