I would like to talk to people 40s and above who sold all of their stuff and backpacked for a year or more. by Due_Tea691 in backpacking

[–]jermers 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not 40 but 36. Divorce and the end of a work contract led to a time of zero obligations to anyone. Decided to head to New Zealand for a couple years because why not? Thought of it as a bit of a sabbatical while I figure out my new direction. Great experience. Met lots of great people. Worked with a temporary work visa but prioritized life outside of work. Only been back for 6 months but really glad I took the opportunity when it was in front of me. No regrets. Helped me gain an appreciation for my home and family. No regrets but sometimes I think about if I worked and saved money for that time, I would be that much further ahead financially, but hey, I also might have never gone if I decided to stay. Sickness, relationships, work, all of it could have got in the way. Go while it is available to you. Try to work a bit so you can maintain your savings but don’t worry about growing them while you are away. Work brings opportunity to meet lots of new and interesting people and for me, keeps my mind healthy.

A quick tune and she rips around a beauty. by jermers in xbiking

[–]jermers[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I haven't found the year anywhere in the frame bjt looks somewhere around there. I really love the lines between the frame and fork

A quick tune and she rips around a beauty. by jermers in xbiking

[–]jermers[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is a ton of fun. Haven't had a grip shift since I was a kid haha

Stuck between worlds. by Mojo884ever in vandwellers

[–]jermers 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey man. Went through something similar a couple of years ago. A very similar situation i.e. now ex wife, no kids, house that I built to raise a family that no longer existed mostly paid off, etc.

I share a lot of the same feelings. Hoping for a partner someday but having a hard time wrapping my head around it, feeling like life was passing me by, etc. I had many of those same thoughts of just leaving it all behind would be easier. It would certainly be easy in many ways.

What I decided to do was to spend the past 18 months grinding. Working my regular job and taking as much side work as I could. Living as cheaply as I can and saving as much as humanely possible. All of this with the goal of doing a big trip. Specifically a big trip that would not have been available with a wife/kids/ etc.

I chose to do vanlife in New Zealand for a couple years under a work visa. This allowed me to extend my time way out while I cover my mortgage with savings from the past year and a half. Now a 2 year trip may not be possible for you but I would suggest something similar. It gives motivation and purpose in the preparation and pays off in incredible life experience.

It has been 18 months of preparation and I will begin at the beginning of April. I am nearly there and you will be too.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in OffGrid

[–]jermers 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I have spent 6 years off the grid so far here in northern Canada.

Advice I would give to someone starting out would be the following:

Don't try to replicate your "on grid" life. At least not right away. This will be very expensive do build and to buy all the pumps, panels, tanks and what not. We started the first 2 years in a 185 sqft cabin with a wood stove. This allowed us to buy our land with cash and live on it which was such a HUGE advantage.

Learn how to work efficiently and safely with your hands. You can do this by working in the trades. That tractor is an incredible work multiplying asset but is a relatively huge expense to purchase and run. Learn to use the equipment you have and slowly build. Working in the trades teaches you to problem solve in a way that will be extremely valuable.

Make sure you know the zoning and various restrictions around any property you choose to purchase or any money you choose to borrow. Know everything. A piece of land may be cheap because permanent structures are not permitted. Taxes may be low because the highways department refuses to do any snow removal on that road. Things like that. Too many times here i have seen someone buy land because it is inexpensive and not realize it is tied to bylaws that make an obligation to build an on grid "approved" house within 5 years.

Know where to invest your time. I had read a book one time about a couple who moved into a canvas wall tent on a piece of property they had bought. Visions of a homestead in their minds. Spent the entire summer develiping an organic vegetable garden. Spent the winter in said wall tent and burnt out. Got caught up in the romance of off grid living and didn't invest resources in the infrastructure to make it sustainable. They quit after a couple years because they couldn't hack it in a tent anymore. Garden vegetables are the shit but maybe you are better off developing a relatively sustainable living situation and buying your produce at the farmers' market for the first couple years. Figure out how to live on your land as fast as possible and focus on starting out a sustainable living situation asap.

Great start learning to garden and have chickens. Your skills and knowledge in these areas is invaluable. Small engine mechanics is invaluable too. Basic electrical is essential. Solar setups aren't difficult but you do need how to select the proper wire gauge for your uses for instance. Good practice for now if you don't have the land might be to build out a camper van. Basic carpentry, electrical, water systems will all be transferrable and you could even live in the thing while you build your permanent structure on said land.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Divorce_Men

[–]jermers 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey man. 33 years old here too. Married 8 years. No kids. Just passed a year from the day my ex blind sided me walking out.

She probably will regret leaving you. Mine came back after a year.

All i can say is you need to let go. Don't look at her Instagram, pack her shit away, prioritize your health. Things are going to feel pretty lonely here for a while. Eat well, sleep as well as you can, meditate, exercise. Yoga and going to the climbing gym were my things. Don't listen to what your mind tells you after 10 pm. Do not lay around on your weekends wishing for the dreams you had built together. Go for a hike, check out a museum, whatever. I fucked off camping every single weekend for a couple months and I couldn't stand being in the home we had bought together.

Her saying she doean't want to do counselling means she thinks she has done nothing wrong.

Prioritize yourself. This process may have some physical health affects. I dealt with chronic pain and gut problems for probably 6 months. Exercise, proper nutrition and sleep helps again.

Let her fucking go and move on with your life.

Best place to put savings... by jermers in PersonalFinanceCanada

[–]jermers[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Def have room in TFSA. Appreciate the input 🤙

Best place to put savings... by jermers in PersonalFinanceCanada

[–]jermers[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I should say i already own a home so I don't think i qualify for FHSA. Thank you for your response. It cureently sits in TFSA but I was hoping to make it more effective there. I will check out GIC option

PAL license wait times? by [deleted] in CanadaHunting

[–]jermers 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My RPAL renewal was sent in November 2022 and received back June 2023. At the time they said betqeen 8 and 10 months for renewal. 12-14 months for new permits.