… the story so far … from the before-times … (for the wonderful new people here, and those who would like a bit of a refresher)
We’ve always been aware that time here on our island in the middle of a lake was a temporary situation. (notwithstanding that we’ve been here nigh on ten years – which we’re going to blame on cancer, Covid, and just a dash of run-of-the-mill goal-post changing)
Our original plan, which had its genesis way back in 2018-ish, was to set off in our little travel-trailer, swan around the countryside from coast to coast to coast and see what we might see. (Canada having three coasts of course, the western one, where we live, the eastern one where the Vikings landed, and the northern one, up above the Arctic Circle, that I am determined to visit, one day) We were in no great rush to set off, and if we eventually found a place to settle down somewhere along the way, all the better.
The pandemic put paid to that.
For the first year we resigned ourselves to a holding pattern. There were too many potentially dangerous unknowns specifically about the virus, to say nothing of province-wide shut-downs across the country, and far too many people acting like terrified rabbits, for us to go against our common sense in the matter.
In the first half of 2021 I wrote a book. (the sales of which are pootling along nicely) It was, sad to say, the highlight of the year.
The climate crisis, which had been lurking around the corner and growing ever closer, proved that it was done waiting by throwing every sort of weather extreme in our general direction. (and in yours too, I have no doubt)
Add into the mix two more variants of the virus, and we decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and stayed put.
However, every one of those very crises reminded us, each in its own unique way, that we are in a very precarious and unsustainable geographical location here on the coast.
We gave ourselves permission to be as stressed out about the whole damn state of everything for as long as we needed to, and then we would get back to work.
Our plan, now that we successfully made it to 2022 …
Pack up and leave as soon as the passes to the Interior are clear and navigable – thanks to one of the afore-mentioned weather events just before Christmas, every road and rail route out of the Lower Mainland (where we currently live) had been destroyed – and before the Summer (read Spring or whenever) wildfire season kicks in to high gear.
Theoretically … that gives us a window of a few months … theoretically, to relocate, find ourselves a new home, get all our living-in-a-house stuff out of storage, and set ourselves set up for Winter.
Then and only then will we contemplate the possibilities of travelling, probably in the ‘shoulder seasons’ between Winter and Summer.
Perhaps you’re asking yourself, seeing as we’re not going ‘travelling’ first, why we don’t just find a place before we leave and move from one house to another house?
Ideally, this will be the last ‘move into a new home’ we will ever do, (remember, I’m 63 and Mrs Widds is 72) and it will have to meet our requirements for setting up our life to be as self-sustaining, for the next several, at least, very chaotic, decades, as we can possibly make it. There’s no way we can make that sort of complex and important decision on a piece of land/property, sight unseen.
This way we’re open to all sorts of windows of possibilities.
The truly wonderful (insert a tiny bit of irony right there) thing about all this is, in the ‘before times’ we would’ve known what to expect along the way, with minor perturbations, but all-in-all, we would’ve been able to count on a certain amount of familiarity.
There’s no counting on that any more now, is there?
Well, if going on an adventure were easy, everyone would do it!
Widdershins Worlds 
We (I) made the decision we needed to get rid of the house because it was taking way too much of the spouse’s time on a ladder with hedge trimmers he cut through (5 times, he admitted to – the truth?) extension cords which were getting expensive. It has worked well – since I’m already disabled, I wanted a place where we’d have help if we needed it.
Aside from the pandemic making staff rarer, it has worked out – and no more ladders with hedge trimmers.
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How on earth did he manage to … never mind! 😀
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Well, when you think about it: if you are not grounded, and you cut the cord (literally), there is no path for the electricity to do any damage, and you just suddenly have no power to your hedge trimmers.
Peel the wires back, twist together, reinforce with black electrical tape, and you’re back in business. They were starting to look tatty – then he’d replace them.
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I am glad to hear I am not the only one to cut those cords!
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Have a great adventure – be sure to write home about it.
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lots of writings and videoing… warts and all. 🙂
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I hope to follow you on your vacation vicariously! It is my hope that you will be blogging about it on your route. And I for one am looking forward to it.
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Blogging and videoing … the works! 😀
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Yeah!!!
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I did that back in 90. I moved from Ottawa to the west and didn’t know where I was going? I lived in my car for 2 years. It was not for the fain hearted to say the least.
Looking back it was the best thing I ever did!
Good luck and hang in there,I will be encouraging you along from the sidelines.
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I did it in 2004 when I moved from Australia to here with just two suitcases … absolutely not for the faint-hearted!
All encouragements openheartedly received and welcomed. 🙂
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nothing ventured….nothing……..
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Adventuring is the best kind of way to live a life. Inspirational stuff! Look forward to following your tale.
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We’ll be showing/telling the good, the bad, and the ugly. 😀
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Excellent! Love a good reality show 😁
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Phew, big times hey? So many unknowns, so many unexpecteds, so many challenges large and small. You are both so brave to be shaking everything up so much, I applaud you loudly. May you be held safely by the Universe as you move onwards ❤
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To Infinity, and Beyond! 😀
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Hunker down for the winter, then one spring morning just get up and GO!
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Yep 🙂 … using the time to get all our ducks in a row. 🙂
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Line up all of those ducks in a neat row, and then flatten them all as you drive away.
Seriously all of the best – scary/fun times abounding. 🙂
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And if there are any swans in the way? … well, collateral damage does happen! 😀
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Oh, make sure you go north first. It’ll pull at you otherwise.
A few years ago my household was looking to relocate and thought we found the ideal place; then we stayed there for a week and… just, no. Looking forward to reading your adventures!
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I’m looking forward to having them. 🙂
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However, whenever and wherever you go, the adventures will breathe new life into you. Best wishes for an exploratory 2022!
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Thank you! 😀 … breathing is going to be important! 🙂
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That sounds like a really good plan, Widds, just don’t settle in a place ripe for major bushfires. That’d be a frying pan to fire scenario. 😦 Like all the other commenters, I’m looking forward to travelling along with you both. -hugs-
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Sadly, just like most things these days, there’s no safe places anymore … but we’re going to avoid the more ‘desert-y’, and drier areas just on principle, and because neither of us likes that sort of environment. 🙂
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That’s good. Knowing you, I guess there’ll be snow though so don’t get buried in a blizzard or something. Aaaaanyway, when are the two of you planning on leaving? Have you set a date yet?
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We’re aiming for the beginning of May, but that’s just between you and I , eh? 😀
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Mum’s the word. 😀
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I fully agree that having a safe and comfortable home to come ‘home’ to is very important. I think it might be hard to travel with your living situation being an unknown. I do hope you both find the perfect location. Will you be staying on the west coast?
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The Interior. Costal areas are not going to be much fun in the coming decades. 🙂 … right now we’re about 2-ish meters above sea-level on the Fraser River floodplain.
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Oh yes, I understand what you mean. Plus, the interior? So many amazing places to settle down. How you are going to choose will be difficult. I personally love Nelson and area. So much to do there in the summer and winter.
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Nelson/Castlegar/etc is a 2nd option, but we’ve driven the Yellowhead from Kamloops to Prince George a few times and fell in love with the valley, especially the Clearwater-Blue RIver-Valemount stretch… so that’s where we’re starting … without locking ourselves into anything and thus missing when an unexpected window does open up. 😀
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Oohhh! I do love the Blue River area. And it’s under the radar right now too. I’ve spent many a canoe trip on Myrtle Lake in Wells Grey PP, but my last trip was over 15 years ago. Enjoy!
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Heh. 🙂 … will do. 😀
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