111 possessions

Rob Greenfield: 

At the age of 29, I now own fewer possessions than I’ve ever owned in my entire life. After years of downsizing I have achieved one of my long-sought-after goals of being able to fit everything I own into a backpack that fits comfortably on my back. …

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Imagine being able to do a push-up with every single item that you own on your back!

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 One possession that I will likely own again in the future is a bicycle as well as basic cycling gear. …

All My 111 Possessions…

Thanks Lisa. 🙂

cycling Qualicum Beach, B.C.

Qualicum Beach is a town located on Vancouver Island British Columbia, Canada. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 8,687.

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It is situated at the foot of Mount Arrowsmith, along the Strait of Georgia on Vancouver Island‘s northeastern coast. …

It’s easy to bike between Qualicum and Parksville on quiet roads.

click for details
click for details

Though I’d spent plenty of time – in the past – walking the shoreline, this time I stayed up above in town. Close to the railway track.

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… a popular tourist destination, with many rental cottages dotting its coast. It is also a popular retirement community, and has the oldest average population in Canada with a median age of 60.9 in 2006. …

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If you are looking for a cozy little retirement cabin …

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… check out Qualicum Beach. 🙂

Click PLAY or watch a tourist promo on YouTube.

 

Travel Insurance for Canadians

I renewed my travel insurance for another year. This still looks the best deal for me. I haven’t made a claim … so I don’t know for sure.

__ original post April 2015:

What’s the best travel insurance for a 57yr-old who spends a good deal of time in the States. And who hikes remote nations?

Year round policies.

Budget backpackers, including myself, have long used World Nomads.

But the last time I went to book with them, there was some sort of weird exclusion for Albertans. 😦

Right now they want CAD$408.45 for 6 months. FAR too expensive.

The best site for Canadians researching the topic is Travel Insurance Review. Click through for a list of options with commentary.

There’s no coverage for anyone over 60 with many policies, including World Nomads. I’ve got a couple of years left.

World Escapade insurance is available to travelers who are 74 years old or younger. Travel CUTS Bon Voyage insurance is only sold to those age-50 or younger.

With my TD Bank account I can get less coverage for 1 year for $128.00. Rather than trying their lousy online system, call 1-866-566-1464.

TD uses Meloche Monnex to handle their insurance. The very inexpensive cost is offset by a deductible on any claim. $100 to $1000 deductible. I’ve never made a claim in the past. Don’t expect to make one in future. But this covers me (partly) for worst case scenarios.

I’ll go with TD Meloche Monnex.

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related – The Barefoot Nomad – Resources We Recommend

On a Hoof and a Prayer

hoofI should start my review by saying that this book is a fine example of its type — the breezy travelogue — but if you prefer something meatier and more substantial, you’re likely to be disappointed. …

Justin F. Gaynor review

I’d agree. Lightweight.

But I still recommend this travelogue by Polly Evans for anyone going to Argentina. Especially for women.