How Far We Have Come

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We felt like we’d been staring down that border for months when it had only been weeks. Gazing over the southern boundary of Osoyoos Lake, we knew it wasn’t going to look any different when we drove Hwy 97 into the United States. It would feel different.

In those last few days of September, we gorged on plates of meat and mini donuts at Ribfest. We woke during the night when the water pounded at the lakeshore because of strong winds. We hoped by going where it was warmer we would have time to figure out where we would live in the spring, and what we would do with our time when we returned to Canada.

The journey for us to live a life less burdened hasn’t been tied into the travel we are doing. It’s not about living full-time in our RV. Maybe it is right now. After all, our decisions put us on this path. I can’t deny that. 

We entered this transitional place to find a way to live with less, to let go of anything we didn’t need. We wanted a deep dive into the motivation that would show us who we really are. At the end of 2018, we’re still in transition.

The seasons of A Life Less Burdened change with every turning point of our story. This is how far we went on the road in Canada. More specifically, on the road in our home province of British Columbia.

  • We learned that making our small space have the comforts of home was essential. This lifestyle wasn’t about living cheap. The Coffee House had to provide shelter from noise and from cooler Canadian fall temperatures. Our space had to keep us organized and offer privacy. We needed to stay connected with a community. WiFi was as essential as water and electricity. 

  • Not much from our house and our belongings fit our new life. The routines we had, the focus on our earnings, our marriage, it all shifted. Change was the constant in our life, so the static habits we relied on dropped away. We traded earnings for investments. That was easy. No mortgage, no property, all money in the bank. Of course, that’s not how it’s translated for me. The numbers weren’t what I was focused on. The mindset I had was that we work hard for everything, and if we weren’t working how could I relax? Worried, I was not happy, and this was the challenge we both faced. In a relationship, together 24/7, we wanted each other to be happy, to be free, to be letting go and okay with living with less. A healthy marriage is the result of good communication and compatibility in any situation. If you grow together, stay friends, love and respect each other, there’s nothing there to let go of. We put our relationship to the test, and our partnership is stronger than ever.

  • We discovered we didn’t enjoy travel as much as we thought we would. We hardly knew what we had to give up or change about ourselves, and every time we drove to a new location, we went back to the basics of finding shelter, food, and getting rest. Our purpose, finding our true potential, that space is out there somewhere. That’s why we are still on the road.

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Season 2Janet KittoWeek 132 Comments