The Home on Wheels

We have arrived home in New Zealand and as soon as we arrived in the airport we had two problems to solve...

• Transport (a way to get from here to there)
• A house, somewhere to sleep and eat and live!

So we've hired an RV ;)

Now our home is mobile and we are free to go wherever we want - and spend the night there!



Having your home be a RV has been (as I had imagined) difficult at times, the bedtime routine for the kids is now, bath time, books, brush teeth, uninstall carseats or dining room table and fold out/re assemble bed to sleep in, then make bed and finally time to go to bed, ugh!

Also I miss having a washing machine.













But the upsides are obvious, you get to come and go from places as you please.
And our RV does provide all the necessary bits and pieces, stove to cook on, Fridge, shower/toilet, bedding etc


And the unexpected quirky "up"s I have found are:

I really like sleeping in a queen size bunk bed.

I like having a change of clothes for me and the kids travel with me everywhere I go (in fact all my changes of clothes are always with me lol)

When you go grocery shopping you get to unload your groceries from the supermarket trolley in the supermarket parking lot, straight into your home fridge.

And you can get drive through takeaways, never leave the car park and still eat at your dining room table.

hmmmm, where to next?...

The Single Serving Home

So we're officially homeless!










We're in a world of temporary in-between homes with no idea where we'll end up living.

Not counting airports and airplanes, a non-descript hotel room in the American Southwest is our newest temporary home.



I recently watched a great documentary, "Tiny Homes." It's about people who choose to live in 1000 square feet homes. Living in well organised small spaces. For a while now I've been thinking about "life editing", quality-over-quantity. The stress of getting rid of so much excess stuff when we left Canada has made me conscious of all the things I will choose to bring into my next home.

What do I really need in a home? Somewhere to sleep, a bathroom, somewhere to make food, relax and play.



Of course its notable to me that accommodating two kids and an Indie Game developer husband who needs an office space/man-cave, may make living small a bit more difficult. 


Still, living in this hotel room of just two separate spaces, one room for eating/sleeping/relaxing/playing and just one other small bathroom has been... uncomplicated...
 

      
     
                                                                   ...and it does have its perks!

O Canada! O Canada! Goodbye Canada:(

I am going to miss so much all the fabulous friends we've made here, this is the place I became a Mom and I'm so proud to have my two lil Canadian boys!

This is the friendliest place I have ever travelled to. Where people are so open, inviting and polite.

Here in Canada when you get in an elevator (lift) with a stranger and neither of you can think of anything to say, you actually suffer through an awkward silence.

People here are welcoming and non-judgemental, willing to get to know you first before trying to sum you up.

It can be -20C outside and you've found your car stuck in knee deep snow, you can depend on people to just appear to help shovel you out and push your car back onto the road.

The friends I made here became my family. Aunties to my little boys, My best friends. Teachers to my family.

I'm going to miss the endless family activities and festivals, the historical feel of walking through the old port, the distinct 4 seasons, the vibe on the Plateau, the food and my accent.

For your friendly culture, vibrant spirit, for welcoming us wholeheartedly and for skor candy bars, thanks for everything Canada!

p.s. We'll be back ;)

Home on the Plateau

So now we're free of all the excess stuff!
But as my three year old put it, in response to me giving away our plates and cutlery "what are we going to eat off?"

Very good question, where are we going to sleep, eat and play?

Welcome to our "temporary borrowed home" on the Plateau in Montreal!

I placed an ad in our local "wanted" pages.... something like "Tidy N/S Professional couple with two young adorable children, seek 1 month Sublet for July" and as luck would have it, the universe (internets) connected us with another family looking to go away for the summer and rent out their home while they were gone.

Fabulous! So now we get to experience (in my opinion) one of the nicest areas of Montreal and live here in a fully furnished home for the last month before we move home to New Zealand.

25 Boxes

Going indie, for our family means living smaller.


Shrinking our family's possessions down to a minimum so we are altogether lighter and can move easier.


The boys bravely watched most of their toys wander off to find new homes.

I finally let go of all those cute baby clothes the boys have long since grown out of.

Furniture, clothing, pre-loved soft toys, appliances, all our versatile solutions to modern living, all the Ikea, it all had to go.

Till we were left with 25 boxes to ship to New Zealand, 2 suitcases and 1 backpack.

25 boxes is still too much, if it were to be all lost at sea, I wonder how much of it would be remembered and missed?

25 boxes on the left, ready for curbside pickup. 3 boxes on the right, "free stuff".

This process though difficult at times has been oddly freeing...


What's really important? What's irreplaceable? What can you not do without?

---

Here we are in Montreal.

Both our sons are born Canadian. Very soon we will leave Canada to return home to New Zealand. For Chris and I, our travels began long before our boys were born. Having both been bitten by the travel bug, our dream is to live and work from anywhere at anytime. Going Indie means taking a risk, it means going after a dream, and it means freedom. Freedom to live wherever we want and to work wherever we want.

When I'm old and grey, I want my life's story to be a great adventure. This blog is the next chapter in my story.