As I write this blog it's Friday, May 8th, 2020, and we are currently driving to the Christian Valley for our 2nd big trip off-grid in our van. It's just north of Rock Creek in Southern British Columbia. So far I'm not a fan of attempting to write anything while Andrew is driving these curvy roads, but I'll do my best.
We've spent the past 3 days in Kelowna and I'm looking forward to heading back off-grid as it's getting crowded here. I paid for a couple of nights in a motel to have a bathroom and be able to do laundry while having some downtime. Hopefully it's the last time I have to do that. It's looking like provincial parks will begin opening on May 14th, and we are looking forward to that. I get slight anxiety when we are driving down forestry roads looking for places to stay, it's also exciting but I'd rather stay lower where it's warm.
The longer we live in this van, the more it's beginning to feel like home. We love spotting other camper vans on the road and comparing different setups. Last night in the Walmart parking lot we ended up near a dodge caravan half full of stuff with 2 people crammed inside. I have no idea how they slept in there. When they opened the door all you could see was stuff crammed up to the halfway point of their windows. It felt like we were living in a mansion compared to them. I'm realizing this is quite a bit more common than I had previously realized. Live in your van while having fewer bills and more time to explore, it's not as hard as you might think. We struggle now because so many things are closed. Once I can spend Sundays in a coffee shop or laundromat without being concerned about social distancing, this whole Vanlife thing will feel like a breeze. I'm looking forward to be able to spend a day at a pool or gym every once in awhile. Open Public washrooms are beginning to be easier to find which is a huge relief.
Here is the video I made of our first trip off grid in our Van "Patrick". Its 20 minutes long but well worth it if you're in the mood for some laughs. If you've been following us on social media there will be a few clips you've seen, but quite a bit of it wasn't posted. We made some mistakes and learned a few things that's for sure. I'm looking forward to this second trip as I've prepared to have no service and we will have an upgraded shower and more battery power (Andrew bought a 3rd battery to go with our 3rd solar panel).
Next week I'll have a video of our mini adventure in Kelowna as well as our 2nd trip off-grid. We lasted 8 days the first time and I'd imagine it'll be about the same for this 2nd trip.
Enjoy the laughs everyone. Stay safe, positive, and healthy :)