And no, please dont suggest homeless shelters, those are just unsafe and very demoralizing.
The very first thing I looked for (and forgive me for this, this is gonna be a controvertial one here) is the military, because thats just what lots of reddit threads mentioned, and like it would be an immediate exit from a toxic household, and yes, that would mean enduring an institution thats also kinda toxic, but thats only a few years and you're free, and its much more predictable. Except they dont accept anyone with depression and you have to prove you're "fine" for probably 36 months to even get a waiver. So that's crossed off as an option.
Jobcorps, well thats for low income families, and being a dependent means your parents income is what counts so i dont qualify
Americorps NCCC, well that seems seasonal and the next thing doesnt start till like months later (not sure if I'm even reading the website correctly)
Ngl I lowkey just thought of enlisting so once I finish that, next time we meet, I could stand in front of my toxic brother just staring at him menacingly, like whatcha gonna do, fight with an ex-soldier? Not to mention the prestiege of veteran status. And btw its only 1% thats acrually ever gonna face real combat so its not like WW1&2 trench warfare, its mostly just logistics, and like a civillian job, you'd be contributing to shareholder value anyways so there isnt really much of a "moral highground" either way, except working a retail job or some shit is very demoralizing but military has the reverance. And also
But anyways I'm not eligible anytime soon anyways. I doubt I'm even "manly" enough for it.
~~Bruh idk what to do really, you know that one movie, Parasite where like they work in a rich person's mansion and that shit. I'm not a fan of rich people but like I lowkey wanna like just "housesitter" and chill in some nice mansion with great views, and maybe even find secrets and become a movie plot.~~ (edit: okay this part I'm half joking, its more like a fantasy daydream of "I get to be in a movie plot" probably unrealistic for someone that never been in proximity of high wealth)
I'm in Philly, PA btw.
(Also should I pack light with just a backpack and just one or two change of clothes and laundry often or just carry every clothing I could fit in a suitcase?)
hey there, i've been traveling for 15 years and taught for 7, teaching English abroad seems to fit what you're looking for.
jobs are available today in dozens of countries, several of them have no requirement other than being a native English speaker, ~25 working hours per week, it's very cheap to live abroad, so even if you're making a thousand usd equivalent a month(starting without any degree, accreditation or experience), you can still begin saving money, and since you mentioned prestige, teachers are highly respected everywhere I've been.
especially if you have no idea what you want to do, but you need to move out, get your own place and start saving money immediately, there are over a billion esl students looking for a teacher. Every month you spend teaching is valuable work experience, you can get a lifetime TEFL(teaching english as a foreign language) accreditation in a couple of weeks with a self-directed pdf course that will raise your salary and negotiating power.
if you're interested, feel free to ask questions here or in the travel community, i taught abroad for several years, retired and have been traveling ever since.
if you're lucky enough to be a fluent english speaker, it's a very low-barrier, high-reward job.
Before considering this option, OP, you should listen to accounts of people who have actually done it (good and bad). Some people have had absolute NIGHTMARE experiences, like getting trapped in their host country and unable to quit because their employer refuses to give back their passport or other documents. And while I'm no expert, I would say that any company willing to hire teachers with only a GED/HS diploma is worth raising an eyebrow at.
Some people have amazing experiences teaching abroad - I don't want to make it sound all bad! It sounds like you had a great experience and I definitely don't mean to knock that. But it's worth noting there are a fair few sketchy players in the game, and it's important that OP does heavy heavy research as the consequences of getting involved with one of these companies can be dire.
that's me. i taught english abroad(for ~7 years) starting with zero experience or accreditation, ended up running two schools before retiring, and I'm still traveling 15 years later.
the "sketchy players" in education are, in theory, the same concentration whether you're a lawyer, flipping burgers, or teaching english, although because the demand is so much higher for english teachers than in other fields, the risk for an english teacher is lower.
Like I said, I don't mean to deny your positive experience, nor suggest that someone can't have a positive experience teaching abroad. I've heard a lot of genuinely good experiences. But the consequences of working for a bad employer abroad can truly mess up your life in a way that flipping burgers in Fresno or filing legal paperwork in St. Louis just can't, no matter how terrible the employees are stateside. Burger King can't hold your passport hostage.
I also think OP's mental health status shouldn't be discounted here. A lot of the negative experiences I've heard are related to loneliness and mental struggles working abroad, especially in countries where English-speaking mental healthcare is lacking or absent entirely. It's one thing to be depressed, young, and isolated in your home country. It's a whole different beast to be depressed, young, and isolated in a country where you don't even speak the local language, and where the closest familiar face is several thousand miles away.
I feel the need to reiterate again that this isn't everyone's experience, just that working abroad is a huge commitment and needs to be considered from every angle. I'm glad you're here to share a positive perspective!
I see that.
My concern is that you're implying dire and extreme dangers that are simply not valid concerns for English teachers.
Burger King can't hold your passport hostage, but they can hold your entire life hostage. At an entry level US job, a young adult without formal education will usually be making far less than they would as an English teacher while working more hours in a job without the choice, exit options, flexibility or benefits teaching English offers. Many US young adults end up the way OP is concerned about, homeless and without any option. This is an extremely common occurrence in the US, and many countries, that is not applicable at all to English teachers, who are highly in demand in most of the world and compensated very well.
Traveling doesn't cure depression for everyone, and OP isn't asking for a cure for depression. OPs question should be the focus of my work discussion.
They want to move out immediately and begin living independently with a GED. Travel can undeniably help with that, especially if they're a fluent English speaker.
You're couching extremely unlikely events within a conciliatory framework of dire backdoor warnings and existential "what ifs" but the risk of an English teacher having their passport stolen and the teacher being held hostage is basically unheard of. i've certainly never experienced known of or even heard a rumor or bogeyman tale about thatb happening to an English teacher during my entire career, or after. Statistically it must have happened once somewhere, but that doesn't seem very relevant to the topic.
If OP attacks a government building in their home country, can their passport be taken away? Sure, the same way it could be taken away if they attack a government building in any country. It doesn't seem relevant to OP's situation, but it technically could happen.
Could OP take up skydiving and mispack both parachutes? Possibly, but again it doesn't seem very relevant.
From their specific situation, it sounds like OP is more at risk by staying in their own country without any resources or options than by accessing opportunity abroad.
The concerns you're bringing up are simply not applicable to English teachers in the way you are implying they are, you are not providing any evidence for these concerns, and it sounds like you're leveling these allegations and existential warnings without having any direct experience traveling or teaching.
In the real world, what OP will have to deal with is if they chooses the wrong school. The solution is OP going to a different school with some savings and work experience under their belt. There's no penalty. You don't surrender your passport when you sign up with a school. the english teacher is the most valuable resource in any ESL school, they have an enormous amount of free agency.
And if an English teacher decides they don't like the other 200 countries, they'll have savings and can go back to their home country and try again with slightly better footing.