Canada Posts

HelpXing on Saltspring

March 20, 2013 Canada 4 Comments
The last three weeks have flown past and my time on Saltspring Island has been unforgettable. It has been as much of a retreat as it has been work - aided by having my own getaway cabin and gourmet food served down at the house! I have been working 3-4 hours a day on the farm 5 days a week. This has consisted of odd jobs (ranging from fixing sheep feeders to building large greenhouse walls), feeding the sheep and chickens as well as chopping, cutting and stacking wood.... a lot of wood! During my time off I have been exploring the island on foot and in the van, relaxing in the cabin and also

Continue reading →

My two weeks in Victoria

March 5, 2013 CanadaRunning 1 Comment
I have been in Victoria for just under two weeks and have really enjoyed my time there. For the first 10 days I was house sitting for Richard's parents Hilary and JP when they went to Florida, my time was both productive and relaxing. I had fun working on the van and also did some work on various websites - some my own and some for others. I also did lots of running with no shortage of stunning trails and Taz the dog joined me for all but the longest of these. I managed to get a nice combination of work and play and enjoyed doing some work on the computer looking out of the window and then going

Continue reading →
Minivan Camper Conversion – Stage One Complete!

Minivan Camper Conversion – Stage One Complete!

February 28, 2013 CanadaPlymouth Grand Voyager / Dodge Grand Caravan 25 Comments
This last week I have been housesitting for Richard's parents in Victoria and have used the time (and access to tools) to work on the first stage of my van conversion for my road trip. As soon as I bought the van it was clear to me that the seats had to go to make room for a bed. But what kind of bed? With plenty of room I decided to aim for a bed large for one and big enough to accommodate two people. After getting some inspiration from this page I went and sat in the back of the van and tried to visualise a design... and stayed there until I had. This is the concept I came up with: Getting

Continue reading →

Road trip plans coming together

February 7, 2013 Canada 5 Comments
It has been an expensive week. Amongst other things I have finally bought the van that I am planning on driving across Canada! It's a 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager with just under 300,000km on the clock and is in surprisingly good condition for it's age/milage. This is the first car I have ever owned and to be honest buying a used car in another country was a bit daunting. Thankfully the first few vans I test drove I was helped out by my friends Richard and JR who gave me a few pointers. This time the van was 111km away in Port Alberni and I went alone. I liked the look of the van and it

Continue reading →

Six Months In

January 21, 2013 Canada 2 Comments
Yesterday marked six months in Canada, half of my yearlong work visa. I can't believe how fast this has gone by, how many fantastic people I have met and how many exciting things I have crammed into this time. Before coming out here I was a little worried that I would get lonely or homesick and kept in the back of my mind that I could always return to the UK early. I am happy to report that none of these things have happened yet and while there has been the normal ups and downs, overall I am having a blast! Toy bears being thrown into the ice during a hockey game. Donations for underprivileged

Continue reading →
css.php