Next Stop, America

Dear friends,

We have finally made it to the ocean.

From Vancouver we drove North along the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia to Powell River, the town where Alex spent a large majority of his childhood.

Powell River resides on the mainland along the coast of the Georgia Strait in a temperate coastal rainforest making for year-round mild conditions. This year, they had only one major snowfall, which was just a few days before we arrived and had completely melted by the time we were there. All things considered, Alex and I have really had luck on our side, narrowly avoiding the worst of storms and driving through clear and sunny skies most travel days.

Due to the mild climate and regular rain in the winter, the trees never really lose their luscious green colour.

In an article published by Coastal by Nature on Powell River’s geography & geology “About half of the world’s temperate rainforests are found on North America’s west coast. Others are found at the other end of [the longest highway in the world], … Highway 101 in Chile.”

As we drove into the mainland I was astounded by the vibrancy of the scenery.

The forests were dense with old Douglas-fir, western red cedar, western hemlock and yellow cedar to name just a few and teeming with life. Thick blankets of moss and fungi crawled over a labyrinth of roots and fallen trees.

During our visit we spent time with friends and family of Alex’s and enjoyed the seemingly endless nature that was at our fingertips. The first morning we got up early to grab a coffee and walk along the Wellington Beach trail. Later that day we went for a hike up Valentine Mountain and sat in stillness as we gazed upon the ocean view below us. Standing on top of the summit I thought of all the mountains we had yet to climb, and all the things we had yet to discover.

The next morning Alex drove me to Haywire Bay, where he spent the summers of his childhood. The morning was crisp but the sun was warm, so we decided to go for a quick dip in the lake. Both Alex and I have been interested in cold plunges, and were eager to experience the cool fresh water. As we approached the lake I felt a hesitation take over my body and I wasn’t sure if I was actually up to the challenge. My mind stumbled over all the reasons it would actually be a terrible idea. But I was determined to follow through on my commitment.

Finally I gathered the courage to dive in, and on the count of three– I jumped.  

When I hit the surface my breath was taken and I hurried to the shore where I found Alex standing, dry. Of course I took the opportunity to feel very proud of myself and teased Alex because he himself was calling me a weenie for hesitating the plunge.

After a good amount of teasing, Alex got in, scurried out and we were both enveloped in a deep warmth from our core. A tingling sensation radiated from my head to my toes, and all the way to my fingertips. We stood in the sun, bathing in this feeling and the swell of the cold that had consumed us dissolved.

After our dip we continued on our Powell River tour, and Alex showed me all the nooks and crannies of his childhood.

The final morning we went to Inland Lake Provincial Park and walked along the misty shores as we watched the fog lift over the mountains.

We absorbed as much of the magic as we could and after some bittersweet goodbyes we continued on our adventures. From here we headed West on a ferry from Powell River to Comox, a small city on Vancouver Island where we were staying with some family friends on the eastern shores. We spent much of our time walking along the beach and soaking up the spring sun. It was here that we realized–we’ve made it through winter.

I spent my afternoon lounging in my hammock reading a book and Alex was down by the water cleaning up the pathway from the house to the beach. He worked all afternoon hauling rocks, shoveling mud and dirt and trimming the overgrown branches. We’ve been trying to find ways to thank the many people who have hosted us and Alex has really enjoyed doing housework like yard maintenance, seasoning cast irons, and deep cleaning kitchens– he’s a catch, I know.

We spent our evenings over delicious home-cooked meals and great conversations and after a short but sweet visit we ventured to Tofino.

Tofino was the furthest West we could travel on this entire trip, and we were excited to bask in this moment.

On our way out of the major cities I mentioned to Alex that we should probably get gas, but coming in at a whopping 1.89 he felt determined to find a cheaper source. Off we drove into the mountains and away from our rationality.

With a little over 100km to go to Tofino, the gas light turned on. We frantically searched for gas stations within the area and realized the closest one wasn’t until we hit Tofino- 100 km away.

It was hard to feel stressed as we passed by once again what felt like the most breathtaking scenery yet. The sun was shining and our spirits were high despite the troubles we were driving towards.

Driving through these beautiful valleys, of course we had no service and we felt shit out of luck with what to do. If we ran out of gas on these winding roads there was little to no shoulder room to pull over, and walking to a gas station would take hours. I thought we could sit outside of the car jerry can in hand, hoping and praying someone who passed us would have gas to lend us. Most of these options felt implausible, but there was also an underlying sense of optimism in my gut that we would make it.

Staying positive we continued to drive. Somehow, driving in neutral downhill, at a slow speed, we made it, just barely rolling into a gas station in Ucluelet. We were in disbelief and we took it as another good omen to have faith in our little matrix. After all that, the real kicker was that the gas cost $1.90.

We celebrated our arrival with a beer from the local brewery before driving to our campsite for the night.

This was our first real night on the road, sleeping out of our car, and it went better than we could have expected. A couple weeks back when we were staying with family friends in the Alberta Highlands, we got some local bison meat from their neighbour who raised a herd this season. Since then we’ve been keeping it frozen in our car fridge and after two weeks we finally got to indulge.

We used the meat to make bison burgers, got ourselves some fancy cheese and beer, and we were set for the evening. Sitting by the campfire, we enjoyed some quality time and a taste of what our next leg will bring.

The morning came and we were pleasantly surprised with how warm and cozy our camper conversion ended up being. We felt a sense of reassurance that we could do this, and that we’ve finally made it to the life we’ve been looking forward to for so long.

The simple life on the road leaves room to enjoy the little things, like washing the dishes and cooking a meal, tasks that are often stressful among our busy lives.

And even in the rough moments, like forgetting to buy oil/vinegar to cook with, we are grateful to be where we are with each other.

In just over a week we will be in Mexico where we’ll be living full time out of our car and under the stars. Today we head to Victoria for two nights and into America by the time you receive this email.

It's with this email that our Canada Chapter officially comes to an end.

We can't wait to see where the next one takes us.