>>1840754To put a more positive spin on my prior post here
>>1840800 let me tell you what you DID do right, and what you CAN do to make sure you succeed in the future, should you choose to move to Alaska. Or anywhere rural.
You have a good start: $17,000 is a decent amount to get a solid footing in an area. If you can, learn a job skill now before you travel, or line some sort of schooling up as soon as you arrive to where you want to go. Welding overall can be an excellent and portable trade, but it depends what type of welding you're doing. Pipe welding and structural welding are always going to be in demand, but you need years of experience and a fair amount of connections before you can write your own check. Really, any trade is good, and many unions will pay for your apprenticeship, which is what I recommend doing. HVAC, plumbing, and electricians are awesome trades. Know how to do carpentry, but don't do it for a living, the pay is ass.
Before you buy land of your own, read books on off-grid and self-sufficient living. Read a lot. Read about root cellaring, determining soil composition, canning, raising livestock, hunting, gardening, anything self-sufficiency related. More importantly, PRACTICE these skills. Take a First Aid course. Start a garden if you can, if not, join a community garden. Haul bricks for Habitat for Humanity. Take community college classes on carpentry, metalworking, etc. Learn to fix shit yourself, like simple car repairs (oil change and brake pad replacement are the bare basics) or clothing tears.
I know COVID is making a lot of the community shit difficult to learn, but if you're in it for the long run, then this pandemic bullshit will be over before you know it anyway. And until you're ready, hoard knowledge. Spend most of your free time preparing for your future self-sufficient life. Flying by the seat of your pants is all well and good if you're an urbanite yuppie going to some big city, but it will get you killed out in nature.
