Being capable of living off-grid easily in these uncertain times is empowering to say the least. I find it comforting that we have learned so much about taking care of ourselves while living deep in the wilderness. It's getting easier every week. We are slowly finding our groove with knowing how much groceries & water to buy for a week. I'm starting to watch my diet and exercise levels, which I certainly wasn't doing the first couple of months. It's tough to stay disciplined when it feels like you're camping every day. Camping usually involves too many snacks and carbs. I'm still not a fan of all the bugs that manage to get in the van, but I do my best to not have that annoy me too much.
Andrew is the one that keeps us safe, for the most part, I can't take much credit. I've only driven the van a few times. I think at some point I should live in it for a couple of nights on my own so I can learn to do some of the many things he usually handles. It would probably be a little scary, but I know it would be good for me in the long run. Pressurizing the shower, filling it up, leveling the van, backing it into tight spaces, turning the diesel heater on, using the large stove, are all things he usually just does for us. I'm sure I could pick up the skills, but I haven't made much of an effort yet. I'm still proud I've mastered the "shovel walk" and no longer hate taking a poop in the woods while holding my bear spray. I'm slowly working on developing my video editing skills so our adventures are a little more fun to watch for you guys :)
We bought a bike hitch to tow our bikes at the back of the van from now on. That's been great as it makes it easier to pack up when we leave an area. We are still in Oliver at the Rv Park for another week or two. Andrew is getting rid of some of the rust on the van while repainting the bumpers and roof. The auto-body work should be the last thing we need to do to have Patrick fully ready for a coast to coast trip across Canada. To be living in such a small space together while there's work being done on the van has its tough moments. When it's not 100 percent organized it's hard to move around. I'm looking forward to having it all finished. Hopefully, the timing works out for more Covid restrictions to be lifted before we plan on heading towards Vancouver island so we don't have to stay put for too long once we are ready to hit the road.
I've read some articles online about people from Alberta being treated poorly by B.C. residents due to Covid-19 restrictions. We have only been met with kindness and smiles everywhere we go. We haven't had any issues at all. We get asked where we are from and I'm quick to point out that we have spent two months in Oliver, but I feel people are mostly curious and want to hear our story. We get some comments on how great our shower looks from the outside, Andrew loves that. We stay mindful to keep 6 feet away from people everywhere we go, but it seems like the tension in the air here is beginning to relax. I think stress levels are causing some people to lash out and place blame wherever possible. If we got a note on our van telling us to go home it would make me feel sad, but I would remind myself that people are just scared of getting sick.
I spent the better part of my 20's focusing on things that were out of my control while driving myself crazy. I'm so blessed to be wiser now with age. Now I do well at staying focused only on things I can control while keeping our cortisol levels low. We take our vitamins every day, drink lots of water, get good long sleeps, and do our best to eat lots of healthy greens and take in vitamin D from the sun. If we do come into contact with the virus our immune systems will be in top shape. Some businesses have begun to open, while others are choosing to stay closed. I'm looking forward to the fruit stands opening! B.C. Cherries are delicious.
I hope you enjoy our video this week of our off grid adventure. We made fewer mistakes! YAY
Stay safe and healthy everyone.
The world is still a beautiful place, it's just going through a serious adjustment at the moment. Big hugs to you all xoxo
Thanks so much for your support in following our blog.
Love,
Michelle & Andrew