Take a deep dive into the life of our real estate agents with Up Close & Personal. This week, we’re speaking with Dave MacPhee!
What small things make you happy?
Watching my kids grow and learn things. Especially when they learn things I teach them and I see them using it. I find that rewarding as a parent and a teacher.
If you had a free plane ticket where would you go?
Nepal. It’s always been my goal to go there since I started travelling as a teenager. I want to do the Annapurna Circuit which is a 30-day hike. Annapurna is a mountain range in the center of Nepal and it takes 30 days to walk around it. I planned to go in 2004 but Nepal was in a Civil War. I was in India and planned to travel by bus to Nepal but were not able to enter the country at the time. I have it marked on a world map in my son Ezra’s room that he and I will do the hike in 2031 when he is sixteen.
What is something you know a lot about?
World history and geography. I taught history but in order to understand history, you need to understand geography. It also goes along with my travel because I’ve always loved countries and where they are, where the borders are, what the people speak, population etc. Even though I don’t travel right now, it still interests me, and I like to watch documentaries about those types of things.
How do you stay healthy?
I go to the gym a few times a week and pay attention to my diet. I’m a vegetarian and watch everything I eat. I also like to play squash and bike as well as trail running. This all happened two years ago. I used to bike a lot and snowboard but got away from it. Going to the gym is new for me. I didn’t expect to like it but once I had a goal, I started to like it and enjoy the time I spent there.
How do you relax when you get frustrated or overwhelmed?
I go to the beach or go outside. Sometimes I’ll try to watch TV and try to take my mind off whatever it is. But I find that doesn’t always work. The beach, however, always relaxes me. Walking along the ocean is my way to unwind. This summer we visited a lot of beaches. Every time we visit a beach, I also try to go for a run which also helps if I’m overwhelmed.
What was an experience that impacted you most in life?
Travelling is definitely one – I was on the road off and on for 15 years of my life. That showed me perspective in the world and allowed me to think of other people’s perspectives and form my own and understand different cultures. This was a huge part of my growth as a person. In total, I think I travelled to 47 countries.
Do you prefer stability or spontaneity?
Both! When I’m working and need to be productive, I like stability. I don’t feel as productive in the summer because I try to get in as much family time as I can. I find it stressful when I’m trying to relax but am also taking care of work. I like to have a schedule where I drop off the kids, come to the office, get things done, go to the gym, pick up the kids, etc.
But when I’m travelling, it’s the opposite. I don’t like to plan anything. I may plan for my first night’s stay, but after that, I figure it out as I go along. I always found that if are too planned or scheduled you may miss out on some things that may happen.
What’s something you don’t do enough of?
Play guitar. I did for years and years. I started playing when I was 16 and I played in bands and it was always my relaxing time. When the kids came, I stopped playing and it’s gathering dust. Even when I travelled, I always had it with me. Now that I have kids, the time I have to play is 11:00 at night when they are in bed so I can’t play it or I’ll wake them up. I used to enjoy learning new songs too. I have to start doing this again!
What’s your favourite part of the day and why?
I like early mornings and getting up when nobody else is up to have a coffee and get some work done. I love when it’s 9:00 and I already have half of my list checked off for the day. I can then go to the gym and relax. I enjoy how quiet it is and I like the light from that time of day. But I also find it hard to go to bed at night too!
What do you daydream about?
Home renovations and future travels. I’m always thinking about what we can do to our house or also thinking about what sort of house we could buy in the future. If I’m not thinking about that, I’ll think about future travels. We do think about travelling to Asia with our kids, but probably not until they are in junior high, so they are sure to remember it. But we also think about taking some time to take them across North America and camp along the way.
Thank you for chatting with us Dave! If you have any real estate questions for Dave, you can get in touch with him by phone at 902-940-5886 or email at macphee@exitrealtypei.com. Learn more about Dave and find his listings here.
