April 2015 – Anastasia's Blog

A lot of work goes into packing up and leaving for a year believe it or not. I’ve been going through lots of boxes and piles of paper and have come to the conclusion that it’s all stuff. I’ve accumulated so much stuff over the years it’s crazy! And I’m only fourteen!

I have two full bins of TY Beanie Babies, five jewellery boxes, an infinite number of crafts and jewellery… All stuff I don’t care much for anymore… All stuff that cost money… And all money that is now down the drain. I’m writing this advice to share with you as a teenager.

There are only few things I use in my daily life; my laptop, my phone, my clothes and shoes and my books. Of course for every teenager this varies – whether or not you’re a girl or you like reading or you enjoy music… I’m stating this however, to say that you don’t need much in life. We are so fortunate to have everything we do in life. Canada is so abundant and I feel so privileged to live in this country.

There is so much I’m donating to charity and giving to younger friends so it lessens what I have to throw out. It is such a waste how much money is blown on things like toys, clothes or even books, when we could be using that money for other things. There is so much stuff cluttering my room and the house and a good portion of it means nothing to me, there is no emotional attachment.

I’m telling you this to make you think before you buy. I’m not saying to go out and not buy anything that pleases you, just think about the long run. For example, I buy books that I’ve already read because then I’m sure that I will love them and reread them. One final thing, when people give you gifts, whether it’s a piece of clothing that doesn’t fit, a book that you don’t particularly like or anything that doesn’t interest you, return it. Be civil about it but don’t keep it. It clutters your environment and wastes their money.

I hope my packing up helps you and makes you think about all your stuff.

Thanks for following,

This Christmas, my parents surprised me with a life-changing decision. We were going to take a year off and travel across Canada. You see, during the summer of 2014, my parents had bought an RV. We’ve used it for small trips; going from our home town in Markham, Ontario to Quebec or to Watertown (Thousand Islands), but never would I have thought that we would pack up and go across Canada.

My mom is psyched about it. She’s always loved learning about our Canadian history. This whole thing was her idea. My dad loves this idea more and more each day. He’s the one who made this website so we can share our experiences with you. I hated the idea at first… I didn’t want to leave behind my friends, my sports or my school. Throughout the first month, I started warming up to it a bit but still wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to go. The following month, I was actually kind of excited for it. And now? Well now I’m stoked! This trip is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of us. We’re going to see and do things that I could never dream of! I’ll still miss my friends and the rest of the family, of course, but one year goes by pretty fast.

Some people think we’re crazy. I mean first, we bought a motor home and then we decide to pack up and take one year off. Definitely crazy. However, this trip is going to give us a better education as well as a better bonding experience as a family.

Here’s the plan : We leave once I finish this school year (at the end of June 2015) and we will return at the beginning of August in 2016. Thirteen months for all the provinces and territories.

P.S. We even have our own logo… featuring guess who?