It was all coming to an end! My partner and I were wrapping up our five-month long season at Lake Louise Ski Resort. We’d braved the Winter months and watched the ski hill shift and change as it melted into Spring.

Our modest jobs as a package-deal Chef and Server had us living in a nearby wooden cabin called Chucktown. The staff accommodation was both vast and tight, housing approximately 400-500 staff members at a time. With so many around, it was impossible to ever feel lonely. Within moments of taking off our snow boots, someone would barge through and plop themselves down, eager for a beer and a chat.

It was our first time at a Ski Resort and our first time snowboarding, so we were absolutely and utterly thrilled. We met amazing people, drank way too many Fireball shots and indulged in as many activities as feasibly possible. Aptly nicknamed “Lake Disease”, perhaps due to the constant mingling, we were struck down with three unfortunate bouts of strep throat each!

Leaving this oasis of friendship, booze and snow was bittersweet, as we were due to return to Vancouver Island for the summer. Moutcha Bay, a tiny fishing resort, beckoned to us with it’s tree-covered mountains, an abundance of salmon, and a bay filled with hungry seals!

We wanted to see more of Canada beforehand and to accomplish this, we needed a vehicle!

Easier said than done in a remote location with a highly competitive market of just-as-keen travellers. They all craved what we wanted- the renowned travelling experience of fuel-guzzling van-life, complete with cooking on a portable gas stove and pissing in the wilderness.

We had our hearts set on the Yukon and we became desperate very quickly.

Now, if I was to offer anyone vehicle-buying advice. I would say: figure out what you need, look early and commit. If you can, lock in a pre-purchase inspection through a mechanic. Honestly though, we found that to be near-impossible, as the car in question would be instantly snatched up.

After a frantic search, we massively overpaid for a van that looked like it had been caved in by a frantic animal. The sellers acknowledged it’s ugliness from the get-go, as it was impossible to ignore. However, they also assured us it had kept them perfectly safe, dry and moving on a 6-month long USA road trip.

The mechanical checks and receipts were pretty much in order, although we would need to collect it in Vancouver. Despite the crumpled aesthetic, we went for it, and before long we were signing off on the insurance and handing over stacks of cash. What could go wrong?

We were positively buoyant with our new wheels and home. The first part of our road trip stretched back to Lake Louise. We had already ‘moved out’, but we still needed to collect our gear and bid farewell to our friends. “Right side of the road!” my partner cautioned as I swerved around a corner and meandered over to the familiar but very wrong-left side.

In the early days of our van-life adventure, we sought out campgrounds that set us back $20-$30 CAD. We bought bags of firewood, set up our trusty chairs, and felt very much like we were living the dream. As we quickly became more confident (and cheap!), we downloaded the app iOverlander and ventured out to free spots.

We found ourselves driving through cattle fields, camping by vineyards and following sketchy logging roads to precarious places. Free is great, but free can also be highly stressful. On one occasion, I was accelerating up a dodgy dirt road to find a lookout point when my partner made me stop. He promptly exited the vehicle and refused to get back in (insert fear of heights). Another time, I was reduced to tears after clanging over a half-assed, pothole filled bridge that led to nowhere and forced me to retreat.

Meals were simple. We ate beans on toast and fried eggs for brekky and made simple curries and soups for dinner. During long driving stints, my partner would prepare me Vegemite sandwiches, lovingly smearing spread across bread and delivering it to my waiting hand.

We spent a week crashing with friends in Banff, which gave us the perfect opportunity to dismantle and reorganise the van to our liking. We then hit the road to Lake Louise for a farewell party among mates and a luxurious night spent in the car park. We retrieved our gear, reorganised again (little did I know, this was to be a daily occurrence) and set off for a few days in Jasper.

Our approach was to “take it easy”, which clashed with the fact that we had a deadline. These two opposing notions kept us on our toes – we had to pick and choose between wants and needs, taking into account distances and how far we were able to venture. We finished work in early May, and needed to be on Vancouver Island by the end of June.

Blaring “On the road again” by Willie Nelson, we were more than ready to take on the world (or at least, two provinces and one territory in Canada).