You Ask, I Answer

Happy belated Mother's Day to all of you Moms out there! I hope that you were showered with love and food yesterday! For those of you in places who celebrate on a different day (I am looking at you, UK), I am talking to you too!

I have had several days of no service, so have not really been online or in touch at all much, so I thought I would just do a quick Q&A, update and coffee date all rolled into one! For coffee, since I am "on (perma) holiday," and it is almost my birthday, I will treat myself to a large non-fat peppermint mocha WITH whipped cream, thank you very much. That reminds me, can I still get my birthday drink at Starbucks if I am in Canada? I am not sure if I will have the chance to find out... Maybe I will just buy myself a milkshake later to make up for it. 

If we were having coffee, I would give you a quick update that I am having a blast, BUT the weather is weird!! It was 27 F the other morning and then in the 70s that day, and then two days later, it was in the 90s F during the day and I went swimming! Sorry, Canada, but can you please make up your mind, eh? Actually I am not complaining, but I am a bit burnt. Tan line photos to be revealed later! 

Okanogan Lake Beach

And now, onto a few of your questions! As a side note, I have had a lot of questions about planning, gear and logistics, so that will be a post (or maybe a few posts) of its own! Coming soon... 

Jenny asked: are your parents worried about you doing this, or are they used to things like this? They could pipe up in the comments, but they probably won't, so I will answer for them. YES times two. They are worried, and my Mom tracks me like a very loving stalker, but they are also used to this and know that I am loving it. I don't think they worry about my abilities, but probably about other people who are not looking where they are driving, or are maybe creepy, or not nice people. As a side note, my Dad met me a couple of weeks ago and we ate too much, went hiking and rode bikes (!) together, so he is happy to have an excuse to travel too! Mom/Dad; want to add anything here? 

Anonymous asked: Now that you're up in the "wilds of Canada," have you encountered any wildlife? If you are asking about bears, Anon, not yet! However I have seen moose, beaver, elk, marmots, a bald eagle, geese and lots of the usual deer, birds and squirrels (plus some dead things on the side of the road). My favorite is the heard but not seen: the dawn chorus of birds in the morning. I have also heard coyotes at night and loons and geese in the mornings! 

I did find this Sasquatch. 

San asked: Were you sad to sell your home? I am glad you asked! I actually closed on the house last Friday and I could not be happier. This will likely be a post of its own at some point, but it had some hiccups but nothing big, and I am now officially homeless. I love it! So....NO, not sad in the least. 

Stephany asked: What's one of your unpopular opinions? I would say the fact that I don't love dogs. I know, Stephany, you are probably now blacklisting me, and I do think Dutch was the cutest thing! However, I don't like the hair, or the licking, or the jumping. I don't like people who say, "but he is friendly" as their dog jumps and licks. If the dog is well behaved and leaves me alone when I want to be left alone and doesn't smell or shed, I can get on board. Otherwise, I would prefer to be alone. Sorry dog lovers. 

This is Jelly. I like her a lot when she is sleeping. 

Lisa asked: How do you charge your phone? As I am often camping for several days at a time where they is no electricity, I have an Ankor 20,000 mAh portable battery charger (like this). You are probably saying, but what does all of that mean? My phone is about 3,100 mAh (milliamp hour), so I could technially charge it about six times. However, I have several (11!!) other electronics, so normally I can go about 4-6 days without power before my battery bank dies too. It is a little bigger than a deck of cards but it totally worth the weight. If you are ever thinking about buying one, I suggest Ankor as I do not think this is one of those things you should cheap out on. 

Ankor battery pack

Coco asked: Do you get scared? Hell yeah, but probably not of what you may be thinking. For instance, I am not really scared of bears per se. Sure, if one is near me, I am, but I don't dwell on it, if that makes sense. What I am scared of is riding on the side of the highway and some numbnut hitting me from behind, or maybe a ladder or a bolt or a piece of wood falling off someone's car and nailing me. Or me hitting a patch of gravel or getting a flat tire and falling right in front of a car. Then of course there are little daily worries, like where my next water source is going to be and whether or not I will be able to find a spot to sleep that is not obvious to the not-nice people that my parents are worried about. But those are mostly manageable. 

Riding on the side of the Coquihalla highway. Not fun.

My Mom asked: where do I park my bike when I go to use the restroom or go into the store, etc.? When I go to the bathroom, I just lean it up against the portapotty or bathroom, which is 90% of where I use the restroom when I am in civilized areas. If I am in the woods, well you know the drill there. In that case, I lean it up against a tree. If I have to go inside somewhere, I try to lean it against a window where I can sit, or if there is outside seating, I try to keep it within eye's length. When I go into the grocery store, I have a small lock that I use, but I don't take all of my stuff (bags) off of it; I just get my electronics, put them in my pocket, and go in and hope for the best. 

Parked at the grocery store

Parked at the bathroom

Okay, that's enough out of me! Now it's time for you to answer questions! 

If you are a parent, would you worry about me? What is the strangest or biggest animal you have seen in the wild? What is one of your unpopular opinions? Do you get scared when you travel? 

Looking Back: Books + A Bonus Question or Two

Remember my lack of reading motivation in March? Well, in reading terms for me, April went in like a lamb and out like a lion. I know that is the wrong month or order or whatever but hey, I am going with it, and that is final. Due to having lots of time during the day to listen to audiobooks, I ended up reading 25 books in April, which I am pretty sure may be the most I have ever read in a month. Now, we all know that quantity is not quality, so here were my six favorites of the bunch. I will also tell you my one least favorite AND will answer a couple of your questions that you have submitted at the bottom of this post! 

The Women by Kristin Hannah (5 stars): I am sure most of you have already heard about this book, but if not, it is about the women serving in the Vietnam war, and some of the trials that they go through, both in the war and afterward. 

The Breaking Wave by Nevil Shute (4 stars): I totally crashed Jenny and Birchie's party of two for this book, and am glad that I did. It is a little dry at first, but it ramps up and ends up being fun. It's about an Australian man in WWII who goes through a lot and then tries to find his brother's old girlfriend to help tie up loose ends. Of course there are a few twists and turns along his search, but he ends up exactly where he needs to be. 

The Teacher by Freida McFadden (4 stars): Thrillers are my romance novel. Plop me down with a killer on the loose and a backstabbing wife and I am there. This one is about two teachers, the nice English teacher husband and the cold mean Math teacher wife. Throw in a misunderstood loner high school girl who has both of their classes and a crush on the Mr. and you have a good time for all! 

The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang (4 stars): While not my favorite of her books (that would be The Alice Network), once again Kate Quinn has told a good story. Set in 1906 San Francisco right before the big earthquake and fire that destroyed half of the city, this book is about vice, deceit and friendship. I learned a bit of history and also had an adventure along the way.  

The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros (4 stars): This is my kind of romance novel. This is no Emily Henry fluff; this one has a backbone. About a couple who meets during the war and the woman's granddaughter who allows a writer to try to recreate the ending of the grandmother's unfinished story, it is a story of love during a difficult time, loss, and war. 

Holly by Stephen King (4 stars): I have always been a King fan, and am liking his non-horror books so far! This is another detective novel, where Holly tries to solve a case of a missing girl, and gets herself in deeper than she expected. It has a bit of a Hannibal Lecter element, and the audiobook even has a verbal author's note from King himself. The one thing that was a bit odd in this book was how you definitely realize, if you did not before, that King is a democrat and is not a fan of Trump! He makes that VERY clear, which I found interesting, as I don't remember any of his other books having a political element. 

Did not love: 

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese: This book was TOO LONG!! It was a 30 hour audiobook (normal length is about 10 hours) and it goes through several generations of one family as well as having side stories about other characters. He also goes on and on about medical terms (like the bones in the foot for example). I know what a talus bone is! Move on! It could have been a good book at 300 pages, but 700+ is too much. 

Okay now onto a couple of your questions!

The number one question was...do I or will I get lonely? Short answer, no or I don't think so. First of all, I am a solo person, I love to read and am happy spending hours alone. One of my favorite things to do is to go on a 10 or 12 day hike in the literal middle of nowhere and camp on a mountain with nobody for miles around. 

However, I also am not adverse to talking to people at the bar when I stop for coffee, or at the gas station when I stop for a rest break. When you have a bike full of stuff, people talk to you unsolicited. Not only that, but there is a thing called Warm Showers, where people will host you for the night, and I have done this a few times and have had a blast. On top of that, I am staying with friends when and where I can, so I do have those times to fill in any gaps. So far, of my ~ month that I have been traveling, I have stayed with WS hosts two nights and with friends for thirteen nights, so basically about a third of the time! 

And to keep with the above theme, Nicole asked: Do you have a favourite book? When asked this question, for years I would say A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. My grandmother gave me a copy when I was small and I read it and re-read it over the years, always loving it again each time. I don't know if it is nostalgia or that it has just held up well, but my most recent reading last year did not disappoint! So I guess that is still my answer, although I have found several authors that usually come through, and actually two of them are in the list above!! I have found Kristin Hannah (in her more recent novels) and Kate Quinn to be two that I usually enjoy. 

Who is your favorite author? What good books did you read in April? Do you/would you get lonely if you travel alone? 

By The Numbers: April

It's May! As you may know, this is my favorite month! Bring on the spring time! I thought I would do a quick recap of the last "month" of travel, including some fun facts about ice cream consumption. I started my biking journey at the end of March, so this month will have a few non-April days in it, but here is what we have so far (through and including 05/01/24). 

Mileage Stats:

Total Days on Road: 40

Total Days Ridden: 29

Total Miles: 1,440

Average Miles Per Day Ridden: 49.6

Total Hours (moving only): 164

Average (moving) Hours Per Day: 5.7 (5:40) 

*my guess would be that average time on the road per day (moving + non-moving) would be around 8 hours. I take a lot of photos, potty breaks and food breaks! 

Sunshine Coast Highway

Accommodation stats: 

Established Camp: 4

Friend: 13

Motel: 13

Warm Showers: 2

Wild Camp: 8

Home for the night

Budget stats: 

*I will probably do this each month going forward, but this time, it will include all 40 days so far. 

Accommodation: $1,084

Dining Out: $275

Groceries: $310

Health: $234 (insurance premium)

Transportation: $79 (bus/ferry)

Phone: $81 (this is a family plan, but since I pay for it, I will account for the total)

Entertainment: $292 (bike repairs/satellite messenger)

Misc.: $17 (VPN, credit card fees, gifts)

Total spent for 40 days: $2,357

Monthly (30 day) cost: $1,767

This is good, as my thought was that I would shoot for about $2,000 per month, but I knew I may have to tweak it a little as I got more knowledge about what I was actually spending. I am happy with this, but know that some weeks I may be spending more on accommodation, which is my highest cost. 

Also, in the question form (it's not too late! You can still ask questions here), my friend Dr. G asked, "How has your spending changed? Do you spend 10% of what you did before?" Well, I do not spend 10% of what I spent before, maybe more like a third, but I think I will have a lot more clarity on this answer at the end of the year. It is hard right now, as I am still actually paying a lot for home things (repairs, inspections, upgrades) and so this cost above is really only my travel cost, and in all actuality, I probably spent more in the month of April than I have in a very long time (or ever). 

Peanut butter milkshake at Bend Burger!

Also, because I know you care, here are my specific ice cream stats: 

*I have put these in liters so that they will be consistent. FYI, a normal "half gallon" in the US is about 1.5 L (which is not actually half of a gallon anymore). 

Times I have been to the grocery store: 15

Times I have bought ice cream: 7

Total L of ice cream bought: 7.2 L (~5 half gallons)

Total cost: $22.56 (7.2% of grocery spend)

Average $ per L: $3.13 (~ $4.69 per half gallon)

Cheapest: Bremerton, WA / $2.10 per L (~ $3.15 per half gallon)

Most Expensive: Victoria BC / $5.83 per L (~ $8.75 per half gallon) (celebratory pint after good news! Totally worth every bite!)

Favorite Brand so Far: Trader Joes

Least Favorite Brand so Far: Crystal

Okay it's your turn!! How much did you spend on ice cream last month? How many times per month do you go to the grocery store? How much does a "half gallon" or 1.5 L cost in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite ice cream flavor?