Home » Beginning our cross-country road trip of Canada: First world problems in a post-Covid world

Beginning our cross-country road trip of Canada: First world problems in a post-Covid world

Two years ago today we were travelling once again along the gorgeous Icefields Parkway, for the start of what would be a life-changing 6235 mile trip across Canada in our little (well not so much when you’re parking it!) rental RV, Randall.  

Driving along this stretch, crowned as one of the world’s most scenic highways, I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. We’d been here before and knew how truly incredible it is, but our main suitcases were missing (and possibly lost) at Calgary airport and we had spent every moment of the trip since landing either quarrelling at the airport, checking the belts each incoming flight from Vancouver, or on the phone to the airline having tearful or unproductive conversations. We hadn’t budgeted for this massive mishap (lesson learned) in fact we thought we were clever packing all the essentials we knew would be useful from previous trips. We had very little sleep and I was donning a stained men’s t-shirt for yet another day (yes, I know what you’re thinking…this is why you pack strategically to prevent this). Emotions were running high and evidently Sam was fed up of my excessive passenger anxiety.

 The dull sky blackened and it started to rain heavily making visibility difficult. We were already behind schedule for check-in. The road surface was slippery and driving conditions were not good, words were crossed… was this an omen? Was everything just much less magical than we remembered? Could we even spend another four weeks together, three of which would be in this mini home on wheels with very little supplies?

Well it turned out we could and that everything was just as magical as we remembered, if not more. Lack of sleep and the idea of wearing Walmart replacements all week was getting to me and embarrassingly trivial things were getting to me . It was now apparent just how much the Covid lockdowns had an impact on everyone’s ideas of security and relationship with freedom and possessions, well for us anyway. We knew really just how lucky we were to even be taking this trip.

The skies cleared, we could see the road ahead and the epic scenery soon started to unfold. We pulled in and stepped out of the RV at one of the gorgeous viewing points overlooking one of the many lakes. The rain had stopped and we could take in the scenery,  breathe in the fresh air and stretch our legs a little. The blue of the lakes against the carpet of yellows and green foliage was beautiful.  Our faithful friend Randall looked tiny parked against the ample Rockies, the clouds floating across their silvery grey peaks.

A mutual smile broke. This is what we came for. It didn’t really matter that my stained joggers and ill-fitting top would ‘ruin’ the photos, or that we couldn’t get the aux cable working and so missed out on my ‘perfect soundtrack’. We didn’t need Fleet Foxes or Elbow or even Springsteen to play us in. This was Canada and this was Northern American paradise. We weren’t enemies, and though we didn’t know it yet, this would turn out to be the trip of a lifetime…Onto our first check in at our campground in Jasper…

*Spoiler Alert *Our cases (and senses) were eventually returned, the cases were couriered to Banff.

Lessons Learnt

1. Covid-19 culture and lockdowns really heightened my attachment anxieties and ideas of safety

2.Material possessions don’t define happiness

3.Clichés are great

4.Sleep deprivation doesn’t look good on me, or anyone.

5. Neither does much of Sam’s wardrobe ( I actually do buy a lot of vintage/new menswear and unisex clothing but just items of my choice and size)

6.The next time your other half makes that clothing purchase…make sure it’s in your colour

*Roll on two years and I’ve actually stolen a fair few shirts from the other half’s wardrobe now he’s sized up!

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