And the Journey Begins

It has been just over a year since we sold our small organic farm in Thorndale, Ontario, Canada along with 80% of our belongings. We then packed up our pickup truck, added a roof top tent and hit the road with the plan to be in Belize by winter.

We began our journey by heading to Quebec to visit with our daughter. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to get to know her more as a woman versus the child I still saw her as. We had the opportunity to spend time with her and her boyfriend and his family. It really helped me know that she had some really good people around and supporting her on her own journey. We spent almost a week camping, hiking, fishing, exploring, watching her boyfriend race, and really just enjoying her company before we departed from Canada. 

From there, we headed towards Vermont. We have friends whom we met the previous year, who mentioned driving together to Belize, so we decided to stop in and see if they were still up for the adventure.   

After about a week in the beautiful state of Vermont, we decided the weather was getting cool, especially for a tent, so packed up and began the journey south. Since we were heading out about a month before the Vermont family, we decided to take advantage of the drive and the lack of schedule and see what we could find along the way. 

It was a new feeling for us; not having a plan, not having a timeline, not having anyone to be accountable to but ourselves. So why not just live in the moment. See what magical places came across our path, and just really enjoy the time together.  

With no plan and a very vague Southern Texas destination, we decided to allow google maps, state welcome centres and the locals guide us along the way. It was a great release of control that I really needed, and it was so liberating. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity, lessons and the freedom and the doors of possibility it opened for me moving forward in life.  

We did have a couple places that we wanted to check out. Corey really wanted to see Alex Greys’ Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, which, by the way, is AMAZING! From the moment you walk into the entrance, you can see the amount of detail and planning that went into it. Once you begin to walk through and submerse yourself into the artwork, you easily get lost in another world. The size, detail and the places this takes you to, is something that needs to be experienced in person. It wasn’t until we were driving out the lane, that the old reality came jumping back in, and I wanted to go back. 

I (Laurie), wanted to see New Orleans. I'm glad we stopped, but this country girl was definitely out of her element there. I couldn’t imagine being there when it was busier. The streets in the French Quarter were so congested with people, that walking on the street was often necessary to get by. I felt a lot of poverty in the area and found it very challenging to witness. Almost every corner had someone asking for money, and the pain and suffering in their eyes was heart breaking. We did find getting around to be super easy though. The streetcar system was both extremely affordable ($4usd/day) and easy to navigate. For those who love architecture, I would definitely recommend walking through the Garden District. The size, detail and age of some of the mansions left me in awe and it was hard to image how much better it could have been prior to the destruction of Hurricane Katrina.  

Although the entire drive was a blessing and I am grateful for the entire experience, there were a few other gems that we came across that I would definitely recommend checking out.  

Ausable Chasm, NY. This sandstone gorge offers breathtaking views from both above and within the gorge. We decided to do the tourist thing and go for the rafting tour within the gorge. It was worth the price of admission, and the hike offered many moments of awe: awe in the beauty that Gaia has to offer and awe in the power and strength of water when it comes together as one body of water. I was also impressed in the history of this is a historical tourist site. Trying to imagine back to the 1870’s, how different the rafting trip would have been, and to think that once the ‘ride’ was over, the men back then had to use a pully system to take their wooden boat back to the starting point, was sure impressive. If this is a place you decide to visit, I would also recommend staying at the Ausable Chasm Campground. They have cabins as well as serviced sites, and the trails are also worth hiking or biking.  

Caverns of Luray, VA, is another stop that we made that still gives me goose bumps when I think about it. When we arrived, we were in this huge parking lot surrounded by hills and valleys. I was a little nervous allowing my mind to make up stories of being deep in the earth with only one exit. It was time to face my fears and wow was it so worthwhile! We took a short path and came to big doors leading into the side of a hill. Once inside, the entire world changed. The usual noises of the outside world were gone, and an overwhelming sense of being in Gaia’s womb was so intense that I could feel nothing but safe. I also had an intense sense of curiosity to explore and allow myself to just be and take it all in. No pictures or words can describe the feelings you get inside, so I would definitely recommend checking it out for yourself.  

Camping in both Alabama and Mississippi was a great way to break up the tiredness that we seemed to get while being on the road (with just one-night stops). It gave us the opportunity to meet some fascinating people, cook our own meals and stay well under budget, with most campgrounds charging $10 USD per night. We met couples, who like us were tired of ‘playing the game of life’ by societies rules, and who had decided to live it to their own terms.  We met one man who started out living on a boat for 5 years, but was now in a trailer, moving with the weather, and one family, who were living on a bus, teaching their children in a way many may not understand or approve of, but they had all the skills they needed, and they were all happy. We met a young guy, who was also out on his first adventure. Spending a couple of nights with him by the fire, he really opened my eyes to how he saw the wars, and how they were in his mind only about profit for the American corporations involved. He also admitted that he was one of those who was profiting (and very well) because of all of what is happening in the east. 

Ocean Springs, Mississippi was another place that we enjoyed so much, we stayed for just over a week. The Peter Anderson art show was like something I had never experienced. The town basically shuts down, busses bring people in and out all day long, and some of the artists come from hours away, and wow, do they have talent. The town also had a great farmers’ market which we caught twice. And being right on the Gulf, the shrimping boats docked there were there to serve. Anytime we left the campground, we would stop by and stock up for ourselves and a couple of our campground neighbours; how could you not, it was caught hours before and they were only asking $2.50USD/pound.   

Camping in Louisiana definitely left me some moments to remember. It was there that I learned all about the history of the Caygens and how they were basically run out of Canada, not something I learned in school history classes. We also had a bear come and get ‘stuck’ in our kitchen tent one evening, luckily it didn’t do any damage or get hurt. The next day, I almost walked right into 4 large bucks while going to the washroom. Flashlights are a must when you get away from the big city lights. We also got the opportunity to learn new curse words and hearing the same 10 songs loudly over and over again from a local family who became our neighbours for a weekend. I will say, that it was the only time during our trip down to Belize, that I had slightly less than perfect neighbours.   

Another camping experience I can’t forget to mention was camping on the beach near a small town called Port Aransas, across from Corpus Christi in Texas. Three nights, free beach camping, watching the boats come into the harbor, falling asleep and waking up to the waves just feet outside your tent is a guarantee for a good night’s sleep. 

I am sure I missed a whole lot of other magical stops, so if you want to see more, you are welcome to check out my personal Facebook or Instagram page for lots of pictures. 

Next, we made it to Texas and the cool weather was catching up. Our friends were on the way, and we were ready to make the drive through Mexico. We first needed a Temporary Import Permit, Mexican insurance and some faith that we will be safe, especially because none of us speak Spanish.  

It took us two days, and three boarder crossing attempts, but we finally got through, and so the next part of our journey begins.