Confidences of travelers | Pierre Cormier, citizen of the world

Traveling is like driving on a mountain road. But among the ups and downs, there will always be those indelible memories that you carry with you throughout your life. The Press tells the adventures, big and small, of travelers who are not afraid of anything. Today: a retiree who sold everything to travel the world.

As soon as we opened Pierre Cormier’s email, we wanted to learn more about his story. “I have decided to travel full time,” he wrote in his intriguing message.

Last summer, the 66-year-old sold his house and gave away almost all of his possessions to fully pursue his passion for travel.

Why did he choose to become a nomad? “I have always loved traveling,” replies Pierre Cormier, in a telephone interview during a short visit to Quebec. Among the elements that fueled his decision, he names “curiosity, the desire to know the world, people, cultures and customs”.

This globetrotter who has visited nearly fifty countries since his adolescence found that his “big house had become like a ball and chain”. Being an owner, the widower, father of a son who is now an adult, had the impression of not being able to leave whenever he wanted, “because with a house, there are always things to do”.

“To part with my things was happiness from start to finish,” he maintains.

Today, he has fewer responsibilities and enjoys an exhilarating freedom that allows him not only to travel wherever he wants, but also to take the time to drop off wherever he wants. “Yes, I am traveling, but I live where I am. […] I don’t need to visit 23 businesses every day to be satisfied. »

Along the Mississippi River

He began embracing this new lifestyle last September during a trip along the Mississippi River. It was this trip to the United States that he wanted to tell about The Press.

“I had this desire to follow this mythical river. It’s a hyper-alive waterway. I wanted to follow her from one end to the other, and then that’s what I did,” he explains, quite simply.

For about five weeks, he traveled the roads along the river, from north to south. His Hyndai Elentra Touring served not only as a means of transportation, but also as accommodation. “I was used to this comfort. It’s certain that it’s not a big Winnebago, but for me, it’s enough,” says the man who admits that his way of life can be compared to voluntary simplicity.

Favorite stops

Among his favorite stops along his route, he names the River Road African American Museum, in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. “It’s very small, but it’s full of emotions and artifacts. […] It’s a museum that tells the history of black people around Donaldsonville,” he explains.

In Missouri, in the “very pretty little town” of Hannibal, he visited the childhood home of Mark Twain, creator of Adventures of Tom Sawyer. “Everything there revolves around Tom Sawyer and his author. It’s a nice place to stop for a few days,” he says.

Another favorite: the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, scene of important battles during the Civil War. “For someone going through this, it’s a must-see. You have to stop there because it is a place full of history. »

Significant encounters

But beyond the historical places where he stopped, it was above all the encounters that Pierre Cormier made throughout his journey that marked him.

He talks, among other things, about the two volunteers who received him at the old Plaquemine lock, in Louisiana. “They were so kind! I don’t know if it’s the fact of living on the water’s edge that makes people smooth like that, but I think it can contribute to it. All along the river, I never felt any aggression. […] Everyone is open,” he notes.

On his way he also met many fishermen. “I stopped along the way when I saw someone fishing,” confides the traveler. Doesn’t approaching complete strangers bother him? On the contrary. “When we approach people and ask them questions about their environment, they are always very happy to answer us. People like to share their knowledge,” replies, convinced, the man who, through his travels, has made friends all over the world.

During our phone call, Pierre Cormier was returning from a two-month stay in Malaysia, where he had gone to attend Thaipusam, a Hindu festival. He spent a few weeks in Quebec before flying to the Philippines.

How long does he want to live this nomadic life? “I don’t have a goal,” he replies. He is aware that if he leaves Quebec for too long, he will no longer be covered by the health insurance plan. “But I don’t see why that would stop me from achieving my dreams,” he muses out loud.