I never ran away from home, but I fantasized about it when I was a kid. My parents were very strict with me, and they argued constantly. Running away gave me an escape from it. I envisioned running away, and living alone right outside the urban area (I lived in a small city), which would be close to city conveniences, but isolated enough to hide from people who mistreated me. I planned to bring with me only two things: my stuffed dog, and my portable cassette player. From my perspective, it was a world of utmost happiness: I imagined myself walking around wherever I pleased, playing with animals in parks, doing odd jobs for people to earn money, buying whatever I wished in stores, and riding around in buses to stay warm. However, my plan was never implemented. I knew that my parents would get the police involved right away, and since the cops are very clever and sneaky, my plan would be thwarted very quickly.
Sure, this plan smacks of homelessness, but it offered things living at home didn't offer: happiness and independence. I now laugh a little that back then, I didn't fully realize that there would still be people around me, even though technically I would be running away. You might ask: "why didn't you fantasize about running away and living with relatives?" Because I knew that they would contact my parents, and arrange for me to be brought back home, even if they did let me stay for a day or two. So moving in with relatives was pretty much out of the question.
Now at age 24, I have my own apartment, and I feel happier than ever before, with a few obvious differences: I live in a suburb, I don't care for wild animals in parks (I still like dogs and cats, though), I have a regular job, and I stay warm inside my own apartment.
Last edited by Aspie1 on 28 Sep 2007, 10:35 am, edited 1 time in total.