Here and Now

Well, it's been seven long months since I last posted in here. I left off with a few of our adventures in South Dakota and I plan on finishing the documentation of everything that we saw in 2016. After all, it was the most exciting and adventure filled year of our lives. For now I wanted to get back into blogging by sharing a little bit about our new life and our new home.

West Mabou Beach, Cape Breton, September 2016

I imagine most people who read our posts are coming from Facebook, but I'll share some background on where we are and how we got here, just incase. 

Our little family did indeed end up on the east coast of Canada, however in a completely different province than we had initially anticipated. Over the Labour Day long weekend we found out that the house we had put an offer on in Prince Edward Island had sold to another buyer. That same evening I saw a story on CBC about a country market in Cape Breton that was looking for people to work there, and if we stayed for five years we would receive 2 acres of land. We knew we had nothing to lose so we sent in our resumes, along with a short cover letter detailing who we are and what we were searching for. After a few days of emails and our Skype interview I was offered a position with the store and we began to pack up and head east from Ontario to start our new life. 

West Mabou Beach, Cape Breton, September 2016

We arrived here in mid September and it has honestly been a whirlwind. Settling into our rental home and a routine with work, meeting new friends and exploring this beautiful island have all taken time but we're doing our best to enjoy absolutely every second of it. There was a lot of media attention when we got here. The job offer, as well as the new employees received attention from local news outlets, CBC Nova Scotia, CTV (Nova Scotia and BC), Vice News Tonight, CNBC, and even The New York Times!

Life moves at a different pace here, and it's not for everyone, but I do know that there has to be more people like us out there who want the same things we do. A slower pace of life, fresh air, green grass and trees. A chance to grow their own food and contribute to a small community. Friendly people, who are happy to hang out at home with friends and don't need to be busy to be happy. I know they are out there, but I think the people who could come and help repopulate this little island don't know enough about it or are too afraid to leave their "stable life" to find this.

Along the Cabot Trail - October 2016

We are enjoying the outdoor lifestyle here during every season, and learning to love winter again has been much easier than we imagined. On Brett's birthday the two of us drove to the Cape Breton Highlands to take part in a snowshoe hike on the Skyline Trail. It was a wonderful day and a beautiful hike. We can't wait to see more of the park this year!

At the top of the Skyline Trail - February 2017

Enjoying the snow - January 2017

When we left our suburban home in BC, we didn't know exactly what our life would look like a year later. Now we have most of what we were looking for, we just need to find the perfect spot to build our forever home and begin growing our own food - hopefully for us as well as this community. We have big dreams and hopes for all four of us, as well as this great little business we have become a part of. I can't wait to continue to share this journey we are on, as well as the remainder of our adventures from 2016. Keep your eyes here for more updates soon!

Back On the Road

I've spent some time recently thinking about this blog and how I've been sharing our adventures. As I begin documenting our adventures from this most recent road trip, I've decided to try to do so as less of a "diary" and more of a reflection on what we've seen and done and got out of our experiences. I hope I can accurately share some of these awesome places we've seen.

This road trip felt very different from our first. I think we learned quite a bit during our first leg about the things we liked and things we didn't. For sure we spent more time in National Parks and in a "camping" environment, rather than always staying in RV parks. We started off on a really high note, visiting a place that has been on my bucket list for a long time - Banff National Park!

If you've never gone I urge you to make an effort to see this natural wonder. The trees, the mountains, the clear blue water - all of it is so stunning! We made a solid drive from the afternoon we left BC to arrive at Lake Louise in less than 24 hours. We decided to camp at the Lake Louise campground and I'm so glad that we did. The views at the lake were stunning in both cloud and sunshine. There's something about the mountains and water that just make me feel alive and happy. 

Halle took every opportunity she had to stick her hand into the water, and she was beyond impressed by how blue it was. Even Nolan would squeal with excitement every time he saw the water. 

It was nice to see the mountains surrounded in clouds, the moodiness of it. The clouds and cool temperatures during that afternoon kept the crowds away as well. The following day we visited both Moraine Lake and Lake Louise in the sun and it was even more breathtaking being able to see those impressive peaks beyond the lakes edge. There is just something about snowy peaks that make me feel at home. As much as we are headed to the east coast, my heart will always remain in the mountains!

While Lake Louise is far easier to travel around with walking paths and boardwalks, Moraine Lake had a much more lovely view, residing in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. I was so glad that Brett insisted we see both lakes in the sun before we packed up camp.

Our second visit to Lake Louise was much shorter - just to get a sunny view of it and a family photo. I was so thankful that we asked the kind stranger we did to take a photo of us. He knew his way around my camera and captured my favourite family photo from all of our travels. Even Halle wanted to pose all on her own, and I loved the photos I captured of my little beauty in front of this natural Canadian wonder. 

Exploring the remainder of Banff took my breath away. The scenic highway through the park to the town of Banff was beautiful. Lucky for us we had a napping baby and enjoyed the towering trees and clear blue rivers and lakes. Again, it was the mountains that most won me over. I'll never tire of snow covered peaks set against a brilliant blue sky.

I wish we'd had more time to spend in the area - especially to head further north to see the Ice Fields and Jasper. We didn't get to hike as much as we'd like either, but that is something that we are often limited to with such small kids. Halle's little legs can't always handle the distance or inclines that Brett and I would like to do. We've agreed that we will need to revisit these iconic Canadian parks in the Rockies when the kids are a little older, so we can see and experience more than we did during our short visit at the end of May.

Nolan most definitely is our little bottomless pit!

The view out our trailer door at Chain Lakes Provincial Park in Alberta

We made a few more stops north of the border in Alberta. Stopping in Canmore for some beer and small bites and then camping at Chain Lakes Provincial Park south of Calgary. We had a beautiful campsite with grassy vistas, and a quiet place to camp during the rain storm that rolled in. I love that on rainy nights we'll gather around our dinette to play a game with Halle. We definitely make the most of rainy evenings, turning them into quality family time instead of time around the TV. I love those silly bonding moments where we all laugh and enjoy ourselves. 

After a restful night we had the most incredible experience at Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta. The Park is actually an extension of Glacier National Park in Montana, and not only are the views incredible, but the wildlife is very cool as well. We took a drive into the Bison enclosure and had our first experience with these huge animals. We had no clue what the rest of our trip had in store for us, so we were excited to see these animals up close and personal in Alberta. (We remained in our car and always kept a safe distance from them... don't worry).

Oh Alberta! Those majestic Rockies, blue water and wildlife won us over! There's so much we haven't seen in the province, but we know that won't be our only visit there. I'm just glad we made it before we left behind the West Coast...

Reflecting on Life on the Road

Well, I'd say this post is long overdue as it's been almost three months since we left behind our home in British Columbia to embark on life on the road. Over these two months I have had a lot of time to think about what this journey means to not only me, but also to our family. 

Nolan loves being thrown in the air! {Washington - April)

When we first left BC I thought to myself, "what if we made a mistake?", but since that first time that question honestly hasn't crossed my mind since. There was some adjusting for me to things like showers in the trailer and sometimes at RV resorts (not always as nice as showering in your own home) and laundry at RV resorts (we've had some iffy incidents), but overall I adjusted better than I had expected. At the end of the day, the adventure and time together outweighs anything that we may perceive as a negative.

Back in BC - May 2016

We're still working on living with less. I mean, we did sell the majority of our stuff, but some things didn't sell and some things we wanted to keep for when we do settle down in one place again. Since we're unsure of where we will end up, we've managed to fill a 5x10 storage unit until we find our home. 

As we go, things have left the trailer as well. Living with access only to a small closet, both Brett and I have realized we only wear a very curated collection of clothing. We definitely don't need as much as we had before. Out of season clothes are stored under our bed in suitcases and then our small selection of favourite seasonal clothes are in our closet. 

It's harder with children, we don't want to, nor can we force Halle to get rid of things that she loves, but considering she is only four she is very good at donating items she no longer loves or plays with. She got a lot of nice toys while we were in Florida, and once we got back to BC her and I went through all of her toys and she picked a lot to donate which lightened the load a little. This has also helped us to realize how little they need. Halle uses her imagination far more when we are just out in nature hiking and exploring the natural world around us. 

Nolan loves finding sticks and rocks and just playing in the dirt

We still have a long way to go before we are truly "minimalists". You can't just get rid of all of your stuff overnight, it takes time and effort but we'll get there since our focus at the moment is our family. 

To me the best part is the adventure, the unknown and the time spent together. As I have mentioned previously most days we start out and see where we end up. Brett drives and I keep my eyes on the Road Atlas to direct us to our next destination. 

Halle had a blast fishing at the trout farm we camped at in Mission, BC back in early May

When I think of life before everything changed, I know that we were happy. Life had found a happy routine for the most part but Halle and I missed Brett on those long days that he was at work. Is that "normal"? Yes, for most people, but it's not the life we want to live anymore. In the months surrounding Brett leaving his job a lot happened to remind us just how short and precious life can be - so why aren't we together enjoying it and doing the things that we love? Will we spend the rest of our life on the road travelling? No, probably not. Will we find jobs we love that still give us plenty of time together and to see great places? YES! Will we spend money on travel and experiences instead of "things" and "stuff" that take up time and space! Absolutely! That will always remain our focus moving forward.

Hiking at Rolley Lake Provincial Park in BC

Admittedly, not every day is perfect. Somedays we are tired and cranky, and somedays our children are a handful to deal with... just like any other kid. Our lives are still not "perfect", but we are all so much happier at the moment. We're exploring and seeing sights that some people may never see in their lifetime. For that, we are extremely thankful. 

Rolley Lake Provincial Park in BC

The other day I said to Brett, "At the end of each year, I always wonder how the next year will top it! I really didn't think 2016 could be better than 2015, but look at this! How could 2017 possibly be any better?". Yes, we still have half a year ahead of us to enjoy and soak up... but I'm already intrigued to see how our future plays out after this. All I know, is we'll continue to live it to the fullest.

On Time...

For so long, I seemed to spend my days waiting for Brett to get home, waiting for the weekends or a holiday. There always seemed to be a focus on what came next, next, next. Time would either drag on endlessly or fly by while I attempted to freeze it for just a moment longer. There was never a happy middle point,  but sometime over these past two weeks we've all been learning how to enjoy the little moments.

The beach in Manzanita

As I write this, we've only been on the road for about two weeks, but in a good way it feels so much longer. We've seen and done so much in this short time, but most importantly we've smiled, laughed and created some awesome memories. 

We're not glancing at the clock that often these days. We aren't worried about when and where we need to be, and to be honest we're not evening rushing the kids off to bed at the end of the day because we're all enjoying our time together. We go to sleep at night, happily exhausted from a day of exploring and laughing together and we usually sleep until 7:30 or 8 in the morning. If it's a day that we need to check out, we eat and once we're finished we have a routine of cleaning up, getting dressed, packing up and heading out. Somehow, by the time we all pile into the car we'll find that it's right on time for us to be checking out of our site. 

An evening walk together as a family

Our driving days usually work out well with our schedule. Nolan's morning nap usually lines up nicely with our departure time, so he'll fall asleep easily in the car. If it's a short day of driving (2 or 2.5 hours), he usually sleeps most of the drive. If our day is longer, we'll usually stop after 2 hours of driving for lunch, eat, stretch our legs and maybe explore, depending on where we are, then Nolan takes his second nap as we continue driving.

I'm seeing time, especially as a family, very different these days. The days are happier and easier when we're all together. There isn't as much to take our focus away from each other. There isn't a big house to clean and keep tidy, no bills to pay, or other things that need our immediate attention, other than being with each other. 

These are the exact reasons why we did this. Quiet moments being together, evenings by the campfire, bed time cuddles, playing at the playground, running on the beaches, exploring the Redwoods. This may not be life forever for us, but it's life for the next few months. It's a chance for us to change the way we view our lives and our priorities. I hope that wherever we set down roots in the coming months, we can take these memories and lessons with us. I hope we always remember that creating these memories together are what is most important, and that we continue to focus on experiences rather than items. 

True love - their bond continues to grow and blossom

We are only given so much time here. So much time with our children while they are small... and so much time to love these people and places. We plan on doing our best to take advantage of each and every one of those moments as best as we can, and I hope you all do too.