Sweet…..home!

After travelling for the last few months we felt unsettled, so we decided to stay local until the weather warmed up and then head south into the US. Landing in Calgary, we went from +30 degrees in Australia to almost -20 degrees in Canada! The temps were cold, but we were warmed by the familiar face of one of our awesome housemates, Zak, who’d come to pick us up from the airport. It was such a nice feeling to catch up. After a night in Calgary we were on the road again – off to visit Ken’s family near Rocky Mountain House to have another Xmas celebration with lots of leftover turkey!

After spending some quality time with family, we headed to Canmore to catch up with friends and do some work in Ken’s workshop.  Ken is rebuilding a manual lathe and turning it into a CNC. He’s got some challenging work ahead of him, but is equally up to the task.

Being technically homeless poses some challenges, but one of the advantages is that you get to spend time with friends in their own homes. Thanks to Jen & Chris, Matt & Christina, Frank & Nath, and Boozy Firth & Danielle for hosting us while we were in Canmore, as well as the generous offers from others! During this time we sadly bid farewell to another Calgary housemate, Clara, who was heading back to Spain and then Ireland to follow her aspirations to become a translator…. not before an awesome night out at the Ranchmans, where Clara displayed some natural abilities for bull riding! Good luck Clara, we will miss you!

Our next stop was a weekend in Jasper to catch up with our good friend Walter. Walter had spent the last decade or so running his own business as a roofer. Last fall he called it quits to follow his long time dream as a writer. He moved to a small town in northern B.C. to take up the editorship of a newspaper and has been loving it. Not everyone has the opportunity or courage to make the change, so thanks Walter for the inspiration!

The weather was starting to warm up so it was time to do some work on the Mog and prep it for our trip south. Unfortunately the Mog didn’t come with a coolant heater and won’t start in freezing temps, so for it to be practical in the Canadian climate, we decided to install a Wabasto heater. This took several days as we had to make some custom fittings. Thankfully, the Wabasto fired up without hassle (it sounds like a jet engine!) and the Mog lived again! Heading south in the Mog felt more like a reality now.

Before heading south however, we decided to do some minor renos in the master bedroom of one of the rental properties. This was another great opportunity to hang out with our homies by staying at the house and getting some repairs done. We bid another sad adieu to the crazy Irishmen Oisin and Jim (our couch inhabitant for three months).  It’s been a real blast with you guys in the house, the energy has been infectious. Jules also got to spend some time with her good friend, Lesley, who recently gave birth to twin boys. Jules spent three days acting as surrogate mother helping with the boys. It was a real eye opener experiencing the difference between raising one baby compared with multiples. I hold immense respect for the parents of multiples and the challenges they face, in addition to the people that support them.

The last couple of months have been a time to take stock and think about our futures. We also got to spend some quality time helping out those we love, which at times during our busy lives, is a source of guilt and frustration when we aren’t able. Apart from having the freedom to travel, this time has allowed us to participate more in the lives of those we love – and this is what’s important to us above all else.