A game of Five Crowns in the bus in Salt Lake City, before the breakdown.

Those who follow us on Facebook know that we broke down near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on our way back towards Canada and that we have spent a week at the garage. The staff has been super friendly, bringing an electric cord outside for us to have power, giving us access to the huge training room, where we even watched rock climbing movies on the big screen, suggesting we use the employees' shower (we looked pretty grubby...) and being very nice to us. We are not their usual clients (it is a Caterpillar garage, which mostly repair big trucks, but since our engine is a Cat, that's where we had it towed) and they looked at us having dinner in our Westy in the parking lot or getting ready for the night while they smoke their cigarette during their break with a rather amused grin.

We were lulled to sleep by the revving of engines and the night shift workers favorite radio station (these places close at 2 am...) and woken up by diesel fumes and more engine roaring. We found out that the transmission won't be back before Monday, so since we do not need electricity or connexion for the weekend, we will go camp in the forest with the Westy to recharge... watch the sunset on the lake, sit around a bonfire, cook outside, wake up to the smell of damp moss and earth... Nature is my happy place.

I must say, it has been a challenging week, but I will take our misadventures anytime over the 9 to 5 life. This is part of the reality of chosing to live in an old bus. And I also have to say that one of the reason we decided to bring the Westy was for this exact reason: have a second home when the main one needed repair. I must also say that we were very fortunate this break down happened less than 50 miles from a major city and not in the middle of nowhere on the Alaska Highway. Onward and upward! Canada, here we come... soon!