There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more. Lord Byron
We were drawn together by our passion for the environment and love of animals; it was a bonus to discover we both enjoy camping, hiking, skiing, travel, food & wine, and more ….. When we bought our first home we agreed the first order of business was to get a puppy. Within a few years our family of 4 (cat Spud and dog Nanook) grew to include 2 beautiful daughter’s, Rachel and Caitlin.
Our family has grown now to include spouses, a grandchild, two grand kitties, our own beautiful Cedar who we welcomed to our home on Jan 23, 2022, and Willow who we adopted from the SPCA.
NewNeckoftheWoods is born
I (Kim) have kept a written journal of our travels for quite some years – there is something to be said for pen and paper. But, in anticipation of our move from Ottawa to BC in 2018, thousands of km. from family and friends on the east coast, we decided a blog was a great way to share our life’s adventures, in pictures and words.
We talked retirement plans for about 5 years. Stay put, go east, go west? We did two long vacation trips to BC to see if it was for us, and finally decided Vancouver Island would be it. Why? We had previously travelled the East coast a lot and wanted to explore new horizons and Van Isle has a moderate climate (meaning, much less winter).
In 2016 Chris semi-retired, worked part-time on contract, then fully retired in 2017. We sold our house in Russell and moved into an apartment in the city – partly to enjoy the festivals, restaurants, shows, etc. that we had previously missed due to living rural. Partly to downsize so the task wouldn’t be so daunting when we moved west, and in part so that I could walk to work for 18 months (sleep in longer, not have 2 hours driving every day – OH YA).
Rachel was in school in England doing her MA. Caitlin in Toronto at University for her BA and working part-time as a real-estate law clerk. We had no kids to worry about – my parents both long gone – Chris’ dad passed away and his mom was agreeable to move west. So, with all green lights, we planned our move.
Before moving though, we wanted one last trip as a family. With Rachel in England, we chose a central destination – Madeira. And that is where this blog began.
We wanted to travel Canada and the US for a year prior to settling in BC. So we had planned ahead and purchased a truck in 2017. Prior to leaving Ottawa we bought a travel trailer, moved our few belongings into storage in BC and on Sep 1, 2018 we hit the road (I officially retired Aug 31).
Tribute
We travelled in our 25 foot travel trailer with our tabby named Miko (then 16 yrs.) What a trooper! We had a wonderful trip across Canada and then travelled 6 months in the US for the winter. Upon returning to Canada in April 2019, we settled in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. Miko has moved on but forever lives in our hearts. She was one of a kind.
We look forward to many more travel adventures and hope our blog inspires others.
You know Chris (and Kim), I have enjoyed following your adventures over the last six months. In many ways I was living vicariously through the two of you. 🙂 What a wonderful way to start retirement and terrific memories to look back onto. I wish you all the best on the West coast and hope that you will continue to update us on your adventures. All the Best!
Thanks Anthony ! We’re glad you have been following along. More to come for sure as we explore BC, new post coming soon. Next step is to find a place to call home for a year.
All the best to you and your family.
Chris
Hey guys! I check in periodically to see where you are and I am always envious to see what you’re up to. So glad you are having a great time. You could not have done this trip in a better year given the heavy, HEAVY snowfalls this winter. Take care!
Thanks Griff. It’s been a great journey for sure. Like you guys, we love visiting new unexplored areas. Unfortunately winter has just found us in the Sedona area so we can’t seem to fully escape the cold and snow ! Thankfully we brought winter clothing but Miko isn’t impressed.
Beautiful pics Kim and Chris! So happy for you guys! You are definitely making retirement look like a blast! May your travel and adventures continue for many years to come! Happy trails!
Michelle
Thanks, good to hear from you. We are having a great time exploring – hopefully we will inspire others. Keep in touch, come for a visit if you head west sometime.
February 10,2019
Every so often I go your blog to read up on what you have been up to. So happy to see your travels are going well.
Thanks for making your blog so interesting… almost want to give it a try too.
Keep well you guys and enjoy.
Cathy
Thanks Cathy, nice to hear from you and hope you are well. We are really enjoying ourselves and are very happy to not be in Ottawa considering the winter you are having. I feel for you. Keep in touch.