When the Carle family pulled into Jasper last week they were greeted by cold winds and a forecast for snow. So they packed up again and headed into British Columbia, a few days ahead of their schedule.
John Carle says they plan to move on any time they encounter snow on their route. Chances are they won't.
The St. Albert family is on a 10-month trip across the United States and Canada, but won't return to Canada until the spring.
"We just wanted to get away from the rat race. We thought we'd take an opportunity to enjoy life rather than try to pay for another expensive car or more stuff," says Carle.
Most of their existing possessions have already been sold.
In the months before setting off on their trip, the Carles' managed to rent out their house and sell one of their cars. What they kept were mostly clothes and cooking gear, now stored in their new home, a camping trailer.
It took two years of saving and setting up health care and insurance, and planning out a basic route, before they were ready to go, says John.
On Oct. 1, they started their journey, spending some time in British Columbia before driving south into Washington, Oregon and California.
From there, they'll be heading east across the southern U.S., before driving back up north along the coast, re-entering Canada through the Maritimes, he says.
They expect to return home in July.
"When we first started talking about it I think we both thought it was a bit of a dream," says Kim Carle, John's wife.
"I don't know that either of us were convinced that we would actually do it. But once we told our friends and family it became more real."
Kim says the family of six has never gone on a vacation this long. When they first came up with the idea for the trip, she had suggested they drive across Canada.
Then John suggested they go to the U.S. as well.
The trip will cost them about $6,000 a month, including everything from fuel to vehicle repairs, camping and food, tourism sites and museums, says John.
The trailer will also be their home for most of the trip, though there will be visits with friends and family, and Christmas week spent in a home in Arizona.
It's not all vacation time though.
Kim says she's not only a stay-at-home mom now, but also a teacher. Their four children, aged 10, nine and five, will be taught math, language and art on the road.
Science and social studies will come from personal experience and visits to different museums along the way, she says.
"We are not traditionally homeschooling them," she says. "The teachers are keeping in contact with us and they gave us their textbooks and we will email and message back and forth. But we will be conducting school from the road."
Anxious excitement
Leaving your regular life behind for a year comes with its fair share of anxiety.
John says their last days in St. Albert were "tearful." They'll miss friends and family but thanks to social media, they can stay in touch, he says.
The trip, however, will also strengthen their family bond, he says.
"I don't see how it can't. It will either bring us very close together or we'll be home in a week," he laughs.
Kim adds nowadays that it's more difficult to get away from "life" and spend quality time together. The trip will help foster a strong bond between the family members, she says.
She worries, nonetheless, about someone getting seriously ill, or the car breaking down.
"I am nervous about the unknown," she says. "I am nervous about the stress and the pressure of pulling into a city we know nothing about."
For John, that's the best part about the trip.
Kim looks forward to seeing the natural wonders, such as waterfalls and the Grand Canyon. The kids are excited about Legoland and Niagara Falls.
John wants to see all the sights he didn't know existed, he says.
"I want to be surprised. There has got to be other communities like St. Albert where we roll into town and we find out about things like the farmers' market, or a great recreation centre or the BLESS platform," he says.
"You will not find out about that before you get there."
To follow the Carle family on their vacation, visit their blog ayearontheroad.ca.
