I’ll be honest with you… I was subconsciously worried the season would fly by at lightning speeds and the summer window would close without feeling like we had a chance to take full advantage of living on Vancouver Island.
Sure the summer still FLEW BY but we didn’t let it pass without taking us for a wild and incredible ride!
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I’m actually pretty blown away by how much we were able to squeeze into one summer here in British Columbia. with Canada’s season being slightly shorter than the NYC weather I’ve know for over 30 years… it can be scary to cut it short.
But there were 3 things that really helped to make this one of the greatest summers of our lives
1. Ease of Access
The number one thing that aided our adventures was how easy it was to get out and see or do something.
The diversity of locations also plays a large roll in creating exciting experiences. Nanaimo is such an incredible place to live where you can explore a range of diverse beaches, hike dynamically unique and beautiful locations, swim or kayak pristine fresh water lakes, hangout downtown for food or drinks or walk the lovely waterfront… ALL within 15-30 minutes!
And best of all most of the places feel very secluded and never over crowded. And when we are at popular spots – everyone is so warm and friendly.
2. Remarkable Locations
As mentioned previously there is a REALLY long list of dynamic places to see and explore not just in Nanaimo but ALL OVER the island. And this Island is so large it will take YEARS to uncover.
Vancouver Island is renown for its dynamic locations ranging from wild pacific west coast of Tofino and ucluelet to the glacier capped mountains and clearest blue lakes. Hiking trails and waterfalls, sea caves and so many unique locations to discover.
3. A Proactive Partner in Crime
In order to successfully conquer summer on the wild west coast as a family, Joanna and I collectively aligned our focus on health and activity to be a priority. And I can’t express enough how valuable it is to have a partner who proactively pushing for seeking out adventure.
An Important Note To Consider
One of the main reasons we uprooted our lives and moved to the west coast was to prioritize the outdoor mentality and surround ourselves with natural inspiration to explore and weave into the fabric of our family’s DNA.
And truthfully, it can be an incredibly challenging lifestyle to maintain, especially when juggling gruelling nursing shift work alongside a career in capture and storytelling. It’s downright exhausting.
But we wouldn’t have it any other way. The amount of unforgettable experiences we’ve created for our family, we will carry with us FOREVER. And just like the cliched phrase, A Stormy Sea Shapes The Sailor… the more we navigating the challenging dynamics as a unit the stronger our family bond will be.
