Everybody has a different opinion on what makes a good real estate investment. We all have different goals and aspirations, different skill sets, risk tolerances, and situations. But the one thing we have in common is the fact that we are seeking freedom through real estate. Investors want their real estate portfolios to provide them with the freedom and security to live the life that they want and to provide security for their futures. With that in mind, let’s build out a list of some of the important things to consider from a personal standpoint before jumping into the first deal that you come across.

I wanted freedom. I was feeling trapped in my job and I knew I needed a way to create a life for myself that I had always dreamed of. I tried multiple different ventures and businesses. Some had more success than others, but I didn't come close to creating a form of income that would allow me to live the life that I wanted. I learned the hard way. I made mistakes and started over more than once. But I always had a love for real estate and the feeling of owning something concrete, so in 2017 I dove in and purchase my first investment property in Fort Erie.

We landed in the pitch black and blowing snow of an early Icelandic morning. It would’ve been 1am back home, but in Iceland it was 6am and the sun would be up in a few hours. I was famished. We stopped at a breakfast buffet in the Keflavik airport to grab a quick bite before grabbing our bags and trying to find our way to the car rental desk. It was my first taste of Icelandic prices, but the smoked salmon, cheese, hardboiled eggs, and fruit was worth the airport premium and the inflated exchange rate at that time in the morning.

This post is a departure from my norm. It pertains in part to travel, but is mostly about the growth that I have experienced since beginning to travel. It is about breaking free of childhood prejudices, about the evolutionary psychology that motivates us, the religion that blinds us, and the philosophy that gives us an alternative. It all started a few weeks ago. I was over at a friend’s house and he asked me quite out of the blue if I had written down my life philosophy. It took me by surprise, and I answered no, I hadn’t. He looked at me with a little discontent and said that if anyone was to do it, I thought it’d be you. The subject soon changed and we forgot about it, but the question kind of stuck with me thinking back on the encounter. In part, my philosophy is contained in the novel The Beginning of Knowledge, and my travel philosophy can be found in the short creative nonfiction story Crimson Morning, which is available on the member page. However, I haven’t written a cohesive article that brings my ideas together plainly. I suppose I am somewhat reluctant to begin as my philosophy is constantly evolving. As life goes on and I read new books, travel to new places, and experience new things, my outlook on life changes. Thus, my philosophy changes with it.

Every time I see a post on social media about someone else’s travel adventures, I get a twinge of envy. I look out my window at the cold snow and the reality of work the next day and then back to the screen where someone is lounging by the beach with a margarita, climbing a mountain, or photographing wildlife in the Serengeti. While it may seem like these people have the perfect life with unlimited cash flow, this is very likely not the case. What travellers and writers fail to mention is the work, the stress, and the worry that often accompanies a digital nomad. Here are a few myths about the nomadic traveller in all of us.

As the cold November rain dances against the windows in Canada, I think back to the warmth of the Guatemalan sun. I left at a time when I was kind of strapped for cash. I had just bought a house here in Canada and was putting money into renovations and I remember wondering if I should be taking a trip with all I had going on. Looking back now, the memories are worth more to me than any physical thing I could have bought. Check out my blog post on Guatemala here!

Although Montreal is technically considered a city, it seemed more like many small towns had somehow attached themselves in an outward spiral until, by population alone, it could be called a proper city. Montreal has a slow, relaxing, and quaint vibe to it with the feel of artistry and the smell of croissants drifting through the streets. I took a road trip there with a few buddies as a kind of bachelor party the week before my wedding. A day at the shooting range on the way there, axe throwing, a few local pubs and a lot of time at a premier tattoo shop made up the majority of the trip.

Halfway Log Dump and Bruce Peninsula National Park are one of Ontario’s premier destinations for hiking, bouldering and rock climbing. Just half an hour away from the tip of the peninsula and the town of Tobermory, this picturesque park is home to many protected species and is the perfect place for activities such as canoeing, camping, swimming and SUP boarding. A group of friends and I visited the park for a weekend of climbing and camping. This is our story.