That’s right. We've officially gone international.
Okay, Canada might not exactly qualify as an exotic international destination, but we had to show our passports to get here, so we’re counting it.
After spending three months in Bend, Oregon, we packed the truck once again and started making our way toward our next home: Victoria, British Columbia. Although getting here was a bit of a whirlwind.
A Quick Trip Home
Before heading north, we made a quick trip back to Colorado to turn over our house to a new renter. Because apparently even when you don’t live in your house, you still occasionally have to deal with your house.
But the timing worked out perfectly because we were also home for one of my favorite family traditions: the 25th Annual Pippin Games.
Yes. Twenty-five years!
Every year, the family gets together for what is essentially our own slightly ridiculous field day—relays, games, food, competition, and plenty of family chaos.
It’s one of those traditions that has been happening for so long that it’s hard to imagine a year without it.
And after a year of traveling, when one of the things we’ve learned we miss most is our people, getting everyone together for a weekend of food, fun, and questionable athletic competition was pretty special.
Then, almost as quickly as we arrived and we saw everyone we needed to see, it was time to get moving again.
One More Stop Before Canada
Before crossing the border, we spent a couple of days in Port Angeles, Washington, giving us a chance to explore Olympic National Park.
Because obviously the most logical thing to do between moving out of one house and moving into another is to squeeze in a national park.
We explored the Olympic Peninsula, wandered through some incredible rainforest, saw the coast, and managed to fit yet another adventure into what was already becoming a very busy week.
Then we pointed the truck toward the ferry terminal.
Next stop: Canada.
There’s something pretty cool about driving your truck onto a ferry in Washington and rolling off an hour later in another country.
And just like that, Victoria became home, at least for the next month.
We had barely gotten offf the ferry before Katie already knew where we were going first. Butchart Gardens!
Technically, this was our second visit. We stopped here years ago while on an Alaskan cruise, but apparently botanical gardens don't fall into the been there, done that category and I'm glad they don't.
Because this place is absolutely incredible.
The dahlias were exploding with color, seemingly trying to outdo one another, and the Sunken Garden was every bit as impressive as we remembered.
But this visit had one major advantage, we arrived late in the afternoon. By then, most of the tour buses and cruise ship passengers had cleared out, and there were moments when it felt like we had one of the most beautiful gardens in the world almost entirely to ourselves.
Not a bad backyard for our first afternoon in Canada.
Oh Yeah… We Should Probably Move In
Eventually, we had to stop wandering through flowers and do something slightly more responsible. Like actually go to the house we're living in.
After three months in Bend, we'd gotten very comfortable. We knew where everything was. We'd unpacked. We had routines. We knew our grocery store, our favorite trails, our restaurants, and exactly which cabinet contained all the snacks. Three months almost felt like living somewhere normally.
Almost.
So arriving at another house and realizing we had to start the whole process over again was a bit overwhelming. Unload the truck. Figure out where everything goes. Set up our workspaces. Locate the nearest gym. Figure out where to ride.
And, of course…
Go grocery shopping.
Normally, grocery shopping wouldn't exactly make the blog. It's groceries. But grocery shopping in another country turned out to be strangely entertaining.
You don't realize how much of a creature of habit you are until you walk into a grocery store and suddenly the exact version of everything you normally buy isn't there.
Where's our yogurt?
Which milk do we buy?
Are these the eggs we normally get?
What chicken do we want?
Why are there seventeen things that look almost right but aren't quite what we normally buy?
It's not like Canadian grocery stores are wildly different. We still left with yogurt, milk, eggs, chicken, vegetables and all the same boring responsible-adult foods we normally buy.
It just took about twice as long.
Apparently international travel is mostly wandering through the dairy aisle Googling yogurt brands.
First Impressions of Victoria
We've only been here a few days, but we've already noticed a few things.
First: Everything moves a little slower. Literally.
The speed limits are noticeably lower than we're used to. Highways are often somewhere around 60–90 km/h (<55mph), and many local roads are 40 km/h (24mph).
And here's the really strange part: People actually drive the speed limit!
We're still adjusting. But honestly, it fits the place. Victoria seems to have a slightly slower pace to it, and we're not complaining.
We're also very much enjoying the weather. After spending much of the summer with temperatures creeping into the 90s, we've arrived to days in the mid-to-upper 60s. Cool mornings. Comfortable afternoons. Windows open. Perfect biking weather.
Which is convenient because we've discovered something else about Vancouver Island.
There Are Mountain Bike Trails EVERYWHERE
We knew there was mountain biking here. We didn't quite realize how much. There are purpose-built trail systems all over the area with some serious mountain biking.
Technical trails, rock, roots, steeps, features.
And apparently plenty of opportunities for me to make questionable decisions on a bicycle. So yes, you can expect to see quite a few bike rides over the next month.
Now It's Time to Explore
The truck is mostly unpacked. The refrigerator has food in it. We know how to get to the grocery store. So now comes our favorite part. Exploring.
Today we're gearing up for a gravel ride around town that will conveniently end at the local Ribfest.
Because nothing says "healthy active lifestyle" quite like riding your bike to go eat barbecue.
There should be local music, plenty of food, and hopefully enough riding beforehand that we can pretend we've earned whatever ridiculous thing we're about to eat.
Tomorrow?
Probably a mountain bike ride at one of the local trail systems. Maybe a workout at the gym.
And unfortunately, at some point, we'll also have to meal plan, do laundry, and make another grocery run. Because that's the part of this lifestyle that doesn't make Instagram.
You can move to another country.
You can spend your weekends mountain biking, exploring national parks, wandering botanical gardens, and eating barbecue.
But eventually…
you still have to do laundry.
Welcome to Canada.
Let's see what we can find. 🇨🇦
