Blog 2/6 - PLANNING
Planning is key, as long ahead as possible. I started in December 2023 for a trip in June 2024, and worked on this project about 10 hours per week. If someone offered me another month, I would say thanks!
Planning ahead has also removed a lot of stress. There are times when I am well, and I used this energy to make calls, reserve activities and calculate budgets.
Then there are times when I work from my bed, where I can read and make notes and lists. Both these worlds coexist for me, and I make the best of my time.
Go with the flow is my motto. Plan A was tossed out the window months ago. Compromise has been an important skill.
This what planning looks like in my household: visual calendar, travel guides, maps, and to-do lists.
I have a family of visual learners. This means that I have been drawing charts and calendars, and buying books and photo guides to illustrate plans and ideas.
Luckily, there are great tools and resources online that are both informative and easy to use. My favorite links will be posted in an upcoming Hints section (all of them are free!)
The previous picture intentionality includes piles of medical supplies; the two coexist not only in my daily life, but also in the planning of every detail of this trip.
Things happen: they will undoubtedly happen during this 10 week long trip. Last month, I spent some time in the hospital with an infection in my central line (non-stop IV medication causes complications!!). Did this slow me down?
Of course! But I choose to persevere.
I am incredibly grateful that I can access life sustaining medication in portable devices. This means that I can live life to the fullest and not be stuck in a hospital bed. A lot of planning has gone into how this medication can be prepared, stored, and delivered; in fact, this was a deciding factor for renting an RV! In our home on wheels, we have a large refrigerator for storage, a table for mixing meds, and ample storage both inside and outside .
My wonderful team has been instrumental in providing reassurance throughout this process. We mapped out PH centres across Canada and matched each with the dates that I would be in the area. We counted (and recounted!) lists of supplies and planned deliveries along the way. We ran a series of tests in the months leading up to the departure date to confirm stability and fitness to embark on this adventure.
For the average, healthy person, this would certainly seem overwhelming and near impossible. I have chosen to do hard things. And so here I am, appreciating time and space, choosing to fill each day with laughter and fun.
So what is the result of all this planning? Here's the itinerary, filled with stops in nature (more on this soon!)
Québec City, QC
Montréal, QC
Thousand Islands National Park , ON
Bruce Peninsula National Park, ON
Pancake Bay Provincial Park, ON
White Lake Provincial Park, ON
Pukaskwa National Park, ON
Quetico Provincial Park, ON
Whiteshell Provincial Park, MB
Riding Mountain National Park, MB
Grasslands National Park, SK
Drumheller, AB
Banff National Park, AB
Lake Louise (Banff), AB
Yoho National Park, BC
Glacier National Park, BC
Mount Revelstoke National Park, BC
Nelson, BC
E.C. Manning Provincial Park, BC
Tsawwassen, BC
Gulf Islands National Park, BC
Tofino, BC
Pacific Rim National Park, BC
Squamish, BC
Vancouver, BC
The Canadian Train
Jasper, AB
Toronto, ON
Niagara Falls, ON
Montreal, QC