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How to Be a DrifterBeing a drifter is not easy; it can be dangerous and lonely. Drifters choose to

drift for reasons like exploration, new experiences and meeting new people;

which they may otherwise have never been able to do, due to either legal or

monetary constraints. Many people see drifting as total freedom from the

clutches of modern society.

1 Be intelligent! Knowledge and awareness are primary sources of power for drifters.

Being a drifter means depending mainly on yourself, so don't rely on what books or

mass-media tells you. Instead, study things yourself and become self-educated and self-

aware. Your personal experience is the most important and valuable source from which to

build a knowledge base.

Know your history! Before leaving behind the comfortable society's eases with all

the available powers exercised through legal rights, and finally embarking on

drifting adventures around the world, learn as much about human history as you

can. Knowing how the world works and what you will be dealing with as a drifter is

a matter of extreme importance. You don't want to be held back by naivety,

especially when you are risking everything by becoming a drifter, so be sure to

learn as much as possible about what moves society forward and what holds it

back from progress.

Love and trust in everyone and everything; NEVER do anything that you don't want

to do! This is the most important part of being a true drifter; if you fail to understand

it, you will surely fail at drifting with total freedom. Keep in mind that loving

everything doesn't mean that you should do everything, and trusting everyone

doesn't mean that you should believe whatever someone tells you, it simply means

accepting everything as it is and not trying to change anyone, especially yourself!

Also, don't let anyone change who you are, and never ever do anything that makes

you feel uncomfortable. Love and trust in yourself, and always be who you are

Steps

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since you were born; be a drifter!

Become a drifter. Quit your job, abandon, give away, or sell your property with all of

your possessions, and drift. Becoming a drifter means to sever all formal ties,

financially unfetter yourself to the world, get off the grid, and follow your own "drifter" code.

Drifters never "chain" themselves to anything, so you should never commit to anything that

you can't immediately drop and walk away from at any time.

Accept the place where you drift to as your home. Try to blend in with the locals

instead of standing out, including wearing down-to-earth clothes instead of flashy

ones, though it may sometimes be a good idea to appear as a regular

tourist/traveler rather than a drifter to lower unwarranted suspicions. If you find

yourself in a country with a language that you don't speak, try finding a polite way to

avoid strangers from engaging in verbal communication with you.

Connect with people and surroundings, and form relationships whenever you can. If

you get the rare chance, take a traveling companion with you. A human being is

always better than a dog, so treat others as you would treat yourself. Having a

good set of personal moral code will allow you to drift for a long time. Always avoid

trouble and never resort to any kind of threat or violence. Do as many general good

deeds as you can instead of personal favors, and don't become obsessed with

money.

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4

Pack smart. Always keep your backpack as light and small as possible. Pack non-

perishable foods that don't need to be cooked, like nuts and muesli. Always have at

least half a gallon of clean tap water supply with you wherever you go. If you are packing any

small and light electronic device that requires electricity, it's a good idea to carry a compact

universal adapter with you. This can be bought in electronic stores, or it can be manually

constructed from separate parts on the go.

Foolish shopping can quickly turn you from a drifter into a beggar. Always rely on

supermarkets for all your safe and cheap purchases. Buy reliable products from

widely recognized and trustworthy major brands whenever possible, especially

when purchasing hygiene supplies. Buy clothes made of polyester to handle

moisture problems, and pack spares so that you can always wash and dry the dirty

ones. Buy sports shoes that won't break after a few months of use. Stay on the

lookout for anti-bacterial materials to avoid bad smells.

Stay healthy. Bad eating habits or bad hygiene can quickly disrupt your drifting

lifestyle.

Avoid eating all animal foods, including meat (fish), egg, honey, and milk products.

Eat plenty of fruits and as much fresh vegetables as possible. Eating one garlic

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clove per day (eating it together with other foods is easier) is a good way to

maintain good health and chewing it can protect your teeth, though it will inevitably

lead to bad breath. Drinking alcohol like white wine every once in a while can help

boosting your digestion process, but it may also result in bad breath as well as in

temporarily limited control of bodily movement functions, so it's best to consume

alcoholic drinks right before taking a nap.

You don't want to smell like crap or lose your teeth in the first year of drifting, so

always carry soap and a toothbrush, but avoid carrying shower gels or shampoos

as they will add unnecessary weight. Public bus/train/gas stations and shopping

malls are good places to look for a toilet, or a sink with a source of water, which

you can use to take care of your personal hygiene, do your laundry, and also refill

your water supply. Cutting all your hair as short as possible can make it easier to

maintain your hygiene.

Stay connected. Being aware of your surroundings and always knowing what is

happening around you is very important. The first thing you should do is buy a tiny

compass and a compact map to know where you are and where you are going.

Try finding internet access whenever possible. That way, you can learn almost

everything about the place you drift to, including the locations where you can

resupply your daily needs.

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7

Find a source of income. The hardest part of being a drifter is getting enough

resources to survive. Drifters are usually not beggars and they don't have a job, so you

will have to find alternative ways to acquire money, such as selling travel photos.

While there are many available short-term jobs with no consequences to leaving at

any time in many progressive countries, keep in mind that you will most often get

rejected as a drifter with no legal documents that prove who you are, as many legal

employers will refuse to take a risk of hiring an undocumented worker. Odd and

dirty jobs may still be widely available for you, but it's often best practice to avoid

such jobs because as a drifter with no legal documents, you will have very little to

no rights for government protection against unfair treatment or abuse. In short,

legal ways of getting a job are extremely limited, and illegal ways are usually not

worth risking.

If you happen to come across a stash of money, like dropped bank funds that

nobody will see you taking, do it! But be sure to never steal anything from people

who have worked for the things they own.

Find a place to sleep. Drifters have to get used to sleeping outside, though finding a

safe place to rest where you won't be bothered may not be easy. Say goodbye to long

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8-hours-a-day sleeping periods, and get used to sleeping for a couple of hours several

times a day. Rest as much as you can and if possible, don't avoid taking a nap whenever

you feel like it.

You may be able to find someone who will let you stay in their home, though this

may not always be the case as people tend to be suspicious of drifters. Squatting

abandoned buildings can be an option in bad weather, though it's usually much

safer to stay inside bus/train stations or covered shopping malls. Sleeping on

public benches can sometimes be a good idea, but in many countries this may

alert the bypassing security and police officers to question you for legal

documents, resulting in detention if you can't prove your residence status.

Find a source of transportation. Without a way to travel around, you may have

some trouble being a drifter. Walking is generally your best choice in urban areas.

Hitchhiking may be one good option when traveling on an open road, hopping a freight train

is another. Both these options can be dangerous, but then you don't become a drifter to live

a safe and comfortable life like everyone else. If you have some money to spend, public

transportation is a fast way of moving to another place.

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9 Visit other countries. For a true drifter with no legal documents, it can be very

difficult crossing borders to other countries. Unless they help you escape from a

tyrannical government, you should generally avoid illegal trafficking organizations, as they

may be forcing you to work for them afterwards in return for passage, with very little pay for

several years to come. When arriving to another country or region, you should do your best

to avoid any conflict with the authorities or the locals, as those may quickly end your drifting

adventures.

No matter where you come from, you should always avoid the countries that don't

welcome American visitors or travelers looking/acting like American tourists, as

such countries usually have low social standards and high restrictions on ordinary

people's freedoms, which consequently means little to no freedom for you as a

drifter. It's also generally a good idea to avoid regions with high moisture and

long/cold winter climates, as those are neither good for your health or your

backpack. On the other hand, be careful that your destination country is

economically successful; otherwise it will be difficult to find the necessary every-

day supplies for a low price.

Drifting from one state to another within the United States is generally not an issue.

There is a legal requirement to show an ID when crossing national borders within

the Schengen Area of the European Union as proof of EU citizenship and an

assurance that you will be returned by authorities to your originating EU country

with a penalty if you overstay your visit as a drifter for over 90 days. Add to that the

EU's economic crisis, and the European continent quickly appears as a large

prison system with armed guards on every corner, and off limits to serious drifters.

One common good thing about US and EU is that they both use single currencies,

dollar and euro.

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10 Learn new languages. Learning a new language may be a good idea when

drifting to another country. English is the second most spoken language around

the world, even in countries where it's not an official language, so it is a good idea to

master English before going anywhere. Other popular languages, like Spanish and

Standard Chinese, may also become useful upon learning.

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Age is nothing but a number, so don't let that stop you. The older you

are, the more necessary experiences you will have. The younger you

are, the more fit you will be to handle your drifting adventures.

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