No Forwarding Address
Over the Labour Day long weekend, we traveled from Penticton to Lac La Jeune Lake. We joined family for three days, our last trip before we headed closer to the border and off on our own for the rest of 2018.
We were a month from crossing the border, heading to Oliver, BC to stay for two weeks. We would then inch closer to the US and stay two weeks in Osoyoos. On the last day of August, we headed for the mountains to stay in a beautiful provincial campground. The fish were biting, but the air chilled us. Also, Jamie was being targeted and was stung a third time. It didn't matter that he was wearing a hoodie and long pants. That wasp found a way to the back of his neck.
The furnace in the Coffee House kept us warm throughout the night. Between the furnace and the propane fire pit use, we drained our tanks and drove into Kamloops to refill at Costco. While there, we also bought warmer jackets. It was funny how we had brought a little of everything, how we felt prepared for rain, sun, and wind, but we couldn't keep ourselves warm that weekend. I think Christmas came early when I was gifted a beautiful oatmeal scarf crocheted right in front of me. Thank you, Beth!
At this point, we had settled into our life of travel. We appreciated having a space of our own. Not every day was peaceful, but we were learning how to get through the tough spots. We never felt we had made a huge mistake in downsizing, or that there was a risk in living a different way. I was discovering so much about myself. When I took away what I thought the challenges were to write every day, I had to face that I wasn't writing more. I had to learn that daily habits like writing took focused effort, and while Jamie and I were learning how to live in a small space together, my focus was turned on him, literally.
We still wanted to find a home base and not travel for the entire year. Feeling the cold mountain air was a good reminder that winter was coming. Little things like not getting our mail also reminding us that change was unsettling. We began to think a lot about where we had put ourselves. I never expected to feel so disconnected.
To have an address, have a place we could come back to, I questioned that weekend if Jamie and I were on the road until the following spring, when would we find our next home? The answer didn’t come to me then (and no, I don’t have the answer now either). The road out of Lac La Jeune would lead us farther away from having a permanent address.
Set up online bill payments before you leave on any extended trip. It’s easy to forget about banking when you’re on the road. Also, make sure you’ve got a secure connection when you’re using passwords and looking at your private data.
Stock your first aid kit. Both of us have a tendency to swell up when we’re bitten so it’s good to prepare ahead of time for insect bites and stings.
Reach out to friends and family on a regular basis, and not just on social media. We like to talk on the phone and use Skype, depending on where we are and what the WiFi is like. Texting is great too 😀😜😍