This article is the first amongst several that will retrace exactly how we planned for our trip, how we saved money before going, how we saved money while traveling, and how we did it while still being respectful to the planet.

Have you ever been sitting at your desk, or have come home from a demanding day at work, and had a flash of being somewhere else, perhaps backpacking the Mediterranean, camping in the mountains and overlooking a lake with a backdrop of mountains and sunrise; someplace that wasn’t…here? It’s almost impossible to separate the idea of “backpacking” with all of these romanticized ideals that go along with it. It all seems so exciting – trying to survive on your own with just a backpack, meeting new people, experiencing the Great Wonders with your own senses, making memories in a far off place, trying new dishes, learning about the world. And while all of these things are very true for anyone who has ever trekked out on their own, one thing about backpacking has echoed throughout the decades, ever since the counter-culture era of the 60’s, and right into the “green” movement of today - the desire to kindle a relationship with the natural world.

That’s probably why there are so many resources for aspiring backpackers who are planning an adventure on a tight budget, and who hold the environment not only as a priority, but as something they want to experience along the way. Looking back on it, for us the entire process of “going backpacking” was a time period where we had never lived so sustainably – not just the backpacking itself, but the entire time leading up to it as well. It is only now that I’ve realized that backpacking was not only a way to get back to nature, but it made us completely revamp the way we were living before we even left!

So, let’s start from the beginning. And for us, the beginning was with Halifax Retro. This publication was the bi-product of our inspiration to start focusing on living for the earth, and not just on it. We wanted to make a difference, and hopefully reach out to others who were trying to do the same. And while we hold our Halifax Retro project very dear to our hearts, we felt like we were missing something. We wanted to see the world so we could see where we fit in, what we could do to really help, to get inspiration to bring back to our lives, our readers, and to Halifax Retro. We wanted to see if we could survive with just a backpack, to not depend on things we thought were necessary, and to become more aware of our place in the world. After we decided that backpacking was something we needed to do, we began planning.

Like anyone, planning for a three month trip requires a substantial amount of savings. For us, with flight included, we were budgeting for approximately $7,500 (which is not a lot when you consider we were planning on visiting approximately 15 countries as well). During this time, we would stock away most of our pay checks into a savings account, and were then forced to live on the meagre leftovers. This inevitably prompted us to re-evaluate what we were doing on a daily basis. Other than the obvious expenses we had to pay (rent, our phones, etc), the things that we could control were:

a) what we were eating

b) how often we were driving

c) cutting down on frivolous spending (clothes, restaurants, etc)

d) creating inexpensive ways to have fun

Ever since I started my job in sales, it was not abnormal for me to purchase my lunch at least 3 times a week. To remedy this cash blow, we began pre-making our lunches, and started purchasing more raw foods at the grocery store and making our own recipe batches – we found soup to be the most inexpensive, healthy, and abundant thing we could make. Not only did this save us tons of money, it was the healthier way to eat anyway! Did we have to wait until we had no money to finally realize this? It makes me wonder sometimes about the bigger picture, on a global economic scale. Are we all just too lazy and unenlightened to realize that the more sustainable choice is actually the most economic as well?

Something that eats up money like no other is the gas tank. If it was possible to walk somewhere, we would. Luckily for us we lived in the downtown core, so getting anywhere only took a few minutes anyway. The one thing that we did cut down on was taking leisurely drives on the weekends. Instead, we would still drive somewhere, but instead of just driving for the heck of it, we’d get out of the car and hike for most of the day.

Like a lot of women, even the environmentalist ones, I like shopping and pretty things. For about a year before we set off to Europe, I put a stop service on my bank cards when it came to shopping malls. If I needed something, I would walk to an independent store and buy it. I went almost a year without going into a mall, which meant I spent next to nothing on things I really didn’t need anyway. If I was in the mood for something new, I would scope out the local Value Village, or at least I would go to an indy shop downtown and look there. Malls can be scary - they suck you in and spit you out, fabulously dressed albeit, but broke.

Instead of going out for dinner, out for drinks and overly priced beer, or to the latest movie, we’d find ways to entertain ourselves without breaking the bank. One of our favourite ways to spend Friday and Saturday nights was to walk down to the Halifax library and ransack the DVD section. With just a library card (which is totally free) you can take out half a dozen movies at a time, without spending a penny! They have everything from the latest releases, to documentaries. We would also often find entire documentaries on the internet and spend long nights watching them cuddled on the couch. Again, not only did this save us money, but it also gave us tons of ideas for articles, like the ones you’ll read on Halifax Retro! Instead of at the bars downtown, you could find us on the waterfront or at a nearby park with some drinks and a picnic.

These are just some of the ways that we had to be creative and come up with ways to save money. If you look at them all, they are all things that not only saved us money, but they are all things that contributed to our cause of being more planet friendly!

Please stay tuned for the next part to this series on Backpacking on a Budget on Halifax Retro!

One thing that happens immediately after traveling is this uneasy state that you exist within that haunts you every single time you are alone, for a while anyway. I want to blame it on the fact that I was with my boyfriend almost every single second so I didn’t have a lot of time to digest everything I was experiencing, which may partially be true. However, being a nomad for three months, with little more than a small notepad to jot down my daily activities, left me with an oversized, complex, and hypothetical suitcase filled with questions, dreams, enlightened perspectives, and new ideas that I sometimes wish the airport would have confiscated (along with that unopened bottle of Rum we purchased at the Paris duty-free shop) once I boarded the return plane to Canada. I thought after traveling I’d be more excited than ever to continue with my future goals in life, and to move onto the next thing. Even though this is extremely true for the most part, it is accompanied with a lot of questions, doubts, and even a little fear about my personal ideals, and especially the way I perceive the world.

As we stepped off the plane in Halifax, it felt as though I was plunked back into a desktop fish bowl after swimming in the Atlantic Ocean – sure it was completely different, infinite, and even scary at times, but all of those things changed how I perceived my surroundings, regardless of where I was. I always thought when people spoke of the “travel bug” they meant the desire to experience new things – to simply love traveling itself. But as the gap between me and Europe grows, I really think the main symptom of the travel bug is the refusal to accept one way of living your life – it’s terrifying to stand still, let alone standing still for an unforeseen time period.

When you’re traveling, everything changes everyday. You are constantly in a new place, meeting new people, confronting new situations and challenges, eating new food, even the fact that you sometimes have to throw out one t-shirt to make room for a new one signifies movement. Everything changes. And honestly, I think the main reason that traveling brings more comfort than inconvenience is because you really feel that every day is truly a fresh day to start over. It feels like you are in a constant search for yourself which secretly you don’t want to find because you learn so much along the way. Standing still means accepting and dealing with your life, even if your life is already great. I know that sounds funny, and even though it sounds a little sad too, I’m grateful to know the deviation.

I’ve tried to reconcile the two extreme lifestyles that I’ve lived in the past 6 months. Right before we left we gave up our apartment so we are now living in a month to month apartment until we find something more permanent. We are also both in a transitional career state, debating on what our next moves should be. In many ways, the unsettledness of our situation creates a lot of frustration and stress, but when I think about the alternative of coming home to the same old apartment, with no career opportunities available, our situation is a lot more manageable to deal with. It feels like no matter what happens from here, it will be different than before we left, which means it really is like turning over a new leaf. After traveling it’s always nice to come home to your own bed, but at the age we are at and the stage we are in - ready to truly focus on accomplishing our goals – it will be nice for our “real” lives” to change as well. It’s like the first day of school, you open up your scribbler and there’s a nice new page to write on, without any pencil indents from the page before.

My frame of mind is currently focusing on working my way up in my current company so that my interests are more aligned with what I do everyday. The company I work for has been very supportive of this, and for that I am extremely thankful. In the daily journal I kept while in Europe, I had a few pages in the back that were dedicated to things I want to accomplish now that I’m back in more constant surroundings. There are so many projects I want to complete, which I will be posting along the way. Some of which include silly things that I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do, such as make my own dress, make my own wine, start a greenhouse in my house, and to continue on with our Retro project. Actively growing my career combined with these things are keeping me grounded, and busy.

I guess my reason for venting out this article was more of a therapy thing for me than anything else, and to maybe offer some perspective to someone who is about to set out on a traveling adventure, and hesitates at the thought of coming back to the real world. I can remember every single scene, every smell, every feeling of the trip, and I savor it like nothing else I’ve yet to care about, because it truly was once in a lifetime (something you don’t fully understand until it’s over, period). I’m thankful I got to share it with someone who is also a once in a lifetime, which makes it seem like a perfect frozen moment in time – everything is intact and preserved forever. But no matter how much fun you have, how much you do, how much you see, and how little you sleep, you’ll wish you did more. I do think, however, that it’s important to give yourself time afterwards, and to understand how lucky you are to have experienced something that DID change your life so much, and to look forward to all of the new things that lay ahead of you. Because if there’s something you realize when you travel, it’s that the world is filled with possibilities for you, and that no matter what state you’re in, things can change - you appreciate what you have, and reach for more.

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Internet in Italy seems almost non-existent sometimes, as this article was actually written almost two weeks ago in France. We have since passed through Italy and Switzerland and are learning and experiencing more than we ever could have dreamed. We are now in Austria using free internet at McDonald’s, and one of the most shocking things we’ve noticed in Europe so far is the rather bizarre presence of McDonald’s. While we usually only buy an ice cream or coffee to use there facilities, it has saved us from having to spend 30-50 cents on using the bathroom (the standard rate for using the bathroom in many places here) on numerous occasions, it also proves to be the only location with free WIFI access almost everywhere we go.

The bizarre thing? You know how back home how it is actually called McDonald’s “Restaurant”? Well, here it is actually much more like a restaurant than a fast food place. The food is pricey, there are no $1.69 cheeseburgers you can purchase to make yourself sick with over here. We couldn’t believe this, mostly because the restaurants were unusually packed, with outrageously large seating area’s you would never see back home.

About a week into our trip, we figured out why: There is no mass production of beef here, and with American beef deemed too low grade for importation to France and Ireland, the McDonald’s here are forced to use real meat. You heard me correctly, when you go to a McDonald’s in France, you are actually eating meat that isn’t pumped full of strange chemicals and isn’t packed full of other mystery substances.

In Ireland, the beef used is even sometimes local free range cattle. Although this isn’t required, many have signs up stating its commitment to using local Ireland beef – something that if you ever saw back home you’d have to rub your eyes and read again and again to accept the belief of.

In Italy it is a little different, as one McDonald’s actually sold single hamburgers for 50 Euro cents. It goes to show just how McDonald’s Restaurant is able to sell such products at such cheap prices, because you pay for what you’re getting, and Italy has no restrictions on US beef imports.

It’s a funny thing. While back home we had grown to loath McDonald’s and its food which always makes you sick with its profits driven, cheaply health abusing menu; over here we have grown somewhat attached to it. Well, Its free bathrooms and internet, anyway. The Sundae’s are pretty good, too!

We are now in southern France and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find places with both an electrical outlet and internet (not to mention having time to use them). The monastery we stayed in was a special place, especially notable because they also ran a farm on top of their four daily church ceremonies. One father in particular, father Bryan, was in charge of running the farm, with the help of many helpers whom stayed at the monastery as well. They had chickens, which were used for eggs; cows for milk, sheep for…well, from what we gathered the sheep were are rare breed there just for fun. They send off young cattle when the stock becomes too plentiful and are given subsidies on certain operating costs for providing a quota of milk. All animals are free range.

The fact a 65+ monk could operate a farm in this fashion gives us hope in being able to operate our own someday. Not only does he do this, but also tends to the many garden around the property. I spent several hours speaking to this kind old man one day and he advised me that almost all the flowers and plants in the garden had biblical references, another aspect of his daily chores which would absorb ample amounts of time. Also, there was quite a vegetable garden he tended to that included lettuce, cabbage, carrots, fennel, olives, and numerous others.

If there was anything thus far that has inspired us on our mission to open a farm of our own someday, it was watching (and occasionally helping out with) the daily operations of this place. The meals we were served all incorporated this natural way of living. We were ecstatic when we found out the veggies included in out dinner were freshly picked earlier that morning, further reinforcing the fact that this way of life was something we wanted to immerse ourself in later on in life.

On top of all that, the enlightenment attained at this fantasy land will never be forgotten by either of us, as the generosity experienced at this place is something I’ve never known to exist back home. Staying there is done on donation basis, so if you don’t have the money to cover their expenses (approx. 65 euro’s a night) of having you as their guest, they don’t hand you a bill and demand you pay. Instead there is a donation box in the guest house which you can secretly provide them with whatever you have…you don’t even have to attend the ceremonies in the church.

It is an incredible display of human oneness, which I will never forget. Going from there to the streets of Cork and even Paris was almost disappointing, (haha I know, poor us, eh?) and I will spend the rest of my life attempting to figure out a way to go back there (or live there, which I already planted the seeds of question with several of th monks.

Our sincerest apologies for not posting in so long, time goes by fast. We just finished staying in a monastery in Ireland, about 1KM from the small town of Murroe outside of Limerick. I can safely tell you that it was the most beautiful place I have ever been, and the energy there is unlike any I’ve ever experienced. Before getting to that in my next post, let me just take a minute to explain what happened up until then.

Our last week and a half in Halifax was great. I in particular had very little to do and spent the time camping and spending time with those who are now already greatly missed. We caught a plane at the Halifax airport on the 11^th of this month, grabbing a quick Murphy’s Irish Stout at the bar before taking off (Jackie can now safely say she is disgusted by dark beer). This didn’t bother me, however, as I quickly gulped hers down as well. The plane we took first stopped in Toronto, where Jackie got the first veggie burger I have ever seen that had actual veggies in it. It was incredible, “best veggie burger I’ve ever had,” she exclaimed, a pea falling from the bun onto her plate. The real reason I bring this up is because the waitress at this place made a statement that stuck with us: “in North America, you work until you eat, in Europe, you work ‘to’ eat.”

We arrived in Germany after about a 6 and a half hour journey over the Atlantic ocean. Beer was free so I slept fairly well for the last 2 hours after watching “Paul Blart Mall Cop” (maybe rental worthy if you’re into Kevin James comedy). We then hopped onto a little plane to Dublin, plunging into a fairytale of green pasture. We had earlier made a statement wondering how long it would take us to see a castle – then saw one during our descent to the runway.

Despite Jackie’s bags being picked up by someone else (we eventually got them back), our first day was one of the most fun thus far. We tried out “couchsurfing” for the first time and were somewhat intimidated at first, however, it proved to exceed any expectations we had. Not only were we given a couch, each, by our hosts, but also a key, internet access and the offered usage of anything in the house. Amazing people. Not only that, but they took us to 2 different bars, showing us a splendid time and, best of all, found game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals on their laptop for us (which was hooked up to a giant projector) so we could watch while they went to bed (it started around 2 in the morning Dublin time and ended around 5AM). I tried to convince them to stay up and watch it with us but people here are mostly into Rugby and Football. They had all been to Canada before, though, and had already experienced first hand the Canuck love for the sport. Sorry if I woke you guys up with the cheering. Good final.

What we especially loved about our hosts is that they were into sustainability. One of them, Joe, was a vegetarian and filled us in on Irish politics, which apparently includes the Green party currently being in power (go figure). While European politics were a bit difficult for us to understand (presumably because they aren’t a complete farce like the fiasco we call politics back home) from what we understood there are several high up ministers in the Irish Parliament that are from the Green Party and whom wield a great deal of influence. They are currently trying to make radical changes to environmental practices in the area.

There are several main differences in the area of sustainability which I have noticed so far. One problem the Irish are dealing with, however stereotypical this may sound, is that the legality of drinking in the street causes massive amounts of cans and bottles to be left around the city. While there seems to be around the same amount of garbage cans in the cities as in the West, it seems that there are simply not enough garbage cans to handle all the refuse alone, let alone the recyclable refuse as well. In the West, if you leave a can in the street it will surely be picked up by someone within a day, because our recycling program (bottle deposits) allow people to trade them in for money. There seems to be no such thing here, as even tax is already built into the price of everything.

That’s not to say there isn’t a recycling program, as there are “recycling depots” around the cities, however, with no bottle collectors and so many people drinking beer in the streets, there is a definite litter problem.

Another thing we have noticed is that even in fast food restaurants, organic meat and veggies is advertised frequently. “Free range eggs” signs can be seen in many windows, and organic veggies were even available at a local Subway. I feel like the fast food chains are given the ability to regulate their own practices over here, as prices for the same thing often varies as well from store to store. Maybe they can do that back home as well, and just choose not to, but in either case, you have much more options for organic meals here, without the always hefty price tag. Cattle are also mostly free range here, to the point where they rarely even advertise it. The quality of beef available in the United States is deemed unsafe and illegal for import in most of Europe.

After leaving Dublin, we took the train to Limerick and spent the night there. There is a mid-evil portion of this city that was more amazing than anything we saw in Dublin. We explored a castle originally built in the 13^th century, the site of countess Irish battles and hardship defending against the English (who ruled or tried to rule Ireland in one way or another for 700 years). We then took the bus here, a monastery built within a castle built by my Barrington ancestors hundreds of years ago. My link to this place predated that of anyone who lives there, which I found truly nostalgic. It is by far the most beautiful place I have ever seen, without question, which brings me to now, having just left. Hopefully now that we have filled you in, we will be able to post more frequently, however, limited internet access + limited time = limited ability to do so. Miss you guys.

We move out of our apartment today, and although we will still have a few days of cleaning, this is basically the beginning of our 3 and a half month journey toward learning how to live more sustainably. While our plane to Ireland may not leave until June 11^th, from here on out we will no longer have any furniture – no bed, no couch, no television; and in a few days, won’t even have a floor or toilet.

While there will always be family and friends around for the next 14 days willing to share their couches, for me, preparation begins now.  Jackie has arranged to stay with friends and family, however, I intend to use this opportunity to practice something I’ve always wanted to try – living in the woods.

I don’t watch a lot of television but I recently came across a show called survivorman and must say, I have a new idol. Living life completely naturally, without the need for store bought contrivances is a surreal form of existence I wish to emulate. Not that the materials I’d be sustaining myself with aren’t store bought, however, not relying so much on the daily things we all take for granted is something I wish to experience, as a good book and morning sunrise are just as good as the morning loop of Sportcentre and a good shower.

Not that I’d want to do this forever, as I enjoy certain luxuries as much as the next person, however, just knowing you could survive in a more simple form of existence is a unique characteristic I deem as intrinsic toward a sustainable development of the psyche.

The material items I will be relying on include a simple one burner stove for cooking and tea, several layers of clothing to keep warm, a very tiny inflatable mattress, a tiny lightweight two person tent, a flashlight, shoelaces, a compass, Swiss Army knife and light sleeping bag.

Obviously due to current temperatures and the need to spend valuable time with those we’ll be leaving soon will inhibit me from doing this throughout the entirety of these final weeks, however, testing this way of existence before we go to a different continent and live this way for several months is a requirment.

While Point Pleasant Park would be an ideal place distance wise, something tells me it doesn’t really qualify as “living in the woods” when dogs are chasing squirrels past my tent with their owners yelling for them to come back. Park Patrol, in their ongoing mission to protect the desolate woodland from the many threats such as joggers and teenage kids (sarcasm), may have something to say about this plan, as well.

Williams Lake off Purcells Cove road and the many bordering lakes in its area would provide a much better environment, and will more than likely provide a perfect boundary of seclusion for my excursion. Macnab’s Island, while harder to get to, would also provide adequate adventure with a fairly constant level of seclusion if the right spot is utilized.

On the other hand, our heated storage unit sure does look tempting.

With our trip to Europe only a little over a month away and our devotion to Halifax Retro taking somewhat of a back seat in the midst of our planning, the time has come to combine the two and start posting about our trip. While we encourage anyone to contribute content about all things sustainable, for the next 4 months our personal content will be turning into more of a documentation of beginning our journey towards living sustainably.

It’s not only living on organic farms that will help us accomplish this, but also finally breaking free from our conventional way of life, and all the things we depend on society to sustain it with. That’s not to say we aren’t taking anything with us, but we will be eating only the bare essentials; we won’t have a car, a television, an oven, a toilet, a shower or a couch for 3 months. It will be interesting not taking these things for granted for once, and will be the first step toward breaking our reliance on them.

We plan to eat only bread, cheese and vegetables with only about 10 Euro’s allotted for food each day. We are taking a tent and two sleeping bags, with the plan being to stay in campgrounds or the flat out bush unless simply not possible. We also plan to take part in a program called couchsurfing – one of the most honest and faith-in-humanity restoring movements I’ve ever come across. You basically open your couch up to people around the world, and in return, you can stay on other people’s couches around the world. And with a rating system and setup similar to facebook, safety isn’t much of a concern.

Other than that we’re bringing a few changes of clothes, a camera (of course), a towel and a small laptop that weighs in at less than 1.5 pounds – perfect for keeping in touch with the world while we live in isolation from its mediums. Safety wise, we are bringing extremely loud whistles (a must when traveling in small groups), a deck of cards and a book that tells us virtually everything one needs to know about Europe - including maps of all major cities, embassy and hospital locations, grocery locations, hostel and campground locations, and, of course, tourist attractions.

Overall we’re planning on living on under 50 Euro’s a day when not Wwoofing on organic farms, which will not cost anything. Balance wise we will be doing each traveling and staying on farms about 40/60, respectively, not to mention staying in a monastery in Ireland for the first week (which Adam’s ancestors erected). From there we go to France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden, Norway and then finishing off in the Netherlands area.  

So there you have it, that’s basically where we are. We have a 3-month train pass that covers all our long-term travel and we’ll be writing about this adventure up until we leave as this is basically the extent of the plan so far. So if you want to read about our journey towards sustainability, or just want to read about the amazing places we see, make sure to check out Halifax Retro as we will be posting regularly while there.

Keep it retro!