It’s the end of the [trip] as we know it

As we cross the Canadian border after nine months of travel, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, seeing the Canadian flag makes my heart happy. This is the country I chose, the one that welcomed me with an open arms, the country that I have long felt to be the place where I belong,  despite the dreadful winters and long months of bitter cold misery. I love this place with all my heart.

Full Time RV Life Coming to an End: We're back in Canada, www.marianamcdougall.com

 

On the other hand, this final border crossing means our trip has come to an end. It’s not completely over until we get home to Kingston, I suppose, but the full-time travel bit has definitely ended. This is really hard for me, because on this trip, I discovered what I had on some level always known: my heart belongs on the road. But for now, we return to our previous life—sort of.

Dan was offered a new job in Kingston, but they wanted him to start as soon as possible in the spring. When he mentioned that our Kingston home was rented out until September, the company asked Dan if he’d be interested in training for the job at the headquarters in London. We figured since we have family to visit there before we go home, why not?

So we’ll be staying put for the summer. We had planned on staying at a campground for the duration, but the campgrounds are really expensive and pretty far from Dan’s work. We changed our plans about where to stay for the summer, but since it’s not official yet, I’ll share more info in a later post when it actually is for sure.

Our lives are a bit up in the air, in a way that brings me down instead of getting me excited like life on the road does. Being a full-time traveller and not knowing where you’ll sleep the next day has this sense of adventure attached to it; it makes me feel alive. Knowing I’ll be staying put yet not knowing where I’m doing it doesn’t make me excited at all; it just makes me anxious. We hope to know for sure where our “permanent” summer spot will be soon, and then I’ll feel like I can breathe again.

Dan’s enjoying his new job, and I’ve taken over homeschooling. Once I’m feeling a little less overwhelmed and we feel more settled, we’ll start visiting family more often. My father, stepmother, mom and her husband, brother and his family, and one of my cousins and his family all live here, and while I do want to visit with them and talk about our adventure, I’m just not in the right headspace for that at the moment. And as someone who has struggled with depression in the past, I know my limits. My limits are currently telling me not to add anything to the list until I feel grounded again. 

I’ll be writing even more about RVing with children and adventure travel soon. Stay tuned for posts about what it’s like to live in a small space with kids, things we felt were must-haves for a trip like this, how to RV on a budget, our favourite libraries, and more.

4 thoughts on “It’s the end of the [trip] as we know it

  1. Mariana, it has been a treat following along on your adventures during your wonderful trip!
    So glad you were able to do it. You saw and did some amazing things and have memories to last a lifetime. I am always a bit sad when we come home from one of our adventures, it is hard to get back to regular day to day and sometimes it takes longer than others. Our 10 week Antipodean Adventure (yes I name our trips) this winter was awesome. Once you are settled for the summer, it might be easier. One thing that helps me is planning another adventure, for me that is as much fun as the adventure. I know you will have ideas already planning for your next adventure sometime in the future and I will enjoy reading all about it. Looking forward to seeing you and the family over the summer and hearing more about your trip. Thanks again for sharing it with us. Love, Aunt Cathy xoxo

    1. Hi Aunt Cathy!

      It means the world to me that you’ve read my writing all along. I really do mean that. Writing is a passion for me, and knowing people are reading it and enjoying my words makes me incredibly happy.

      I enjoyed seeing the photos of your trip as well, and can totally relate to it being hard to get back to “regular life.”

      I do hope to plan another adventure soon, but I think I’ll wait ’till we’re back in our house in Kingston and a little more settled. Lots to think about until then 🙂

      Thank you again for your support of my writing. I am truly thankful.

      Mariana

  2. Marianna, it’s been wonderful to follow your adventures. As I’ve commented often, your kids received an education about the world from a unique and special perspective. Your months of bonding with the children will last a lifetime. And memories of many of the places, people and events they experienced will stay with them for years — maybe even for their lifetimes. Kudos to both you and Dan.

    But as we all realize, every great trip must come to an end. I’m guessing you may already be “googling” for ideas about your next adventure and have perhaps already started putting dollars away each week to make it happen!

    1. Hi Uncle Gary!

      Thank you so much for reading my writing; it means the world to me.

      I’m still trying to get “settled” in our limbo-like situation in London, so I haven’t started the Googling quite yet. Though I’m sure it won’t be long until I do 🙂

      I have enjoyed following along with your adventures as well, and enjoy seeing pictures of your travels.

      Mariana

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