Can I live two lives?

altsalt

altsalt

New member
Hi everyone, my name is altsalt. I am a college student in my second year studying for my bachelors degree in either biology and biochemistry (I haven't made a decision yet). I'm fortunate enough to have been accepted into a program that allows me to get my bachelors in 3 years, then pursue a master's degree in 1 year after that. I love learning and feel fortunate to be able to pursue higher education, because this was something that my ancestors could not do, but I guess there's always been this itch I wanted to scratch. Stumbling upon this forum made me realize that I am far from the only person to feel this way.

I love nature, and I love the ocean. I often feel as if there is an invisible thread tying me to those entities, constantly pulling taut. I've always loved to wander and go wherever the wind takes me. I have done multiple week and multi week solo hiking trips in upper New England, and as I continue my education and forge a pathway towards aligning myself with getting ready for medical school I feel as if I have been neglecting my time with nature and the other part of me that just wants to drop all my studies and run off onto some great adventure. I know that sounds very romanticized, but I want to travel and see the world so bad, and I truly feel at such peace when I am in nature in a way that I can't replicate in the classroom or lab. This isn't to say that I'm going to drop out, because that would be crushing the other side of my dreams. But I guess I'm looking for an in between, or some way that I can both travel and also study? I've hitched before, but with male friends. There as so many places I want to go to, but I could start with going to upstate NY to check out the abandoned buildings, and then continue to Maine. I could also southward towards the southwest, maybe visit my friends on the rez. I don't know yet, but I'm glad to be able to express myself to a community of like minded individuals.
 
You could take a gap year. You might be able to defer a semester after you're already enrolled and just travel for 6 months. If you have the interest and the academic skills, school will always still be there when you're back. Or study first, take a gap year after you graduate. Or just take every moment of your time off between each semester traveling. You'll never get as much annual leave working a salaried job as you do when you're a full-time student.

Lots of people do both, it's not about having two different lives, it's just about having your one life and deciding how you want to organize it. Don't let other people make the decision for you. If you'd like to travel and study too, just do that. Hell, maybe you can find a student exchange opportunity where you get to continue your study, but do it at an overseas university, that could be fun too. The world is your oyster.
 
I am in a similar situation. Stuck between academics and wanderlust in my junior year of college. The best solution I found was to take a seasonal job in a different state each summer. I am based in Western New York. 2 summers ago I worked as a pathfinder and expedition leader at a summer camp in Colorado. And this past summer I worked as a beach life guard on Block island, off the coast of Rhode Island. Every experience was amazing, and settled my urge to travel for the school year. So yeah, take advantage of your summers while you can. You can work some shit 9-5 or unpaid internship once you graduate. Coolworks.com is a great resource for finding seasonal opportunities all across the country, meeting lifelong friends and immersing yourself in a new culture to escape the mundane routine of collegiate life.
 
Welcome! there's been some really great advice and ideas already but I too felt pulled to explore all through while I was studying. I traveled as much as I could during breaks and summers, and studied abroad in Australia for year of my bachelor's and took a smaller workload so I had plenty of time to get involved in all sorts of cool stuff and travel, too. But your doing that fast track into Master's is probably really structured and probably doesn't have any room for flexibility.

I'm really not sure how it goes if you end up taking time off between your master's and doctorate/other research work/whatever your plans are, but I think if you have the itch to travel, you should just go and do it while you have the interest and the energy and the motivation. Just go for it. Work and study will always be there for you to come back to. I reckon now is the time to go, while you haven't committed to any other people, jobs or responsibilities.

Also YESSS to upstate new york and the rest of the northeast in the summer! I miss that lush, swimming hole-filled paradise.
 
Koala said:
Welcome! there's been some really great advice and ideas already but I too felt pulled to explore all through while I was studying. I traveled as much as I could during breaks and summers, and studied abroad in Australia for year of my bachelor's and took a smaller workload so I had plenty of time to get involved in all sorts of cool stuff and travel, too. But your doing that fast track into Master's is probably really structured and probably doesn't have any room for flexibility.

I'm really not sure how it goes if you end up taking time off between your master's and doctorate/other research work/whatever your plans are, but I think if you have the itch to travel, you should just go and do it while you have the interest and the energy and the motivation. Just go for it. Work and study will always be there for you to come back to. I reckon now is the time to go, while you haven't committed to any other people, jobs or responsibilities.

Also YESSS to upstate new york and the rest of the northeast in the summer! I miss that lush, swimming hole-filled paradise.
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Thank you for this, this is a really thoughtful and cool response. Can I message you? I have some questions about your traveling while in uni and your upstate NY recommendations haha
 
altsalt said:
Thank you for this, this is a really thoughtful and cool response. Can I message you? I have some questions about your traveling while in uni and your upstate NY recommendations haha
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Yes of course! Hmu :)
 
altsalt said:
Hi everyone, my name is altsalt. I am a college student in my second year studying for my bachelors degree in either biology and biochemistry (I haven't made a decision yet). I'm fortunate enough to have been accepted into a program that allows me to get my bachelors in 3 years, then pursue a master's degree in 1 year after that. I love learning and feel fortunate to be able to pursue higher education, because this was something that my ancestors could not do, but I guess there's always been this itch I wanted to scratch. Stumbling upon this forum made me realize that I am far from the only person to feel this way.

I love nature, and I love the ocean. I often feel as if there is an invisible thread tying me to those entities, constantly pulling taut. I've always loved to wander and go wherever the wind takes me. I have done multiple week and multi week solo hiking trips in upper New England, and as I continue my education and forge a pathway towards aligning myself with getting ready for medical school I feel as if I have been neglecting my time with nature and the other part of me that just wants to drop all my studies and run off onto some great adventure. I know that sounds very romanticized, but I want to travel and see the world so bad, and I truly feel at such peace when I am in nature in a way that I can't replicate in the classroom or lab. This isn't to say that I'm going to drop out, because that would be crushing the other side of my dreams. But I guess I'm looking for an in between, or some way that I can both travel and also study? I've hitched before, but with male friends. There as so many places I want to go to, but I could start with going to upstate NY to check out the abandoned buildings, and then continue to Maine. I could also southward towards the southwest, maybe visit my friends on the rez. I don't know yet, but I'm glad to be able to express myself to a community of like minded individuals.
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I'm an ER/ICU nurse and I've quit jobs to go hop trains and then just kinda waltz back in to work like "aaaayyyy can I have my job back?". It's doable. nursing shortage helps. Yes you can live two lives, you can do whatever the fuck you want and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, because you are the only authority that matters. legit, i know that sounds kinda yoda-y but like, do whatever you want. 4 realz
 
thatd be the duality of your life, you should try it out and see if it works. when I was in school I was crazy and always going out or at the gym working out... my grades suffered but high school doesnt fucking matter! I got sent to different schools and they eventually let me go all be it I had another life of my own. moral of the story I guess is be prepared to sacrifice some of your school life!
 
If you're serious about pursuing a career in biology or biochemistry you need to be pretty careful about getting any kind of charges, especially drug ones. As far as I understand it, any kind of record ain't great for either industry, but just having drug arrests on your record will fuck you totally in the biochem world. When you're hopping trains and hitching police interactions are almost a guarantee. Even if you keep your nose clean all it takes is one pissed off cop or some idiot you're hanging out with pow, you're now in the system.

But to answer your question, yes you can absolutely travel and be a student, I feel like in europe this would never even be a question... Just keep good company, don't travel dirty and don't take stupid risks.
 
I think a lot of Travelers live two lives, or at least my process of becoming and trying to retire from being a Traveler has been like going back and forth between two worlds and the crews I've run with have had similar paths for the most part. I was only in community college when I started taking off whenever I got the chance, and after I got my AA I never went back to school (December 2002) so I may not be the best example. But I've had Road Dawgs and slummed with townies who've done well with the academic route while still largely controlling their destinies. Please keep us updated!
 
transcendentalhobo said:
I think a lot of Travelers live two lives, or at least my process of becoming and trying to retire from being a Traveler has been like going back and forth between two worlds and the crews I've run with have had similar paths for the most part. I was only in community college when I started taking off whenever I got the chance, and after I got my AA I never went back to school (December 2002) so I may not be the best example. But I've had Road Dawgs and slummed with townies who've done well with the academic route while still largely controlling their destinies. Please keep us updated!
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I have that same dumpster diver's sticker on my locker at work friend. cool shit!
 
took me 10 years after i dropped out to come back around to school, traveling off and on but mostly working blue collar jobs.

didn't rely on my family for much of anything.

just fyi, sometimes a gap year turns into a gap decade.
 
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