Heading West

Dear Friends,

I would like to start by thanking all of the people who have shown interest in our journey.

I’m super excited to have this space to share with you a little glimpse of the adventure Alex and I are so beyond grateful to be on together.

Before we get into what the first week has brought us, Alex and I wanted to sincerely thank each and every individual who has shared with us the tools and resources to make this trip possible.

There’s really no way to describe the overwhelming feeling of gratitude we have for the endless support from so many wonderful people.

In the past couple months leading up to the trip I've found myself often reflecting on the human ability for kindness and generosity. Whether we are born with it or whether Alex and I have been blessed to be surrounded by people who have it, we have been struck by the staggering presence of it in the people around us.

Gratitude is a radically healing and humbling feeling, and one of the ways we feel gratitude more deeply is when we are able to reflect on the ways that the people in our lives make our experiences more enriching.

There are far too many people to thank individually, but to all of the people that with enthusiasm and creativity helped this all come together, from the bottom of our hearts,

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  

I’m currently writing to you on the road to Cochrane Alberta. We are passing through a snowstorm that has hit Alberta and is heading East as we speak. Maybe it will hit our friends in Toronto by the time you are reading this!

Thick freezing fog is blanketing our car with a heavy layer of ice while blistering hail and wind batters against the glass.

At times our visibility is limited, but thanks to the open prairies the snow has drifted off the roads, the icicles are dancing before us and we are reminded that there is beauty in the storm as we drive the rest of the way safely.

Most of the drive, until this point has been a breeze.. We hit some black ice on our way to Regina and narrowly escaped a pretty bad snowstorm in Wawa Ontario, so it’s safe to say we’ve been lucky.

We both came into this trip fairly burnt out, so this week our focus has been on resting and recovering. Lots of sleep, and slowly building our morning routine to help build a sense of normalcy.

Thus far we have driven roughly 2600 km and will be clocking in a little over 3000 km once we get to our next destination in Alberta. We’ve gone from Toronto to Sudbury, on to Wawa, to Thunder Bay then Winnipeg to Regina and finally to Cochrane.

We have been fortunate to have stayed with many hospitable friends and family, who’ve given us warm and delicious meals and lots of love from furry friends.

Our first night we stayed with family friends in Sudbury, and were pleasantly surprised by how the city had integrated its suburban landscape with the natural formations of the lakes and mountains. The following day we drove North to Wawa Ontario where we were intending on camping for the night, however a storm was heading our way and the temperatures were expected to drop to -31° so we decided to get a motel.

We then continued North West along the Trans-Canada highway, driving along winding roads, flanked by dense, snow covered trees and glimmering, frozen lakes.

We were both told by countless people that the drive through Canada to BC would be boring but it is a unique, beautiful and ever changing landscape. One that we were constantly aghast and in sheer amazement of its nature.

The prairies have been long and flat, but easy driving and deeply calming.

Lucky for me Alex has taken on the role as gas filler, as I stay warm in the car and make fun of him for being a baby about the cold.

In Winnipeg my parents gifted Alex and I a hotel for the evening and a trip to the Human Rights Museum the following day.

The best word I could use to describe this museum is immaculate. While at times the content was heavy, it was a deeply enriching experience to learn about the history of human rights in Canada as well as how we as a society are constantly driven to make the world a better place. The exhibits are multimedia based and some of the most creative work I've seen in a while.

Alex and I have been lucky that each day we get to watch the sunrise and the sunset together. It’s served us as a constant and gentle reminder to slow down and look at our surroundings.

It’s moments like these that fill me with the overwhelming sensation that life is beautiful. And it’s in these moments that the heaviness of yesterday fades away.

Each day we drive further, the excitement of what each day will bring drives deeper into our beings as we are anxiously awaiting the warmer weather we are heading towards.

The next couple of weeks we will be slowing down, visiting friends and exploring British Columbia. We will then head along the Pacific Coast Highway, East into Arizona, then South into Mexico.

We are excited to do plenty of volunteering and work while in Colombia, Chile, Peru and Argentina. The details of which we will share as the time draws closer.

At the moment our route ends in Salvador Brazil, but we intend to explore more inland Brazil and venture into the Amazon Rainforest as well. But much more research is still needed to be done, and we are happy to update you once we have done so. If you have any suggestions - please send them our way!

Next stop on the Itinerary is Banff for a short visit then onto stay with some friends in Fernie BC.

As much as Alex and I can’t wait to hit Mexico where the real adventure will begin, it has been educational and enriching to explore our home country.

Just a short week in and this trip has given us a deep appreciation for our home, as well as reminding us the importance of slowing down and enjoying each individual moment.

Every morning I wake up, I’m reminded about how fortunate I am to be on this adventure.

We’ve received a wide range of feedback from the array of people we’ve told about this trip who are in disbelief of our insanity to drive across this side of the world.

We are indeed aware of the fact that what we are doing is crazy and unsafe and unlike anything you have ever heard, but we are also aware that we will never get another opportunity to take this risk unless we start now. I’m sure there will be plenty of lessons that we will have to learn the hard way, but there will never be any part of me that will regret this experience.

Crossing the Rockies has fueled me with a deep craving for adventure, an excitement for what's next and a deep sense of appreciation for the feeling that we are meant to be doing this.