Tired of being weighed down by material goods, an Australian man sold all his possessions and embarked on a journey to visit 196 countries.

Speaking to CTV News, James Doran says he was looking to have a deeper meaning to his life.

"I knew, for me personally, I wanted to go see the world and I wanted to have a purpose," he told CTV News Channel from Whistler, B.C. "That purpose was seeing every country in the world."

Canada is Doran's 87th stop around the globe.

 

The CN Tower, from Kensington Market. #87/196

A photo posted by JAMES DORAN��Whistler �� #87/196 (@dorzabroad) on

Doran worked for 10 years with Sydney's fire department and says he found himself growing disillusioned with the life he was living.

A few friends within the fire department had died, and Doran was starting to contemplate his own mortality when he came to the decision to leave his old life behind.

With no wife or children, Doran says it was relatively easy to sell of his possessions and dedicate himself to the goal of visiting 196 countries.

"I told my mom and dad I'd probably be home in seven years," he said. "They were like, 'What? Have you lost it?'"

Nearly halfway through his odyssey, Doran says his favourite locale was Chefchaouen in Morocco. Said to have been painted blue by Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis in the 1930s, Doran described it as resembling a movie set.

Visiting 196 countries does lead to visiting some odd locales, with North Korea topping the list so far.

Doran dismissed questions about the trip being unattainable, arguing that if you save up enough and are willing to part with material possessions, you can afford it.

"All that stuff I gave away, I didn't need it. I felt like it was weighing me down. Now that I've given all that stuff away, it's just there in a small, little backpack I carry around the world with me. Things couldn't be better, I've minimalized my life," he said.