Arrival in Vancouver, drive to the Okanagan Valley and the first meeting with the Matejkas

Afternoon after a really exhausting flight, when we finally had our visa in hand and came out of the airport, we already saw what makes this city special: mountains and sea.

We took the subway towards downtown to our hostel. After having a beer and something to eat, we fell into bed.

For the next morning, we planned to quickly take care of the bureaucratic obligations. Applying for the tax number and opening a bank account was quickly done. As we spent the rest of the day in the city, we were both positively surprised. For a city the size of Vancouver, it was pleasantly quiet and not stressful or crowded on weekends. The people in this multicultural metropolis are incredibly nice and accommodating.

The next few days we spent biking in Stanley Park (larger than Central Park) or at the beach. In the evenings, it was easy to meet new people from all over the world over a "few" beers.

After our experiences in "VanCity", we can confidently say that being voted one of the three most livable cities in the world is absolutely justified. The view of the mountains through the streets of downtown is simply unbeatable. Add to that the climate, the sea and the friendly people. It was not the last time I was in this city!

After four days in the capital of British Columbia, we continued with the Greyhound to Vernon in the Okanagan Valley. After the six-hour bus ride, we finally arrived. A beautiful valley with countless lakes. The largest of them, Okanagan Lake, stretches 80 kilometers through the valley and is the same size as Lake Constance.

At the Greyhound station in Vernon, Colin, an old business partner of Niklas' father, was waiting for us. He kindly offered us to stay with him in the first few days and support us in our job search.

What we experienced in the next few days at Colin's house in Enderby, a small village north of Vernon, went far beyond our expectations. Already on the first evening, we got to know most of the Matejka family; Gail, Colin's wife, had already prepared a meal and was waiting for us. In the following days, we noticed that this was not a rare occurrence. She is one of the kindest, nicest, and most attentive people I have ever met in my life. ("she is ridiculously kind", quote from son Taylor).

Colin's younger son Taylor is a world traveler, spending the last few years traveling through Australia, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, where he also met his girlfriend Tatiana from Portugal. After the summer, the two of them will open a hostel in Nicaragua.

His oldest son Brock lives next door with his fiancée Brittany and their little daughter Charlee. He is a true redneck and has a huge farm and a workshop.

Everyone welcomed us very friendly and offered us various activities to explore the area.

Colin also provided us with a car and gave us work on the farm for the first few weeks. The Matejka farm mainly breeds bulls for rodeos.

When we asked Colin about the plan for the next few weeks, he offered us to drive one of his company trucks to Edmonton. This way, we could see the Rocky Mountains for the first time and earn money for our travel budget at the same time. A better opportunity could not have come up for us!

When we returned from our road trip, Colin told us that we can continue to live with them in the next few weeks and earn money on the farm.

Afterwards, we can spend the summer in an apartment in a nearby ski resort.

So we don't have to worry about a roof over our heads or a means of transportation. We couldn't thank the family enough for their support!

It's not common for two young travelers who have never met the Matejkas before to receive such support.

On the first weekend in the Okanagan, we had the opportunity to meet Taylor's friends. At a small pool party, we met many nice people and had a lot of fun. Later, we went to a typical North American karaoke bar. We don't remember much about the night, but two things we now know for sure: you can have a great time with the guys and there's nothing like German beer!

On Sunday, Gail and Colin took us up to SilverStar Mountain and showed us the area and their apartment there. Then we went to Kal Lake and met Taylor, Tatiana, Brock, and Britt for pizza. Braden, Colin's third son, also joined us with his girlfriend Amanda.

He's a really nice guy, the Matejkas just call him the "City-Boy" because he lives in the nearest big city, Kelowna.

Braden was shot in the back of his head during the Las Vegas shooting at a country music festival. Only a few millimeters separated him from death. He still struggles with the physical and psychological consequences. But it's great to see how the family deals with it.

It was a really heart-wrenching story. The worst part of the story, however, is that Braden keeps receiving death threats on his social media from Americans who believe that the incident was staged by the government to instill fear. They simply can't believe that someone survived a gunshot to the head.

No one deserves such treatment after having gone through such trauma.

After another week of varied work on Brock's farm, where we continued to prepare everything for Britt and Brock's wedding, it was time for "Happy Canada Day!" on the weekend. Traditionally, the Enderby FUNtastic takes place over the long weekend in early June. It's a huge softball tournament where drinking and fun are the focus. And well, what can I say? The Canadians, led by Tatiana, Tay, and his friends, once again proved to us that they know how to party. For three days, non-stop!

In the next few days, we hiked up the Enderby Cliffs, went bull riding, and enjoyed the sun by the pool.

After almost three weeks, it was time for us to continue our journey.

We couldn't have asked for a better start to our adventure. We were warmly welcomed and immediately treated like part of the family. We can't express how grateful we are for the support of the Matejkas. One thing is clear: this is not a farewell, it's a "See you soon!"