Me, You, WE
Together for longer than we can remember; feels briefer than the blink of an eye.
A little about us.
This blog begins with a story familiar to many; too many nights on the couch wishing we were not on the couch, society telling us to settle into a good paying job with benefits and pensions, friends getting married and buying homes in the burbs wishing they could afford to buy a house in the city. All ducks lined up in a row. Terrifying, isn't it? Thirty came and went and, like a lightbulb turning on, we realized that this did not have to be our fate. Without kids, school debts or a mortgage we found ourselves in the fortunate position to live the kind of life many only dream of living. We were ready to take the leap and we wanted to do it together. At every turn, with every song on the radio, every shoulda-woulda-coulda story we heard (and a lot of envy of Braden's brother and his girlfriend who were living the dream and posting amazing pics while they were at it), it was like the Universe was waving its arms and screaming at us: "GO!" So, we quit our jobs, got rid our of apartment (a sad day handing over the keys, for sure), and bought ourselves a GMC Savana that was already mostly converted. We had finally broken free.
We knew we wanted to document our experiences along the way, but we also knew we didn't want to write a blog about what it's like to live in a van. This is not a how-to-convert-a-GMC-Savana blog (believe me, for the most part we couldn't tell you), this is not a where-to-find-a-shower-on-the-road blog, this is not a top-ten-things-you-need-on-a-roadtrip blog. We want to explore culture, meet amazing people, take in beautiful scenery hand in hand, test our mettle, and open ourselves to different, albeit difficult ways of life along the way. We hope to chronicle our experiences, our changing perspectives, the surprises we unearth, and as a happy biproduct we hope to share those discoveries with anyone who is interested.
Maybe, from your couch if you leave the window open ever so slightly, you'll hear the Universe calling out to you, too.
Braden Taylor
Meet Braden, the love of my life, with whom my adventures never seem to end. He is a mindful, passionate, and intelligent young man who refuses to toe the line, insisting, rather, to question the status quo. He is a man who has gotten us out of many a sticky situations on icy back roads and poorly navigated turn-arounds. He is a man who inspires me to demand more of life; to take risks and challenge my own notions of what I think I am capable of. Most importantly, he is a man who makes me smile and laugh every day. I am grateful to have him as my partner in travel, friendship, and above all, love. I happily await, hand in hand with Braden, on the precipice of our new life, ready to jump into our next grand adventure.
Lyndsay Fillier
Once a stubborn co-pilot who is finally becoming comfortable reading a map as I captain our vehicle of choice. We got lost and took a few wrong turns along the way but she can now competently navigate us through our highway bound adventures and I have confidence she will expertly keep us on track in what is now our biggest road trip yet. One that will take us from the deep green forests of Ontario, around the Great Lakes of North America, across the vast stretches of prairie grasses, through epic beautiful Mountain passes and home again; wherever that will be when our Golden Chariot finally comes to rest.