Build or Buy?

It’s funny where life takes us. As I am researching my van build, I am drawn to start researching and finding an already-built van that is for sale. In my area there wasn’t very many, however I didn’t know how that you can move your geographical area within FB marketplace. So I moved it to within 500 km of Ottawa, and the earth broke apart, and tons of new opportunities presented themselves to me. I spent most of the night looking for the right make and model, and KM travelled. And I found one in Quebec.

I decided to take a huge chance and contacted the owners. They were excited by the interest, and we started making plans. This van is well-built and cared for. It is owned by two athletes in the mountain biking sport. The van is well equipped for stealth camping, which means that you can park on any city street and sleep overnight.

Obviously, it is not advised to pull out your chairs and BBQ and get comfortable on a city street; however, it is to your advantage to get into position late and leave early. Don’t overstay your welcome.

Climbing onto that bed will be challenging, but I will figure it out. I thought putting a trampoline in the kitchen might be fun so I could jump on it and leap right into bed.

If we want to live life, we need to constantly push our boundaries, try to live outside our comfort zone, and meet new people with a taste for life. What will this new lifestyle bring? No doubt some loneliness, isolation, limits, excitement, preparation, stretching, and a lot of fun.

I will be starting my YouTube channel to follow my journey. I will take the opportunity to discuss my past, present, and future—a kind of living autobiography. I enjoy photography and videography, so this will be a nice segway to continue playing those roles. Just for myself, though, I am not interested in turning my fun hobby into a job. However, having a YouTube channel will change how I do things.

It's funny to think about, but in a movie, every shift in the way the camera looks usually indicates a new shot. So when you see two people talking, it cuts to one person and then the other. They probably shot one person for the whole scene and then the other person for the whole scene and then edited it as if they were talking to each other. We don’t really think about it; we just watch the movie.

So, let's say we see a scene where I am in my car talking. Then, while I am talking, we see an aerial shot of my car driving along and then another shot from the ground as my car drives by. Because I am the only one there, I will have to shoot that same area of the road twice or three times, stopping and running back to get the camera or landing the drone, etc. I’m rather looking forward to the challenge and fun of it all.

I have watched endless videos on YouTube on vanlifing, shooting, places to stay, camping, connecting to the internet, etc.

What about the family implications? I will be away from my wife, children, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, and cats. My intent is not to leave for years. However, there might be times when it feels that way. If I were touring Alaska, it's unlikely that I would pop back to Ontario for a visit unless I fly. And that is possible too. If needed, I can hop on a plane and fly back.

What about rowing the ocean? Have you thrown in the towel on that? No, but I do have to get into shape to accomplish this feat. The one sport I enjoyed, the training and the race, was a triathlon. You have to swim, cycle, and run. Okay, I am not fond of running, but two out of three is good. Training for triathlons does require a pool, so I will have to plan my travels around this event.