Life . . . Reframed: Being on the road

I started writing this back in June, and added bits and pieces as we went along. It was never quite the right time to post it, as I felt it wasn’t ‘finished’. Circumstances have caused us to put our adventure on hold for a couple of months, and return to Vancouver to look after a family matter that needs our help. It was one of the things we promised to each other - if family needed us at home, then we would return. But we also promised that we would pick up where we left off as soon as things at home were ok. . .

. . . . . . .

We’ve been on the road now for about a month and a half. At times, it feels like just a few days. How are things working out? Pretty well, really. After some initial hiccups with getting the internet and phones sorted out, we pretty much have that under control now. We have a car, we have our electronic connection devices and we plan our next places to stay a couple of weeks in advance. It seems we packed enough clothing, but not too much, and we have what we need to get by on a daily basis. We're not missing any of the 'things' back home that we thought we had to have to get by!

A friend thought I should do a blogpost on packing for a year. She figured she’d need a trailer following her around with a wardrobe if she were to do this! I had thought so too initially, but we decided that we would follow the sun for a year and so only pack for one season. That seems to have worked reasonably well. We both brought one pair of sandals and one pair of good walking shoes. As much as possible, I packed very lightweight, non-bulky clothing. There is a wonderful line of merino wool garments called Icebreaker ( http://ca.icebreaker.com/en/home ) - I have a heavy long sleeve sweater, a lightweight long sleeve t-shirt and a lightweight short sleeve t-shirt from that line. A couple more tops, one pair of black jeans, a pair of shorts, a pair of capris, a bathing suit and two dresses. Lots of underwear, and lots of socks for walking. There are probably a couple of things I could have done without, because as usual, as much clothing as I have, I always end up wearing the favourites anyhow.

We’ve found that fuel is more expensive here (about double the price in Canada), but the car is very fuel efficient, and we aren’t driving huge distances. We have been using the AirBnB website ( https://www.airbnb.co.uk ) to find places to stay. Our main criteria when we choose a place is that it must have free wifi and parking. We prefer to have our own cooking and bathroom facilities, but in more populated or very popular areas, we generally settle for shared, as places are more expensive there. Ideally we want use of the washing machine and dryer as well - laundromats are expensive and can take a lot of time out of our day.

Generally the AirBnB places are less expensive than staying in a B&B, and we have more room to spread out. The hosts have been really friendly, and we’ve made some nice new friends in our travels. We get to know a lot more about the area we’re in, and get to know the people who live there. And it keeps our budget under control. We’ve tended to take places that are in more remote villages because the price is lower, and getting to the big centres only takes about a half hour by car, if we really want to go there. Which we usually don't!

We also signed up on www.trustedhousesitters.com and have had one housesitting assignment already, with a second set up for the end of August. In exchange for caring for someone’s pet(s) and home, we get to stay in their house for free. It’s a great arrangement for both parties - the pets get to stay in their own home, and the homeowner doesn't have to pay for expensive pet boarding. And we get a whole house to ourselves! We’re hoping to get a couple of these assignments when we travel to New Zealand in January.

How are WE getting along? Just great, thanks! After 37 years, two kids, three houses, jobs, volunteering, golf, soccer - all the things that can interfere with a relationship - I admit I was unsure how it would go being together 24/7. But it’s taken us back to our ‘roots’ of when we first met. We’d head out in Glen’s red convertible and go where the road took us, exploring funny little places that caught our fancy, and generally enjoying the great outdoors.

It’s a bit of an odd lifestyle being on the road, not being sure where we’ll be next week or next month. But it’s sure shaken us out of our comfort zone of the home, the hobbies, the tv, the ‘stuff’. We’re both starting to get the hang of it - every day is still an adventure and we’ve found a new way of being that brings challenge and new experiences every day. It’s a lot of fun.

Things I’ll miss . . . or not

Little electronic signs that smile or frown depending on whether you’re speeding or obeying the limit.

'Pay and Display' parking lots - Everywhere!

No top sheets on the beds! I don't always want a big heavy quilt, thanks. Especially in the summer.

Driving on the wrong side of the road.

British accents

Clothing without name brands splashed all over the garment.

History in my face, everywhere.

So stay tuned. We should be back at it by late fall. Here are some pictures of Vancouver - it seems funny being a ‘tourist’ in our own town. We don’t have our own house to return to, so we’re doing a combination of house/pet sitting and subletting friends apartments. So it still feels like being ‘on the road’.