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.

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.

by Jackie Howatt

The Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia is standing strong in fierce protest against the new Convention Center development, to be built on Argyle Street, which is projected to implement by the end of this year.

The new project was officially disclosed this past Monday. Premier Rodney MacDonald comments that, “(The WTCC) has served our city and this province very well. But this is not 1984 and the needs of conventions, the technology and expectations of our participants, are very different,” MacDonald said. “By standing still we are falling behind.” (link)

The glass structure of nine stories, and costing approximately $16 million by Armour Group, would be smack dab in the middle of the city, lined by Hollis, Duke, and Upper Water Streets.

This tasteless development, according to the Heritage Trust, is yet another shortsighted money grab that could have devastating effects on Halifax’s historic, natural, and cultural remnants. Most notably, the waterfront view from Citadel Hill. The development would block the view of George’s Island, as demonstrated in the picture below, which is a representation of the consequences put forth by the Heritage Trust:

Phillip Pacey, the President of the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia comments, “The issue of a convention centre is separate from the issue of high buildings on this site,” Pacey says. “A convention centre is usually a low building, and often requires only one or two storeys. The Trust would have no problem with an appropriately designed, low, public convention centre on this site. There is no need for these towers.” (link).

It’s disconcerting to me how this integral aspect of our city goes without notice by so many, on a political level. It’s nothing but Halifax’s heritage, old world feel, and all of its little nooks and crannies located downtown that gives our city it’s unmistakable spirit. Albeit, the old Chronicle Herald building on Argyle is definitely an eyesore at best, and a lot could actually be done with that currently useless space, but building another several stories on top of it would, in my opinion, be a mistake. 

One of my main concerns is the inevitable impact it will have on our pedestrian traffic. If you take a second to think, the most frequented spots in our downtown are not lined by storied buildings. Spring Garden, the mid and lower parts of Barrington Street, Argyle Street, Pizza Corner even, are more “ventilated” areas of the city. These buildings are fairly short-stacked, making it less overwhelming to pedestrians, and more manageable to access. It’s when you hit areas like upper Barrington Street that foot traffic tends to wane in comparison.

If a 9 story building were planted on Argyle Street, the closed-in effect would create a psychological power shift. Especially since the street is already so dense already. That particular area is completely catered to those who are on foot – from the outdoor patios, to the nearby dance clubs, to the external aesthetics (think the Economy Shoe Shop). This new convention center project, which will include a hotel, underground parking lot, and commercial spaces, will block the skyline view from these patios, along with the view of George’s Island view from Citadel. Not to mention the added congestion the vehicle traffic will impose on the area.

And then there’s the developmental impacts it will have on future developers. If we continue to build up, and subsequently block the view from Citadel, where do we stop? It’s always going to be a fight to be taller.

I want to know when we draw the line between new developments, economic growth, and preservation/ conservation? It may sound futile discussing the importance of the George’s Island view from Citadel, but really, it’s one of the most beautiful all-natural attractions that this city can still boast about. If we start compromising that, I must say that I question the motives and vision of the powers that can allow this to happen. When do we back off and start focusing on sustainability, and improving quality, as opposed to our capitalistic view that more is better? This, as far as I’m concerned, is intrinsically what’s wrong with our society today, and why this development is a step backwards, not forwards.

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!

Every week I get calls from people confused about how to make their homes more energy efficient. Most calls go something like this: “I’m looking for someone to come to my house and tell me how it can be more energy efficient.” Or, “I’m building a new house and I don’t know what to use to heat my house. What are my options?” Or even questions like “I’ve just torn apart my basement and I’m thinking about putting some of that pink insulation stuff in there. David Suzuki told me I could get money for it, is that true?”

For many people, the whole building or renovation process can be a bit daunting, I understand. Before I started working as the Energy Programs Officer at the Nova Scotia Home Builders’ Association (NSHBA), the idea of energy efficient housing solutions was like opening a 500 page text book for the first time and realizing that you don’t understand the first paragraph. I often thought: “Wow, this stuff is a little confusing, can’t I just get the Coles Notes?” The good news is, over time I’ve made sense of it all and now it’s my job to make the world of energy efficient homes easier and more understandable for you – the environmental consumer with a busy schedule.

So, let’s clear some of this up, shall we?

To start, it’s important to understand two important things:

1. Most energy efficient housing programs in Nova Scotia fall under one government-funded initiative – The EnerGuide Rating System.
2. Most peoples’ issues can be separated by asking a simple question – are you building a new house or renovating an old one?

If you’re looking for a more sustainable home renovation, your first step will be to call or visit Conserve Nova Scotia online. As the government agency responsible for providing Nova Scotians with a wide range of energy solutions, Conserve Nova Scotia is where you will find everything you need to know about EnerGuide for Houses and the marvellous government rebates that come attached to it.

Conservens.ca will provide you with a list of qualified energy evaluators in your area who will come to your home and complete an energy efficiency test. Essentially, this test involves depressurizing your home (basically, a big fan that sucks all the air out of your house – allowing you and the evaluator to walk around the house and find any air leaks you will need to fix). After the test, the evaluator will give you a list of possible upgrades to make your home more energy efficient. From that date on, you will have 18 months to make the changes before the evaluator returns for a final test.

If you’re building a new house your first step should be to call us or visit the NSHBA website at www.nshba.ns.ca where you can download an EnerGuide for New Houses application form. Be sure to talk to your builder about filling in the application as it involves a few technical items about your new home that you may not know. As you have probably guessed, EnerGuide for New Houses is similar to the EnerGuide renovating program offered by Conserve Nova Scotia, but with one major difference: the first evaluation is done using an accurate software program that digitally evaluates your house and provides you with energy efficiency options before you build. When all the work has been done, the energy evaluators will perform one final air tightness test and you will receive an EnerGuide for New Houses label in the mail. This shows how energy efficient your home is.

Overall, building energy efficiency in to your home is an extremely smart decision – no matter the shape or size. These upgrades are nothing more than an upfront investment that pays you back month after month, especially in the winter.

Adam Meery
Energy Programs Officer
Nova Scotia Home Builders’ Association

By Kimberly Walsh

Photo credit: kuuipo1207 from Flickr

Up until recently, I have generally thought of beauty as being only skin deep. In a philosophical sort of way I still believe it. But lately, after having some conversations with girlfriends and reading articles about parabens in beauty products, I can’t say I agree with the statement anymore. Considering that skin is the largest human organ, I’m starting to believe that I should take a bit more care of mine.

What’s the deal with parabens, you might ask? Well, for those of you who don’t know, they’re the group of chemicals often used as preservatives in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. And they’ve been linked with causing cancer due to the presence of carcinogens and estrogen mimickers. While the scientific jury is still out on whether or not to ban them outright, I’m not taking any chances.

When you really think about it, the average person is practically radiating with parabens. By the time you’ve prepared to go to work in the morning, you’ve likely showered (with shampoo, conditioner, soap), possibly shaved (with cream), put in a hair product, used deodorant and brushed your teeth. For you gents, you’re probably splashing on a bit of aftershave. For us ladies, we also typically put on a bit of make-up. Well, most of those common products that we use each and every morning have parabens.

So, what do we do about it? I mean, we’re not exactly going to give up on this daily ritual. After all, our level of cleanliness has reached epic proportions according to author Katherine Ashenburg, who wrote The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History (Knopf). Never in the history of human civilization have we seen a culture so obsessed with cleanliness to the point that many of us even carry hand sanitizer around (guilty!). At my workplace, there are even hand sanitizer dispensers in the hallways.

And according to the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association, retail cosmetics represent a $5.4 billion industry in Canada. The fact of the matter is that every day we’re inundated by thousands of images of beauty standards, from commercials and magazines to television programs and movies. In reality, that’s a lot of pressure to look good, and we all consume the goods that will help us on this never-ending quest to do so.

Couple that with the fact that, if we’re being honest, the average person who’s looking to go green isn’t looking to make huge sacrifices. They’re looking for baby steps. Let’s face it, most Canadian ladies aren’t giving up on the shaved legs and armpits model that we’ve all grown accustomed to; for the record, that’s me included.

One thing that was supposed to have helped consumers make more informed decisions was cosmetic labeling. Since November 2006, Health Canada made it mandatory that the outer label of these products list all the ingredients used. The problem I’ve found with these labels is that they’re not exactly as easy to read as, say, food labels. You really have to do your research and know what to look for in order to make an informed decision. Frankly, who has the time to do that? Yes, I know if you care enough you’ll do it. But my point is that the average person would rather be putting their leisure time into other activities. And that’s exactly what the cosmetics companies are banking on.

Thankfully there are people out there who are willing to do the footwork for consumers. Just recently, while trying to find replacements for my facial care products, I stumbled upon a site called the Environmental Working Group. They’re based out of Washington and offer, among other things, an online cosmetics database. It ranks pretty much every major cosmetic line you can think of on a scale of how hazardous each product is for your health. The ranking system takes into consideration ingredients that have been linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies, among other things.

Just to torture myself, I did a search on my current products and was not at all comforted to find that they were listed in the yellow “moderate hazard” category. Then I did a search on the Burt’s Bees products I wound up purchasing and found each and every one of those items in the green “low hazard” category. It really didn’t take that much convincing after I did the comparisons.

Now, I’m not advocating ignoring your inner beauty altogether. Taking care of the inner you is just as important as the outer you. Eat well, drink plenty of water, and live a balanced life, and you’ll be on the path to radiating with good vibes rather than parabens. Nobody said being a green god or goddess was easy but there are certainly resources out there to help you not only look good, but feel good, too; on so many levels.