The Life of a Digital Nomad: More roadtrips and family time

October 2023 - The last month has been about wrapping up my time in Eastern Canada....

October felt like 3 months squeezed into one - like time expanded, which is something I absolutely love!

Camping by the beach in Cape Breton

On Oct 1, I woke up in Nova Scotia for the very first time. And although I know it has a lot to offer, I was on a tight schedule to make it back to Quebec in time for Thanksgiving weekend. So I narrowed down my time there to Cape Breton: driving the Cabot Trail & the Ceilidh Trail.

The fall colours were about to peak and the weather was unseasonably warm, making it perfect for camping.

On the late afternoon of Oct 2, when planning my route to New Brunswick, I realized I had the rare opportunity to also drive on Prince Edward Island. Adding PEI to my itinerary would mean I would have driven my Jeep across all 10 Canadian provinces (and 1/3 of our territories)! I couldn't resist. So I made my way to Caribou to catch yet another ferry.

East Coast of PEI

It was short and sweet, but I managed to sleep on the beautiful eroded South East coast then check out the National Park with Greenwich dunes and its floating boardwalk. After a quick stop at the Bottle Houses, I crossed the Confederation Bridge (the most expensive bridge I've been on!), into New Brunswick, officially my final province.

Hopewell Rocks, NB

In New Brunswick, I narrowed my time down to Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park, a quick stop in Moncton, and driving around the Acadian Peninsula. Finding a safe spot to camp that night ended up being quite the challenge. With all campsites closed for the season and little options on iOverlander, I ended up setting up my tent by a restaurant/workers lodge kinda of place in the middle of the forest, hosted by some very lovely locals - turning my last night in the Maritimes into an authentic memory!

I made it back to Quebec in time for the long weekend at my family cabin. It was a very rainy weekend in the woods but still perfect to bond with my niece and nephew and get some quality family time.

Next I had to prepare for my big drive across the country, back to the West Coast. I left my Jeep with my uncle who's a mechanic so he could replace some very important parts, caught up with some friends and continued working on my next professional move.

I ended up putting an end to my ongoing contract with my Australian team, officially making me jobless and ready for the next adventure, whatever it may be.

Fall in Quebec

Making time for adventures with friends

When Jeepy was ready to go, I finally hit the road, starting with a quick weekend in Montreal. I managed to catch up with many friends I hadn't seen in ages and complemented myself on my efficient scheduling! Friendships take a lot of time, energy and love, especially as a nomad. It can be difficult to keep in touch or create new memories with old friends. And unfortunately, some friendships just don't survive... so I love dedicating time and making an effort to nurture the relationships I have with amazing people all around the world.

I had timed my crossing with a friends reunion north of Montreal. It was the perfect way to spend the last few days before my big drive. I had about 5000kms and 50+ hrs of road to cover, in what turned out to be early winter conditions.

Winter arrived on the road

My drive: Montreal, QC - Rouyn Noranda, QC - Thunder Bay, ON - Culross, MB - Swift Current, SK - Cochrane, AB.

I arrived at my friends' place in Alberta on Oct 30, where I would spend a few days catching up, going trick or treating, and resting before the last stretch home.

I feel so blessed to have good friends scattered around the world. Friendships and just love in general have been what's been keeping me sane in this transitional period of my life.  🤍