How do I live with no current address? What do I ship and what do I donate?

Use Earthclass Mail, with an address in the state from which you file taxes, have your drivers' license, get checks, set up health insurance. I use them, and they are great. They scan your mail, ship anywhere you want, and toss whatever you specifiy. $9.95 a month. Send checks to your parents to mail any bank deposits for you that you can't arrange to get electronically deposited in your bank. Meet with your local branch manager ahead to arrange for them to receive and deposit any checks by mail from your parents. If your drivers' license is about to expire, get a new one at your current address. Use Craigslist to get rid of most of your stuff. Offer what's left over for free after posting a couple "curbside pickup" ads on Craigslist. You need to get the big stuff out at least weeks ahead so you have enough time to deal with what doesn't sell and how to get rid of it. I don't have the link, but go to the site for "Couch Surfing." I haven't used them, but I've met several worldwide travelers who have. That will lead you to other travellers with all their tips. Consider getting a netbook for the road, lighter to carry, less to lose. Sign up for an offsite computer storage like Mozy. Put your CDs on computer, MP3, ipod, iphone, etc. If you've got some cash now, get a Kindle for books. Otherwise, just buy used books on the road. Travel light. At any given time you only need a week's worth of clothes. Get two pairs of good-looking outdoor quick-dry, wicking pants, 2 quick drying shorts, and two quick drying shirts--Columbia, Beans, etc. that fold down to nothing, Get a Polafleece zip neck pullover, a Polarfleece zip up jacket, a fleece vest, fleece tights for sleeping in, and a good rain proof jacket. Get a pair of waterproof low cut, lightweight hikers, pair of sneakers, and a pair of Tevas. Get 5 pairs of quick dry underpants and two quick dry long-sleeved, plus 3-4 short sleeved tees. Buy a portable clothesline. Think "camping." Buy a big roll of two-gallon Ziploc bags for the big items, one-gallon and one-quart size for the small stuff, and keep your clothes sorted into those inside your duffel or backpack so you stay organized. Squeeze out the air to save space. Buy a really decent hanging toiletries kit, medium sized, to keep that stuff organized and in one place. Read about the "Frugal Traveler" in The New York Times from his fantastic European vacation summer, 2008. Adapt some of those ideas for meeting up with people in less touristy parts of much-visited locales. Also, check out local meetup.com groups wherever you go--hiking groups, reading groups, eating groups, etc. for company. Have fun. The economy is tanking. If you feel the need to explain, say you "were on sabbatical." Just go!

well, as for shipping your best bet is going to be USPS Parcel Post, with perhaps their Media Mail option for qualifying boxes of items (books, CDs, etc). Instead of COBRA you might want to look at just self-insuring. I'm paying $200/mo for a Blue Shield PPO plan with an annual $1700 cap on the copays. I've had a couple of medical bills this year already and I'm only getting billed half the cash price, too, so I'm very happy so far with this plan. You may not be paying rent on travels but I think you'll find the mobile lifestyle to be not free. If I were you (and I am, more or less) I'd focus on developing job skills and not galavanting all over the place. But whatever you choose, good luck and enjoy.

I'd mentally divide things up like this: Things that can be replaced. Things that cannot be replaced. Only things that cannot be replaced should be shipped home to your parents -- photo albums and such. Think carefully about whether you care about some 'memento' type things or whether they're just crap you keep around because you feel like you should. Amongst things that can be replaced, I'd keep only the things you will actively use while you're traveling. Don't tote anything in your car that doesn't absolutely have to be there, and pare down even the categories of items you'll be taking with you. If you have an MP3 player, take that and leave the CDs. If you don't, take some CDs, but perhaps not all of them. I have no idea how many CDs you have, though -- some people only have a few dozen, in which case, putting them in little carriers is probably not a big deal.

Related but not exactly on topic... mathematician Paul Erdos lived this lifestyle for his entire adult life. I have a close friend who is the daughter of a math professor who routinely hosted Erdos and whose childhood featured her being baby-sat by this world-class math mind. You are in good company. Stability is overrated. Take notes and write a book!

I found that the cheapest way to ship things is through Greyhound (the bus line). They have a companion shipping service. http://www.shipgreyhound.com/ You can get an even better rate (50% off) if you (or a friend) qualify for http://www.shipgreyhound.com/discounts/student.shtml. They offer a "first month free" type of promo, so you can just sign up, use the discount, then cancel it. Just be SURE to pack your things VERY well. In my experience, stuff shipped through Greyhound gets banged around a lot. Double box, double box, double box! The upside is that it is WAY cheaper than UPS.

http://ask.metafilter.com/118199/How-do-I-live-with-no-current-address-What-do-I-ship-and-what-do-I-donate#1692956: "I'll be available to work, in fact as I travel I'll be interviewing for jobs, but how do I adequately convey this to the unemployment agency (only dealt with them once before, briefly, and read posts on here, there's no way to deal with 'them'" ... I'm not worried about the unemployment system." Um... you should be, since what you're proposing technically constitutes Unemployment Insurance benefit fraud and you could face criminal prosecution. You are required to be in the area looking for work. Every two weeks you need to report the companies (address, phone number, contact person) where you've applied for a job, using forms delivered by snail mail. Lying on these forms or having someone else do it for you constitutes fraud. They also schedule random meetings for you to come in to meet with a EDD adviser and could cut you off if you fail to appear. I know you paid into the system and you are looking for work, but since the unemployment rate is through the roof in CA they might want to start making an example of people. As for other tips: I suggest you scan copies of all your important documents (SS card, passport, etc), encrypt them, and put them online so you always have access to them while on the road. You don't want to have to dig into your trunk to find that one document when you need.

Definately keep posting on Craigslist. I was getting rid of all my junk I was planning on donating or tossing.. so far I made over 900.. people will buy the stuff. You gotta just keep reposting--each time lowering by $50.. eventually it hits the sweet spot.

Wow. After all the excellent answers, I feel compelled to ask about your goals. What are you hoping to achieve amidst everything previously discussed? After leaving the USA, I've lived in Seoul for over a year. I have yet to receive more than a handful of things that were worth being sent to my current address. Credit card statements? Sign up for their electronic / automated services. Bank statements? Checkable online. If you MUST have postal mail access, I nth recommend Earthclass mail. I've yet to need it or try it personally, but the service itself sounds worthwhile. For now, though, I'd be thinking about what you're looking for. Goals? Ambitions? Those sort of things will keep you from being on the run forever. Best of luck :)

I would also add to the idea that it helps to be a responsible guest. Doing work around the house without being asked can be a great way to have people appreciate you being around. Volunteer to cook, clean, do yardwork, etc whenever you can. This can be a good way to make yourself welcome without spending a lot of extra money. You definitely want to still kick in for groceries and towards any extra expenses. I would definitely have discussions with the people you are visiting before you go to talk about how long you would like to stay there and what the expectations are for your behavior. If the people you are visiting have jobs they might not be too happy if you are out late every night, for example.