We have been going back and forth for a while now about how to start writing on our blog again. Like anything you stop for a while, it can be hard to get back into the swing of things. You see, we don’t live our life in one direction – we never have. We like it that way. Myles said to me not too long ago that one of the things he loves most about our life is how we can be both very happy with where we are and yet always strive for better.
In these last few months, we have had another big uproot in our life. One that we thought would never happen and yet, that’s life. Not really knowing where to start as so much has changed in the last couple months, we thought in honor of Bell’s Let’s Talk celebration, now is as great a time as any.
After Myles’ car crash he got his fifth concussion and struggled every single day as post concussion syndrome infected almost every aspect of his life. Thinking this was something we could just run away from, the common ignore it and it will go away, but even with all our running, we couldn’t get away from it. As the days ticked by his headaches were staying as strong and crippling as ever. No amount of naps was working for him. He was so out of commission it would mean that often our day ends at 5 pm.
It wasn’t until just after our honeymoon when coming back to the van that we noticed how much this was affecting every single aspect of our life.
We were living our dreams, but at 70%.
These early nights weren’t fulfilling us anymore. We didn’t run towards this lifestyle to only live it half way. It was hard to say it, to admit it, but Myles finally said: I think I am heading towards depression and we need to change some things. So, after a long discussion, we decided that our health had to be our top priority. Once we got our health better, we could come back and finally live this life at 100%, or close to.
So, in a split second, we switched directions and drove back up to BC to focus on self-improvement.
It is really hard to decide to focus all your time on improving yourself, but it can be the most important decision of your life.
With the past four months in a rented basement suite in the small town of Kamloops, we have focused all our energy on health. Countless chiropractor, massage, physio and naturopath appointments and we are proud to say that Myles pain has, for the first time in years, become more manageable.
Along with regular health care appointments we have made some drastic lifestyle changes. We have started placing a huge importance on fueling our bodies on the healthiest foods, taking supplements for any vitamins we can’t get naturally (vitamin B12), and exercising in the form of hikes and yoga on a daily basis. The difference… well, stay tuned!
This change has provided us the most unexpected results. We thought our dogs would love the extra space and the consistency of daily life, and while they’re happy, they are incredibly bored. We have both started school again for a semester in an attempt to gradually plug away at finishing our degrees.
This life is by no means permanent, we plan to travel and even return to the road the moment the weather gets warm and our health is stable, but for now we are focusing on what matters most – ourselves.
Our story, much like life, is a messy one. An absolutely beautiful mess.
Many people believe that best way to cure a headache is by popping a few Tylenol. If you’re more holistic, drinking a large glass of water can have similar effects (still drink the water no matter what!). I am a firm believer in the powers of essential oils. I turn to 
Any chance to support smaller, natural farming style businesses rather than a big corporation I am all over. Much to Myles dismay I have decided to start growing a small herb garden with all of our extra square footage in our van. Some simple herbs we use everyday for both cooking and health. Stay tuned, lets see how this goes!
out on the open road and we can honestly say that it hasn’t at all been what we expected. We tried not to have any expectations, but you can’t really get away from them all together, can you? Literally every aspect has changed in our life down to how we brush our teeth and the kind of coffee we drink in the morning. Having what is quite possibly the worlds smallest fridge has even made the way we buy food change. While we are still learning the best ways to do things, we are happy to say that for the most part, we are loving it. Don’t get me wrong, five of us in a van poses a challenge, but we have learned that this challenge is only really present when we are in cities.
playing in the cool white sand of the ever-moody Pacific North West our spirits were lifted and our colds were persistent. Myles and I can’t seem to get enough of the beach. Salt or fresh water, 40 degrees or 10, you can always find us at the beach playing like children in the sand. In our Vancouver beaches, we have the protection of Vancouver Island that breaks our waves and makes it so that our coastlines have much more swimmable beaches with less
fierce waves.
found that changing a little bit can make a huge difference. I am the first to admit I have lived (and still live) by them all. I’ve cut the sugar, stopped eating animals, have owned a juicer (really expensive – I would way rather eat my fruits and veggies) and really try to stick to non-steroid induced foods (ha-in our society!).
with, “Oh no, how are you going to work?” That was probably my rock bottom, my hate all with society, my burning desire to make a change – a big change. 
surprised by this as everyone in my family has had issues with their gall bladder and has gotten theirs removed.