Roadtrip ✓

Too much stuff :D

Since I uploaded the last blog entry sometime in February, it feels like 1000 things have happened. Not only did I have to reread the end of the last entry because I had no idea which anecdote I told you from last year, but I also had to think about how to proceed with this blog. Should I tell you the end of last October? Should I tell you in detail what I have been doing for the past 6 months? Well, let's see. I think I'll just shorten it a bit and write a super long text, like always :D

Last time, I left off with mountains, so let's start with mountains again this time...

Glacier National Park 

Rain and more rain 

I always look so nice..

After the Icefield Parkway, we couldn't get enough of mountains and made a stop at Glacier National Park on our way to Vancouver. Those who paid close attention know that we've been to Glacier National Park before, but that was in the US. That was all so long ago. I just looked at my notes for Glacier National Park, but all it says is that we were there for 2 days and then drove for a whole day again :D As you can see, I'm writing most of it from my extremely good memory. And what do I remember? I remember checking the weather and it said it would be colder than my sleeping bag, but I could handle it. It kept getting colder in the Canadian Rockies and these 2 days were the last ones we could stay there before we froze to death :D So we really had to leave the mountains because we didn't want to sleep outside at temperatures below -10°C.

Somewhere there is Eva :D

I was always a little afraid that I would move in my sleep and then could no longer breathe... but at least it was nice and warm :)

Well, and then we were already in Vancouver and we had to say goodbye. We returned all our camping gear, like the tent, extra sleeping mat, and my camping chair.

So we can't sleep here :(

But here :)

Last night together and the first night we actually slept on the asphalt instead of a patch of grass.

For the last 3 nights, I stayed with a Couchsurfer. Here's a nice anecdote about misunderstandings. On his profile, it said that he liked to drink local beer, so as a thank you, I wanted to bring him one and asked him on Couchsurfing: "What's your favourite kind of bear?". He replied with "Grizzly". So I went to a beer store and asked for a beer called Grizzly and the employee said they didn't have it in stock. It wasn't until I got back to Terry and showed him the conversation that he said, "You do know that you asked him about his favorite kind of bear, right?" -.- :D That explained everything...

When I think back to Vancouver, I have mixed feelings. I like the big park right in the city center with its big cedars and the many small shops. I also had one of the best tacos ever there and tried karaoke for the first time. Plus, I was glad to be alone again. Two months is a long time when you're living in a car with 3 people. I'm still surprised that we didn't push each other off one of the many cliffs we stood at :D

Conclusion after 2 months of road trip with 2 others whom I didn't know before through Canada and the US:

1. I have decided that I will not live in a tent for 2 months again. Showering only every 3-4 days is okay, but waking up with snow in the morning and having no place to warm up so I have to wear ALL the clothes I have is not so great and I cannot recommend it. Or having a bear open the tent because you forgot the toothpaste. I still have nightmares about it :D

2. I have never spent so little money and seen so much. Being broke at the end was definitely worth it and I would recommend everyone to make the effort to go to Bella Coola. It is very remote, but I had the same feeling as in Yellowstone Park. It's like entering a different world.

3. Lea was right. You shouldn't visit the Icefield Parkway in the rain. It was really worth making a detour and coming back again.

4. You set completely new priorities when it comes to hygiene and comfort. In the end, I was really glad if the porta-potty wasn't 10 minutes away from the tent, even though I really hate porta-potties. Nobody needs a shower, a lake is enough :D

5. You can also sleep with a tent in Walmart parking lots, but you have to watch out for the sprinkler system! When I tell this story, I always have to show pictures and then there are even more incredulous looks.

6. Compromises suck. Sometimes you have to take a deep breath, but only as often as you can still have fun while traveling. Otherwise, you should stop.

7. I will not cook salmon in the rain again if someone then tells me that you could have gone to McDonald's instead.

8. I want to go back to Bella Coola. To this small community with the lovable quirky people, where time sometimes seems to stand still and everything seems to be a bit more relaxed.

9. Internet breaks are nice and important, but it's also important to take a break or a day for the internet. You're just so much more relaxed and laid-back after being able to rant about your travel companions for a few hours. You feel much better and gather new energy for the things that will annoy you in the future.

10. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much a hot shower costs, even if it's $1 per minute. Sometimes you need that hot shower, especially when it's cold and windy and all the chocolate is gone.

I was forced to laugh :D

And bye bye :)

That's it for Part 1! With this, the road trip comes to an end. I will upload the second post right away so we can get back to the present ;)

Until the next post!

Lea

*Bonus material*