• HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • CONTACT
  • COURSE
  • DESTINATIONS
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • CONTACT
  • COURSE
  • DESTINATIONS
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Bucketlist Bri

Bucketlist Bri

Adventurous Slomad Travel

  • Start Here
  • Destinations
  • Digital Nomad
  • Responsible Travel
  • Slow Travel
  • Van Life

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

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks so much for your support!

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! 

 

  • Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
  • Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
  • Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
  • Share via EmailShare via Email

By: Bri · In: Van Life

you’ll also love

Van Life Journal Week 1: We Made It to Canada!Van Life Journal Week 1: We Made It to Canada!
Van Life Journal Week 6: Newfoundland! Bucketlist BriVan Life Journal Week 6: Newfoundland!
eco-friendly van life essentials to have in a vanOur Top 10 Eco-Friendly Van Life Essentials

Join the List

Stay up to date with the latest adventures and travel guides.

Reader Interactions

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

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Next Post >

Van Life Journal Week 4: Brace for Impact

Primary Sidebar

hello!

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!

About Me

Connect

join the list

Featured Posts

Rooftop cafe in Antigua Guatemala overlooking volcanoes

15 Best Hotels in Antigua: Where to Stay in Guatemala’s Colonial Gem

1st Carbet Falls framed by rainforest tropical plants

Chasing Waterfalls: Hiking to Les Chutes du Carbet

Restaurant-goers dining outside in Vieux Lyon in the summer.

9 Best Tours & Experiences in Lyon, France

QUICK LINKS

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • CONTACT
  • COURSE
  • DESTINATIONS

Search

Let’s Connect!

@bucketlistbri

When you already feel nostalgic for leaving a plac When you already feel nostalgic for leaving a place you’ve only just arrived in... Do you know the feeling I’m talking about?? 

We are here in Goa, India 🇮🇳 for an amazing digital nomad retreat hosted by @nurall_co and are feeling so pumped and grateful to be here! ✨

We’ve already spent our first few hours diving into butter paneer masala and chai at the lovely @caferasagoa and wandering the historic Latin Quarter in awe of its Portuguese tiles and little hole-in-the-wall tapas bars. And it’s safe to say we’re hooked. 🤩 

Can’t wait to uncover even more treasures that Panjim and Goa hold 🫶

... And so begins Day 1/40 of my trip through India, Taiwan, and Japan! Follow along for the journey 🤗

#goaindia #panjim #portugese #indiatraveldiaries #backpackingasia #panaji
I can’t believe I’m posting this from the othe I can’t believe I’m posting this from the other side of this 3-day journey to get my visa processed and reunite with Paul in India!! 

That first day I wallowed in what Jen Sincero coins as “self-suckery” — I beat myself up, looked at only the negative side, and genuinely felt like I deserved what was “happening to me” because it was my mistake for having uploaded the pdf of my old passport and not my new one (yes, I really did that) — a simple error that resulted in ridiculous e-visa delays for which I could do nothing about, 3 days of transiting between airports, lots of tears, and an out-of-pocket cost of $850 for two flight changes + $$ for airport junk food (which pretty much costs the same as a meal in a Michelin star restaurant) + $150 in Uber rides and hotel fees, and countless hours of lost sleep. My real mistake, in hindsight, was rushing; not going slow, as I always preach. I rushed what I was doing and got caught in the senseless consequences. 

Little did I know then, but Day 1 was just the beginning of this near-72-hour journey to India and back to Paul. What is certain is that I DID NOT expect our big trip back to Asia to start like this. 

But I’m so, so glad it did. 

#indiatravel #airportlife #travelstories #evisa #qatarairways #asiatrip
If you know how this song ends, you know how this If you know how this song ends, you know how this video ends 💀

PS — I still have the scar 😂🥲🪦🍑

📍 El Mogote sand dunes in Baja California Sur w/ @4xfourtours 

#sandboarding #epicfails #rippedpants #spongebob #bajacaliforniasur #lapazbcs
Is Mexico a good digital nomad destination?? Here Is Mexico a good digital nomad destination??

Here’s why Mexico is a GREAT destination for remote workers and travelers:

🌮 Amazingggg food — Literally the best! I just came back from eating Baja fish tacos and they cost just $1.50 each, like whatttt

🇲🇽 Culture / people — I find Mexicans to be some of the kindest and friendliest people on Earth. If there is a reason I keep coming back to Mexico it is because I have felt, and do feel, at home here.

🌿 Outdoors / nature / adventure — Mexico has it ALL and I mean it ALL (islands, beaches, mountains, rainforests, deserts, volcanoes, amazing marine life + wildlife, allll types of activities, etc)

💻 WiFi — Not the best depending on where you go, but way more than enough for what I use it for! Lots of cafes + coworking spaces nowadays too

🥂 Community — There is a growing community of nomads and it’s a pretty diverse mix!

💰 Cost of living — It’s more affordable to live, which is great for beginner nomads who are still building their biz

I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to slow travel/live as a digital nomad in Mexico since 2018 — Baja California Sur marks our 5th state out of the 32 Mexican states (+ Nayarit, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, Oaxaca).

This country gives and gives, so let’s give back as guests! Please visit Mexico as a digital nomad (or tourist in general) responsibly and mindfully. Stay local, eat local, drink local, shop local, + support local. Leave No Trace and be conscious of your choices and impact!

Read my blog 🔗 in bio for my 100+ free guides to Mexico 🫶🏼

#mexicotravel #digitalnomad #visitmexico #livingabroad
If there’s one activity you shouldn’t skip out If there’s one activity you shouldn’t skip out on when in Baja California Sur, it’s off-roading and sandboarding in the Mogote Sand Dunes!

✨ Make sure to save this to your Baja, Mexico bucket list! 

📍 El Mogote (near La Paz)

🏂 w/ @4xfourtours

💻 read all about it + book the experience on my blog! (🔗 in bio)

#lapaz #bajacaliforniasur #sandboarding #elmogote #sanddunes #offroading #adventuretravel #bajamexico #desertadventures
What do you pack first?! 🎒🤔 As a homebase- What do you pack first?! 🎒🤔 

As a homebase-less nomad, I move countries with only these two backpacks, so I’m not worried about fitting all I need for my 40-day trot through Asia! 🌏

But I would LOVE your travel tips and recs, in particular for Taiwan and Japan (I’ll be solo in 🇯🇵)!!! Send me all your fav street foodie suggestions, secret gardens, cute towns, onsens, temples — all of it! 🏯

I’m so excited to feel EXCITED about going somewhere I’ve never been before. I haven’t been to India since 2018 and I’ve never been to Taiwan or Japan! 

Have you been to any of the three? 🇮🇳🇯🇵🇹🇼 

Backpacks (not spons):
🎒 @rei 40L recycled rucksack 
📸 @wandrd PRVKE Lite / 11L to 16L with roll-top 

#solotrip #backpackingasia #femalesolotraveler #asiatrip #indiatravel #taiwantravel #japantravel #digitalnomadgirls #packing #rei #wandrd
Follow My Adventures

Footer

On the Blog

  • Start Here
  • Destinations
  • Digital Nomad
  • Responsible Travel
  • Slow Travel
  • Van Life

Info

  • Work With Me
  • Blog Course
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

adventures await x

Copyright © 2023 · Bucketlist Bri | All Rights Reserved

0 shares