Strathcona Park, Vancouver Island

July 15th-23rd

Key Takeaways: 

• Strathcona Park on Vancouver Island is one of the most beautiful places.  
• The best campsites are free.
• A Rainbow Community gathering is in our future (want to come with?)
• Quiet birthdays are cool too.

We left Campbell River with our bellies full of fish and chips and wandered around some old logging roads in search of a recreational site to camp. Using a borrowed 10-year old backroads map, we knew there were once rec sites in the area, but kept coming up on abandonned/closed down roads&sites. Still a bit sheepish of logging roads with no cell service after our flat tire, we settled on a new-ish rec site that was conviently completely free. Having a legit waterfront campsite for the cost of nothing can't be beat!

Not bad, eh?

We love our early morning coffee walks!

Finally sun was shining and we decided to make a move towards Strathcona Provinical Park. We had a few hikes we wanted to do, and we wanted to strike while there was a temporary break in the rain. Although a huge park, we based ourselves around Buttle Lake, and explored the area. It's where my new found obsession with alpine meadows bloomed. And although I'm not sure they are considered alpine meadows-- there's mountains, lakes and wildflowers all in the same vista and it makes me heart sing and glow and jump for joy! You'll also notice the transition from tuques and sweaters to bathing suits in this post. This is the stretch where summer weather finally made an appearance. 👏

After Strathcona Park we decided to keep heading west to the Gold River area. Gold River is a town with laundry and some groceries and two liquor stores. I really feel like they've got their finger on the pulse. While hanging around Gold River waiting for our laundry, we bumped into a free-spirit named Tree who invited us to checkout the Rainbow Community gathering just outside of town. Never hearing of it, he told us more about the community- Just some nature-loving, freethinking folks who share a couple good meals and conversation each day. You had us at "good meals" Tree. Buuttt if you know us, you know we get stuck in places once the old van gets put in park, so we didn't make it out. See you next year, Tree. And blessings.

We ended up staying at Muchalat Lake for almost a week. Since the weather started to feel a lot more like summer, we lounged at the beach, read books and swam a lot. I also celebrated my birthday lakeside-- being far from crowds and cell service, one of the quietest birthdays to date-- A sunny day with Tyler and Jamie, long afternoon paddle followed by evening champers and campfire nachos. Following a year of significant change, substantial solotime, which lead to some serious reflection, and noteworthy shifts in perspectives and priorities, this birthday celebration was so fitting. Simple and wonderful 💕

Birthday bliss!

Cowichan Lake, Vancouver Island

June 30th- July 10th- As we began our journey with nothing but optimism and excitement, things unravelled very quickly. With many solid days of rain, a missed ferry, a teething baby, a lost (AND FOUND in the lake the next day) diamond ring and a flat tire, we definitely felt like the universe was trying to tell us something. But if you've spent any time with us, you'll come to know that "It usually works out" is a common catch phrase around these parts. And well frankly not to brag but, it has indeed all worked out. 

nothing a little muddy buddy can't handle

So how did the first 10 days in the van kick-off? Not only was it puncutated with some noteable mishaps, it also began with a jolt of reality-- The last time we took off in a van for an extended amount of time we were childless and enjoying a dry, hot Mediterranean climate. This time we've got a whole other human in the mix and need to contend with Canada's fickle weather---There's a lot more gear involved. It took us the better part of a week to get ourselves functionally organized and figure out how it was all going to work.

ok, so after missing the ferry we did stay in a cheap motel for the night
and totally brought the motel vibes up to level 10/10

I know that I had mentioned that we're generally heading east, but before that we actually went more west to Vancouver Island and started the journey spending two weeks around Cowichan Lake. 

a lake front fern gully paradise to work out the intricasies of van-ning

Something unique to B.C, there are 1700+ recreation sites across the province. Pretty basic and remote campsites and generally found down old or active logging roads, these have been the most beautiful places to set-up camp. Oh! And most don't require reservations, and they are inexpensive, ranging from free-$15/night- Really jiving with our travel style at the moment. 

bedtime beach sit

no cell service, no t.v, it's been awhile since we've had uninterrupted hours together

...unfortunately those logging roads can sometimes be unkind - J gets it

Ok I'll admit, not a great resume for the first week BUT so many silver-linings, sweet moments against beautiful backdrops. Also now we know how to change a tire, spend whole days entertaining a baby outside in the rain. With a whole lot more ground to cover, things can only go up from here!

Change is Afoot: Unemployed & Homeless

As the title eludes, we have traded in our jobs and our apartment in Vancouver for a bit of an open-ended existence. The long and short of it is that for a long time we've been seeking a shift in our life balance. However, dismantling a comfortable life is scary, so we had settled for daydreaming. Then comes along a baby and the desire and necessity to prioritize the things we value in life becomes immediate. 

Being teachers, we see children toddling off to school, being wonderfully independent everyday. In three short years, we know that will be our child too. Presently, if we didn't change a thing, Baby J would be in daycare while we both work for 10+ hours a day. He's awake for about 12 hours a day, and basic math tells me that just doesn't leave us enough time in the day. So we've decided to prioritize and value this fleeting time in our lives. 

He thinks he's helping--Moving with a baby is hard!

That's the why, but actually what in Sam Hill are we doing? This question has the potential to keep me up at night.

Spoiler: We don't know what we're doing, but we're taking a pause to figure it out.

Our plan at present is to leave Vancouver and take three-ish months to drive&camp across Canada in our converted van. Last time, we made the hurried pilgrimage across Canada in four days, and are definitely looking forward to a much more relaxed pace-- Somehow driving for 17 hrs and eating 3 Big Macs a day does not fall into that life balance we're talking about. Besides some cool sights and cool people to see, and a general direction on the compass, we've got no real plan. Reminding ourselves to live in the day, not to borrow worry and to be open to what comes our way has us jazzed. 

And come Thanksgiving we'll reevaluate, because ya know, life ain't free. 

So yah, living in a van with a baby. We'll let you know how that goes.

Oh! And if it all goes tits up (which it totally could), or we make it 100kms down the road and decide to set-up shop, then that's cool too. Really feeling like we're in a can't-lose place right now.