Terri and Peter's RV Adventures

It was the kind of night and day we rarely have in California, much less in June: a heavy, steady cold rain tapped rhythmically on our aluminum roof all night and gently continued its percussive sounds all day until about 5 pm. Rain turned to mist but the sky’s grey heaviness persisted.

Being the weenie Californians that we are (yes, transplants from the Midwest conform to their new location after 30+ years), we gratefully used it as an excuse to enjoy our roomy, comfortable trailer, reading, talking, napping and simply hanging out. This is our first day really doing that since we left 42 days ago.

We emerged to say good bye to a couple from New Brunswick, Trevor and Lorraine, who were our next door camping neighbors. They were moving on up the coast as they begin their Newfoundland adventure. How do you explain why you click immediately with some people? Aside from the fact that they are extremely friendly, outgoing, conversational, smart, funny and loved Lily and Cali (ok, not in that order), it transcends analysis. But it happened and we truly enjoyed conversations that began innocently enough and then lasted an hour at a stretch. Maybe more. Who knows.

So, when it was time for them to leave, we talked inside their van for a while, exchanged contact information and who knows, maybe we’ll meet again. This is the gift of travel; getting out of one’s usual circles and meeting interesting people from different walks of life. You find out what you have in common and learn from new perspectives. It’s truly a joy and enriches the travel experience beyond measure.

Same was true with Jason, the grandson of the original owner of the Great Codroy Campground where we’ve been staying. The campground was originally a provincial park and in the 80’s while Jason’s grandfather was running the campground, the province put it up for sale to privatize it. The grandfather bought it and it’s been handed down to the second generation now. I learned this while perusing their local artisan craft shop that doubles as the campground office; Jason and I had a lengthy conversation about the island, Codroy, history and the crafts in his store.

You can tell the love and attention that’s been put into this campground but beyond that they’ve somehow managed to create a lovely atmosphere among the campers. They aren’t patrolling with their golf carts every hour like some places. Campers respect this area and every fellow camper we met was incredibly open to conversations, being curious, helpful, and making the space and time to simply talk, throw balls to Lily, and not be in a hurry. I don’t know if it’s Canada, Newfoundlanders in particular, or maybe we’re slowing down, too.

It’s so easy for me to want to rush here, there and everywhere to see all there is to see. I want to make the most of my time in a place. But, I also see the value in slowing down, being present and mindful in every interaction and learning from everyone I meet. That’s the gift of travel.

Tomorrow, we head to the ferry in Port aux Basque and back to Sydney, Nova Scotia. Depending on when we dock and get off the ferry, we will either book it straight to Best Buy, 25 minutes away, to pick up my awaiting Macbook Air or head to our campground in Bras d’Or and wait until tomorrow to get my MacBook before continuing to Prince Edward Island.

This was a lovely day of true rest. Tomorrow, it’s enforced rest on the ferry (not so bad a life) and we’ll see what happens after that. I will sorely miss Newfoundland. Peter and I are both in love with this place. There’s so much more to see and do. Maybe we’ll return. Who knows?