Bed in a van...
- Details
- Published on Saturday, May 19, 2018
Photos by DianE Warner
Left image from left: Rick and Tammy Turner pictured with Kim, Franziska, Melody and Antoine.
Right image: Franziska (left) and Kim sit in the back of their van, where they built a bed to sleep in when they travelled across the country..
By Diane Warner
Neepawa Banner & Press
Traveling across a foreign country by oneself, not knowing where you are going to stay or if you have somewhere to stay, could be quite intimidating. But cousins Melody Terrasse (28) and Antoine Auriate (29), from Lyon, France, and best friends Franziska Kuner (19) and Kim Willman (19), from Donaueschingeu, Germany, are enjoying doing so.
Melody and Antoine are hitch hiking from the west to east, they started in Calgary on March 8 and plan to be in Orilla, Ont. for Antoine to be able to fly back home on May 28, while Melody will be continuing on to the East Coast, heading home July 9.
They have been using a site called Workaway, which was explained to me as a site they sign up to, and are able to find places to stay along their way where they can do some work in exchange for food and a place to stay. They had planned to work at a farm in Saskatchewan for two weeks, but ended up staying for three, as there were not many places in Manitoba to stay. Eventually, they got in contact with Tammy and Rick Turner and made their way from Saskatchewan to Arden, Man., where they worked at Tamric Acres for a few days, as well as going to Arden to help auctioneer Brad Meyers at some sales.
Franziska and Kim, best friends who graduated high school, decided on their year off they would come to Canada and travel from the east to the west, starting in Montreal on March 13 and finishing in Vancouver June 12. They are not hitch hiking, they bought a van.
Yes, that’s right, after arriving in Canada, not knowing much about vehicles, three days of many videos and pictures being sent home to friends and family asking “Is this a good one?”, they bought a van. They did their research and had found out that it would be cheaper to insure a vehicle in Quebec than the west coast, so that's where they started.
After they purchased their van and folded down the back seats, they made their way to the Home Depot, bought some lumber, had it cut at the store, got some tools and built a bed. With enough space under for their bags, coolers, camping BBQ and food, they still had enough space to be able to sleep in the van wherever and whenever they wished.
That kind of freedom does still come with its challenges though, starting so early in the year, it was colder than they expected making their way across Ontario. Eventually, they got themselves on a site called HelpX, which is very similar to Workaway, and were able to connect with Rick and Tammy to find themselves a warm bed and place to stay for two weeks.
Kim and Franziska have an interest in farms and animals, although it wasn’t exactly planned to be staying and working at one while they were here. “Was kind of an emergency stop, due to the coldness,” they explained. They love all animals, except spiders.
Tammy and Rick Turner own Tamric Acres, where they breed purebred and recorded grade LaManchas goats. Spring is a busy time of year for them, with many kids being born.
This year is the first time they have registered to be hosts through Workaway and HelpX, a good friend of theirs had mentioned the sites to them before, and told them about all the amazing people she met from all around the world. Rick and Tammy decided to give it a try, and would do it again!
“It’s a unique experience having others in the house, helping on the farm and hearing their stories,” Rick commented on the recent experience, “Everyone has a great work ethic, nothing phases them.”
