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Bucketlist Bri

Bucketlist Bri

Adventurous Slomad Travel

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Van Life Journal Week 5: There & Back Again

Last Updated: October 20, 2021 · Van Life

It’s hard to believe that we’ve just passed our one month anniversary living in Van Rouge!

When I see how fast time is going it makes me realize we could easily spend a year or two in the van. We’ll see where these adventures lead.

Cheers to a new week full of new discoveries and adventures! Here’s the recap.

Table of Contents show
Day 28 – Postcard Towns
Day 29 – The Barn
Day 30 – The Only Place We’ve Visited Twice
Day 31 – Blur?
Day 32 – Back to Our Student Days
Day 33 – Onward North We Go…
(Sunday) Day 34 – When the Motivation Kicks in

Day 28 – Postcard Towns

Let’s see. Where did I leave off?

Right. We spent our last morning at No. 9 coffee shop in Lunenburg. When we went to leave, the barista said, “I feel like even though you guys say you’re leaving, I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

Van Life Journal Week 5 | Bucketlist Bri www.bucketlistbri.com
Our last morning in Lunenburg | Bucketlist Bri

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But sadly, not this time. We said our goodbyes and hit the road, first stopping to do another load of laundry. Again! Yes, again.

When you only have two sweaters and a handful of shirts and undies, laundry day is more regular than normal.

But the real objective for today is to go to Mahone Bay. It’s a super cute fishing town we passed through on our way to Lunenburg.

We didn’t want to go back to Halifax – the capital – just yet. Even though we’re expecting to pick up packages there.

Mahone Bay is another postcard town. It’s got three distinctive churches marking its “skyline” that sit right next to each other. One is Lutheran, one is Anglican, and the other is Calvinist (I think).

Van Life Journal Week 5 | Bucketlist Bri www.bucketlistbri.com
1/3 of the Mahone Bay churches. | Bucketlist Bri
Van Life Journal Week 5 | Bucketlist Bri www.bucketlistbri.com
Our first night @ Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia | Bucketlist Bri

Each represents the mixture of cultures and religious beliefs of the settlers who arrived here in the 1800s – namely the German, French, Swiss, and of course, the British.

Other than the churches, there are lots of artisanal shops and galleries and tasteful restaurants lining the town’s cozy streets.

We arrive in the evening and hop out to stroll around the town to get a feel for it.

On our iOverlander app – which shows us where you can camp/park overnight for free – there wasn’t a marker for where we could stay. So Paul and I had to “leave our mark” and set the trend.

We found a free parking lot in front of Jubilee Park – and quietly spent the night inside the van making sriracha tofu and veggies before cuddling up and passing out.

Day 29 – The Barn

What I love about little towns is that they always have the cutest coffee shops. And Mahone Bay definitely had a cute one.

It was simply called “The Barn” and it was a cozy barn-house filled with books, comfy couches, and warm decor. It felt like autumn or winter without the snow – even though it was nippy outside.

We snuggle upstairs and get to work on our laptops.

Van Life Journal Week 5 | Bucketlist Bri www.bucketlistbri.com
Hot chocolates @ The Barn Coffee House | Bucketlist Bri

It’s a frustrating day of work where you’re in between wifi twilight – it works but not really. So you get half the work done.

That evening we stroll around the town, checking out the shops. There’s a natural store I wanted to go to but it only opened on Wednesdays. So we spent another night in Mahone Bay.

Day 30 – The Only Place We’ve Visited Twice

We arrived earlier this time at the coffee house and thus landing the best spot upstairs next to a plug.

A woman next to me is retired and writing a novel. There are kids playing in front. The chatter below rises to the roof.

For lunch, we cook up something in the van and play with Yoda. Right before, I finally got to visit that cute store and ended up buying a little basket.

Today we drove back to Halifax – the capital of Nova Scotia and the fun city we felt attached to.

We drive straight to the pier where we know we can park and sleep for free.

Day 31 – Blur?

We attempt to get up extra early today and head to the gym. For shower purposes, mainly, but Paul sorely misses working out every day so we take advantage of both features.

The days are blurring together as we jump from workplace to workplace.

Since we both have full-time job endeavors and projects going on, it’s crucial that vanlife doesn’t get in the way of fulfilling our larger goals and aspirations.

That evening we leave Starbucks late and decide to take a stroll at the architectural gem that is the Halifax Central Library.

Van Life Journal Week 5 | Bucketlist Bri www.bucketlistbri.com
One of the only pictures we took during our return to Halifax. @ Halifax Central Library | Bucketlist Bri

Day 32 – Back to Our Student Days

So turns out the library is awesome and we’ve been spending our money on silly coffee to work at coffee shops instead of working for free at the library.

So that’s what we’re going to do today. Work like grad students in the fancy library in Halifax.

Lunch consists of fast Thai food from a Bali-style shop on the corner. It’s expensive than our van lunches, but it fills a gap and we don’t have to walk all the way back to where the van is parked.

We finish our workday at the library, and because it’s Friday, decide to go eat out in town.

After finding all the seafood bars too expensive – and not to mention booked full – we decide to wait in the extremely long line at Five Guys. Mind you – I ordered a grilled cheese. 🙂 #nobeef

Day 33 – Onward North We Go…

It’s Saturday morning and the day starts out with a “Spring Clean” feel – although it’s feeling much more like autumn now.

Yoda enjoying a road trip nap! | Bucketlist Bri

We finally sent off some mail at the post office and finished off our errands.

Before we knew it it was past 3 pm and we still had a 4-5 hour drive from Halifax to Sydney, Nova Scotia.

We were headed for The Cabot Trail, a world-famous trail with scenic hikes and vistas along the coast of Nova Scotia.

But because temps are getting colder, we are going to by-pass The Cabot Trail for now and skip ahead to the province of Newfoundland.

And to get there, we need to take a 6-hour ferry.

(Sunday) Day 34 – When the Motivation Kicks in

We wake up in the Port of Sydney, Nova Scotia – the “ocean gateway to scenic Cape Breton Island!”

There is a gigantic cruise ship docked at the harbor, having just unloaded a whole bunch of retirees onto the Port of Sydney to explore the town’s rich coal mining history and historic downtown.

Paul and I make a run to go pee and decide what we’re doing for the day.

We have no data/internet anymore, so we always need to find somewhere to go to plan our day or work.

Apparently the world’s largest fiddle – in honor of the local music in Nova Scotia. @ Port of Sydney, Nova Scotia | Bucketlist Bri

We end up in a Starbucks outside of downtown and spend the better part of the morning and afternoon there.

For lunch, we make a delicious and comforting leek and potato soup and then hit the road to go find a dump and water refill station for the van.

We drive through scenic countryside and the first thing we notice is that the leaves are already starting to change colors. It seems like it’s getting colder, faster, so we officially decide to plan our ferry trip over to Newfoundland in the next couple of days.

We get to the dump station and it’s closed for the season, but you can pay at the self-service window to use the amenities.

It’s cloudy and gray and feels like a crisp, fall morning.

I take the opportunity to get Yoda out and go for a walk. He absolutely loves exploring on-leash and goes hopping and running from tree trunk to tree trunk – jumping on them and bouncing off as we go.

He’s the cutest.

We head back into town and go back to our source of Wifi for the evening: Starbucks.

For the next 5 hours, we relentlessly worked on getting our new Fluffy Kitty store opened up online to sell our eBook and our fully-recycled eco tanks. You can check it out here if you want. 🙂

We left Starbucks at closing time – 10 pm – and hurriedly, and thankfully, warmed up the rest of that leek and potato soup from lunch.

We curled into bed, grateful for another day on the road.

Catch up on Van Life Journal Week 4 here! 

 

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By: Bri · In: Van Life

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Comments

  1. Carolyn brost says

    October 15, 2019 at 4:23 am

    Coolest thing ever. I wish I were you!

    Reply
    • Bri says

      October 16, 2019 at 3:09 pm

      AW thanks for reading Carolyn!! Come join in on the adventure 🙂

      Reply

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Van Life Journal Week 4: Brace for Impact

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I’m Bri, an adventurous digital nomad living abroad full-time since 2015. It is my hope to inspire you to live a life of adventure, seek out meaningful experiences, and travel slowly and mindfully!

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Traveling solo in Nepal has awakened in me a confi Traveling solo in Nepal has awakened in me a confidence & sense of self (at the risk of sounding cliché), of “my essence” and inner Knowing, and where my compassion and passions mingle and thrive. I was reading some of your comments on my recent Reel about solo travel and how I put myself at great risk/in danger. But as I was telling my Tibetan friend, Sonam, tonight (yes, the new one I made last week!), I inform my decisions mostly by 1. Asking myself, “Would this make a good story?” and 2. Listening to my body and emotions. Yes, it’s risky to travel solo, to be a female in a male-dominated culture, to go out after hours with people you just met, etc. But doing that — and all the magic that followed by “allowing” — reminded me exactly of who I am at my core: Curious and open to the world, willing to get uncomfortable for the sake of finding magic and serendipity. Some of you said, “I’m too scared to do this, how do you overcome that fear of personal safety?” And to this I say, I don’t! Fear accompanies me along the journey. Living life is one big risk. It’s uncomfortable to be open, vulnerable, and unsure. But once you accept that and once you begin to let compassion and curiosity guide you rather than your fear, the real magic starts to happen in all areas of life, not just travel. I find these moments most in travel though, when I’m confronted with contrast and am left vulnerable to the world and the kindness of my fellow humans. My Reels are not meant to romanticize or gloss over very real risks/threats in life, but rather to share a real account of what’s possible (adventure, connections, love, etc) when you worry less about societal norms and what’s “safe not safe” “right not right” and allow your over-active fears to take a backseat. 
This is your reminder to trust your inner compass to guide you in writing your epic life story. ✨✨

To sum it up: 

1. Choose a life of adventure 
2. Stay curious
3. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable (otherwise said, seek discomfort)
4. Let love and light flow in and out 
5. Change is the only constant 

#solotravel #nepaltravel #solofemaletraveler #soloadventure #localtravel #trekkingnepal #adventurethatislife
The strength of women 💛 These ladies were lau The strength of women 💛 

These ladies were laughing so sweetly while filling up their water jugs at the Manga Hiti fountain in Patan. I watched them for a while and then plucked up the courage to ask if I could take their photos, which only made them giggle more. 

I've always felt that not being able to communicate in the same language makes for even more interesting encounters. Without words, we have to touch each other's humanity with eyes and gestures, and most of the time it leads to unspoken mutual understanding, acceptance, and love. We three walked away with the biggest smiles on our faces. I yelled out "Dhayabad!" (Thank you!) as they hoisted their jugs up the stairs, laughing all the way. I won't forget this shared moment between us 🙏 

Check stories for the landscape orientation for some of these photos ✨ 

#nepal #nepalnow #nepalphotography #nepaliculture #nepalisbeautiful #natgeoyourshot #patan #kathmanduvalley #lifetimeexperiences #photonepal #nepaltravel
Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swi Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swirling spirituality, its raw humanity? ✨🇳🇵❤️

#nepal #visitnepal #nepalnow #travelstories #localtravel #mindfultravel #slowtravel #natgeotravel
When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay open to the randomness of life and the kindness of strangers, really wonderful memories can be made. Thank you Lama family and my new Tibetan friends for such a fun and insightful sequence of experiences 🙏 💛

#solotravel #localtravel #nepaltravel #nepaldiaries #nepali #solofemaletravel #kathmandunepal #thamel #tibetanfood #solotraveldiaries
My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 

Being back after 7 long years away has jolted my body, brain, and spirit. At first, I felt overwhelmed with the recurring thought of, "I don't know what to do with myself." It was only when acceptance knocked on my door, and I finally decided to let it in, that things began to shift and flow.
 
In Nepal, particularly Kathmandu, everything around me swarms like a hive. I have nowhere else to go but inside myself. I've discovered through years of slow traveling (and solo travel) that peace awaits me there -- a sense of independence, power, and knowing that is still, comforting, and safe. And I can tap into it whenever I need to.

Chaos and peace reside in all of us, and Nepal has a cosmic, ancient way of reminding you of just that. 

📍 Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur

#nepaltravel #patan #durbarsquare #nepalphotography #slowtravel #nepal #solotravel #lalitpur
They ask, “Why?” I was 29 when I embarked on They ask, “Why?” 

I was 29 when I embarked on the plane on the 21st, and 30 when I disembarked on the 23rd. How fitting. I spent all of my 20s abroad (except for my two final semesters in undergrad), and moved to Nepal when I was 21. 

What better way to say goodbye to my twenties than by returning to the start? I felt the desperate urge to start my 30s this way—alone on a one-way ticket with no concrete plans. I have both feared and longed to come back all these years. You see, I had made a promise to one of my closest Nepali friends that I’d see her again, but the reality is that I no longer can. 

She, along with another dear friend, passed away from cancer a couple of years back. The thought of returning to my old life here without my friends made me, well, incredibly sad. I had thought that, upon landing in Kathmandu—or taking a bite of my first momo—after so long, I’d find myself bursting into tears of both grief and gratitude. But I didn’t. Instead, I found familiarity in the chaos and chaos in the strangeness. 

Just being here—and the decisions and actions it took to get here—has reminded me of the preciousness of this one very short life. And that, by choosing to celebrate mine—at the exciting turn of a decade no less—by coming back to Nepal on a solo trip that would force me into daring discomfort when I could instead retreat to the comforts of family or my partner, is how I want to live it.

Truth is, a couple of months ago the thought of Nepal felt out of reach. It felt risky, unattainable. But the idea itself pushed open, just a crack at first, a door that had been otherwise closed. I could have more easily ignored my “what if?” daydreams—calling them off as too hard, too uncomfortable, or too far-fetched to actually pursue—and kept it shut.
But sometime in mid-July, I decided to look at flights. And I found one (truly, just one) option that could work. And it just so happened that it would fall on my birthday, or rather bridge my birthday. The idea of getting on a plane at 29 and getting off it at 30—back in Nepal—sold me. I fell in love with the story, the adventure, the unknowingness of it all. 

So, yeah. That’s why. Or as I prefer, “Why not?”
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