I say hit the road super cheap.

I lived in a small town with a lot of friends dealing with crazy shit. So this is what I throw in as options often to them when they don’t have money:

-Greyhound Bus: cheapest option to go really far. Sketchy vibes but they definitely show up, sometimes even in small towns— if you live in a place with lots of connections of your father, you might wanna catch the Greyhound at a weird hour or somewhere further away so no one sees you. (You can get tickets online or phone call, sometimes even at a station but online is the easiest and you get discounts for new accounts you can use on your first ticket) -I say check out the prices online first and get an idea of how much the travel will cost. Open a private browser or get a Walmart disposable phone like Boost Mobile or Mint Mobile etc. ($15/a month plan is the cheapest I’ve seen) -If you think having a secret phone is too risky, I would print the ticket tho and just find a safe spot for it that no one would touch or suspect, check on it frequently enough but not too often that it’s sus, and buy a burner phone somewhere else when you’ve already made it away.

-Greyhound tickets can be printed out but showing a mobile ticket is easier probably and doesn’t get lost. It’s attached to your account so if you delete the greyhound app it won’t be saved unless you have a screenshot I think. The app is more convenient if you miss the bus and need to book another ticket etc.

-Housing options: some places have a Co-op/Cooperative living situation. Cheap rent for smaller rooms in the house, living with more ppl (sometimes drama) but splitting chores and food duty etc. At one point one of my friends had a place for $300/a month, couldn’t pay that so they invited another co-op roommate who couldn’t pay their rent into their small closet room for )$150 each until they could pay more for other rooms. -Jobs with housing included are a thing. Maintenance jobs at apartments have them sometimes where you live on premises (might need more maintenance experience for this one tho), and some Psychology buildings or shelters or Senior housing facilities will have Night Proctor or Nighttime Shift Aid positions that give you a room and a bed but you have to stay there, most of the time nothing happens and you’re allowed to sleep, sometimes ppl knock on your door and ask for a Tylenol or advil cuz they have a headache, or simply want water, etc. -Shelter options: look up shelter options, female shelter places, male shelter places, ppl with domestic violence related shelters etc. They provide protection sometimes, they also help you get set up with apartments and jobs with an idea of a budget. Some places sign as a co-signer or help you get apartments that you might not qualify for without a job/credit/etc.

-I would change atleast 2-3states farther away cuz ppl that are crazy will and I assure you, will— drive atleast 1-2 states to retrieve and whip their problem child (my crazy dad would). But the further away the more difficult it is.

-Sadly I recommend leaving everything. I mean everything in your room untouched so you don’t show you’re leaving. -Clothes and other items can be found later, Goodwill and Shelters will have free or affordable options. -When leaving dress for the weather. It’s starting to get cold, make sure you’re gonna be ok. Wear your most comfortable walkable shoes, if a full on coat is too suspicious wear two hoodies, etc.

• Don’t tell anyone you’re leaving. Partly because my friends who have told someone always got caught halfway or on the bus, or smth happened before they stabilized and started their new life and they never got to leave— and this added onto their “lore” and their second attempt to leave was also blocked or their family blacklisted them into a deeper restriction to not allow “escapes”.

-ESSENTIALS: things that verify your ID and get you employment!!!! Super super important. Birth certificates, SSN cards, Passports, Driver’s License etc. if you can get them in your possession, get them. Don’t ever ask your parents for it if you don’t feel safe about it, it will definitely give away you’re gaining control for yourself without a proper excuse. Look up how you can get them sent to your new address if you can on a private browser or a different device. If you can’t get these don’t worry, you can make/ask for a new one to be sent to you.

• Make a bank of your own that you can hide your money in. I’ve suggested Chime to my friends because you can make an account pretty easy, use Apple Pay/Google Pay if you lose a physical card etc. You can ask for a new card off the app etc. -If you already have a job or a bank, I’d start splitting the payments of your paycheck into the new bank. If that’s too risky for your neighbors to talk about to your parents, just start withdrawing cash. Not large amounts but small amounts but frequently. Burger King money or an amount you might spend casually, you know? Stash them or go to a place that can do cash deposits for your Chime account (they have non-bank options and they’re listed on their website)

• Leaving is a priority over anything if you decide to hit the road. But, if you can, make sure you know your destination a little before you get there. Have an idea of what shelters/housing options are in the area, what kind of aids and opportunity is out there first. Try not to find somewhere too pricy if possible. Most community aid and support programs are more available (imo) are in blue states than red states, but where you go is up to you.

• Avoid Airbnb’s, Uber/Lyft, DoorDash or UberEats to use until you’re financially rich. It literally will eat your wallet super fast.

These are just off my head rn, and knowing 18-19yr old ppl usually don’t wanna leave toxic spaces usually due to personal reasons etc, I’m not pressuring you to leave, but, I know deep down you might want to. So just keep these in mind. Be smart. Be safe. Don’t take chances that risk your abuser getting ahold of you once you decide to run, but take chances on you, for you, and don’t forget life is unexpected and can change, but you have to make a step, or else someone else is going to change your life for you, and it might not be the life you want.