Today marks our fourth day living in the motorhome.
We’re writing from Nelson Campground, a tree-lined campground right in town, one of those places where nature and urban life coexist in a simple and beautiful way. It’s been raining quite a bit. And there’s something deeply comforting about hearing the rain fall outside while we stay warm and cozy in here.
Going Merry at Nelson Campground
In these first few days, friends have been coming by to visit. Between coffee and campground parties, we’ve been slowly saying our goodbyes while enjoying the Canadian Summer before departure.
But leaving the house took much more work than we had imagined! Back in our April post, we used the expression “as lost as a dog on moving day” That’s more or less what these past few weeks have felt like for Mila and Maya, and for us too. We were all a bit scrambled.
For weeks, our days were all about giving away, selling, storing, and letting go. The sheer volume of stuff surprised us: books, coats, hats, boots, backpacks, tents, ski and camping gear, kitchen tools and household items, clothes, and all the small objects we’d quietly gathered over the years. Each piece carried memories and meaning from the life we’ve built here over these past 13 years in Nelson.
Surprisingly, Miguel was the first to finish packing up and saying goodbye to his things. His room was the first space to empty out, and his new room the first to begin taking shape in the motorhome. That probably says something about us as parents, too... 🤔
Our storage unit
The final trip to the storage unit, where we placed what stays behind, felt like an important milestone. And so did coming back.
When we returned and saw Going Merry parked there, we felt a kind of relief that’s hard to explain. We knew that inside it we have our food, clothes, and all the equipment for the road ahead.
And we certainly still have more than we need: On our very first afternoon living here, we already removed an entire box of unnecessary things. Even after all the sorting, there’s still excess. Making space for what truly matters seems to be an ongoing practice!
Little by little, life is taking shape. The organization gets better every day.
We’re finding where each item fits, making adjustments, testing, changing things around. The fridge and our canoe-trip barrel are full of food brought from the house: enough to carry us through the next few weeks.
And another big change we’re noticing is in our rhythm.
Driving a motorhome is very different from driving a car. Everything asks for more anticipation, more care, less speed. Parking it takes time and requires going back and fourth, with one person inside and another outside helping to park properly. Life inside follows the same logic. Cooking, storing, moving things from one place to another, everything takes a little more time. Everything asks our presence.
We’re living at a slower rhythm, more attentive, simpler and lighter.
Mila and Maya getting used to their comfy bed near the cab.
There are still two weeks before we leave Nelson. Until then, we’ll camp in different places, enjoy this precious Summer, spend time with friends, and celebrate our goodbyes.
But an important threshold has already been crossed:
The Crossing truly began at the front door, on the way out.
Fernando Murray Loureiro
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