Last one out, please turn out the lights!

I have learned a very important lesson.

Being rather tall, and sleeping in a car that is /just/ big enough for me, I tend to bump in to things quite a lot. My bags, the seats, the roof, all are targets for my elbows, head, knees, and sadly, my 'man bun'.

When I come off of a trip, my first concern is making sure that my groups get all their gear off the ferry. After that, it's a power walk to my car, which has been parked all week. Walking up, I always cross my fingers in the hopes that no one has slashed my tires, broken my windows, or taken my roof box. Normally, I can tell that everything is alright right as I hit the unlock button on my keys.

This week, when I pressed that button, my heart sank. No happy flashing "I've missed you, Carter! Lets go for a drive!" lights. No peppy "Beep beep, folks!" or that satisfying sound of the doors unlocking. Nothing happened. Nothing at all. Turning the keys in the ignition, not even the engine would respond. My car was dead in the water.

Thanks to the folks parked beside me, we jumped the engine and life sprang back! I was so pleased that I went for a good 15 minute drive to celebrate. As I was driving, I decided that tonight would be a comfort food night, and I pulled in to my favourite Chinese food restaurant.

With food in hand, I walked back to my beloved house on wheels, just to find her in the same state she had been in not so long ago - dead as a doornail.

With no one else in sight, I ended up having to call for a jump from AMA. They were quick, and appreciated the fortune cookies I gave them as thanks. He told me that I needed to keep Hannah running for AT LEAST half an hour to get enough charge. As such, I drove with the sunset, from Port Alberni to Nanaimo and back.

Pulling back into town, I shoulder checked before turing into my sleeping lot, when something out of the corner of my eye. A tiny light at the very back of my car. Bright, cheery, and all to happy to be on.

I vaguely remember crawling out the trunk of my car, my bun brushing the roof on my way out. This light - that is now known as "That F@#*ing Light", was the cause of my dismay.

Lesson Learned. Systems updated. Jumper Cables Acquired.

The Birth of a Dirt Bag

Over the last 3 guiding seasons, I have called the Fat Salmon Hostel in Port Alberni my home. Chris and Char were so kind to me, being exceptionally accommodating, to the point now that I cannot pass through the town without stopping to say hello. 

But shifting between being on trip with the same 10 people, sleeping alone in my tent with nothing but the sounds of the forest to a dorm room with heavy breathers, a diverse germ pool and beds that you can feel the shape of the hundreds of other travellers who have tossed and turned in the same spot as you does not equate to rest. At least not to me. I ended up getting sick on a regular basis, due to the new and expansive germ pool of other travellers, alongside being unable to sleep around strangers/stifling heat.

This year, I have made the transition from being a temporary resident of Port Alberni to being a fully Fledged "Dirt Bag". Upon the advice of professional handy lady Morgan, I picked up an Ikea kids bed that *just* fits inside my Outback. Much to my glee, it also just so happened to be the perfect size for my old memory foam bed topper from University. Over the last few years, I slept on the first futon I ever bought, and I am happy to report that my car bed is exponentially more comfortable. I even freaked out my mom by testing it overnight in her garage.

Now that I'm on the island, I'm learning about the unforeseen challenges that didn't completely cross my mind until I was out here in context.

Challenge 1: Free Overnight Parking.

Did you know that a camping site out here can run you $30 a night? It was cheaper to stay in the hostel, which supplied you with a freakin' shower!

Not all Walmart's are equal - As I learned last night, though you can park overnight in most Walmart parking lots out here, not all of them do. I ended up driving from Victoria to Duncan so as to not run into trouble. The last thing I want is to be woken up by security knocking on my window.

Challenge 2: Social life.

I really took for granted how many people I met through the hostel. Even just the casual kitchen conversations about "where are you from" helped me feel known. As per the rules of Walmart, you are not allowed to cook outside, which would usually be the best time to meet people. As such, everyone stays in their campers, silent neighbours, peering out their windows at all the other mobile homes, but never coming over to say hello.

I have taken to using online sites like Meet Up to try and drum up some social interactions, but I seem to always be at the opposite end of the island when neat things are happening.

Challenge 3: Keeping my stuff organized.

Though I don't have much, and my Outback is reasonably spacious, having a duffle bag of clothing, guitar, cooler and all my kayak gear has cut my space in half. Though I have a roof box, I'm sure I'm not utilizing it as fully as I could be! 

My goals for my next few Dirt Bag weekends are:
1. Find a good, secluded forest space that I can safely park.
2. Form a fundamental island social network outside of Port Alberni.

3. Find a solid organization scheme that can allow me to have my full space to sleep.

4. Start a Vlog to accompany these blog postings.

If anyone has any suggestions or insider knowledge on neat places to Dirt Bag around Vancouver Island, don't hesitate to let me know!