The original plan was to cover 20 countries in 20 months. The best-laid plans often go astray, especially those made prior to the unexpected emergence of COVID.
No one knows that better than Chris and Marianne Fisher, who began a worldwide odyssey in January of 2020 from their native England only to run right border shutdowns and an eventual need to reverse their route.
The Fishers expected to be finished their intended TREAD The Globe (Travel Responsibly Eat Adventure and Dive) tour in their Fiat Ducato, a 19.52 foot commercial vehicle-turned-camper Trudy, but they乌鸦传媒檙e still on the road. In fact, the tour has taken on a completely different life, and may continue indefinitely as they explore new horizons.
The Fishers took time out to chat with Black Press Media while visiting their aunt Julia Barton, in Chemainus, B.C. while on the Vancouver Island leg of their revamped tour.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 like a yo-yo, we keep coming back,乌鸦传媒� laughed Chris, 52. 乌鸦传媒淚 love Chemainus, everything about it is nice. It乌鸦传媒檚 got a really lovely feel and people are very friendly. It乌鸦传媒檚 a welcoming, nice place.乌鸦传媒�
And that乌鸦传媒檚 saying something considering the abundance of places the Fishers have already visited in Europe, Central America, the United States and Canada so far.
The Fishers have become YouTube sensations since the start of their trip. Their videos have surpassed 13 million views and they have 89,000 subscribers.
A series of circumstances led to their decision to sell everything and make this trip 10 years or so ahead of the usual retirement age.
乌鸦传媒淥ur friends were retiring and dying or not reaching retirement,乌鸦传媒� Marianne said.
乌鸦传媒淨uite a few of our friends went within a year and Marianne donated a kidney to a friend,乌鸦传媒� Chris elaborated.乌鸦传媒淚 had a bit of a panic that I wasn乌鸦传媒檛 going to make it to retirement. We all want to make it to retirement to do what we want to do.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淵ou think, 乌鸦传媒業 don乌鸦传媒檛 want to be one of those people,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕 said Marianne. 乌鸦传媒淚f I have something to do, I want to do it. I want to be on my death bed saying I actually put my head under freezing cold water in the Arctic Ocean and took on challenges.乌鸦传媒�
They made that quick dip in the Arctic Ocean and everything else they乌鸦传媒檝e done to date has been entirely worthwhile.
乌鸦传媒淲ho gets to say they drove from the Georgia-Russia border to Vancouver Island via Alaska?乌鸦传媒� queried Marianne.
Marianne was a hospital administrator and Chris乌鸦传媒� last job was the head of catering at two large hospitals. They both left their jobs and sold many of their possessions while keeping their house and renting it out.
They also bought the camper van. An 18-year-old vehicle with 40,000 miles under its belt upon purchase, it has now logged another 70,000.
The trip began in earnest on January 5, 2020 at Telford in Shropshire, England.
乌鸦传媒淲e cut a ribbon, we got filmed by the BBC and we drove off into the sunset before COVID,乌鸦传媒� said Chris.
Everything went well the first three months through France, Italy, Austria, Slovenia until they hit Turkey. That乌鸦传媒檚 when the full impact of COVID became apparent.
乌鸦传媒淲e were only supposed to be in Turkey three weeks,乌鸦传媒� noted Chris. 乌鸦传媒淲e were there 18 months.乌鸦传媒�
But the people made it all more bearable.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e found the countries that have the least will give you the most,乌鸦传媒� said Chris.
With changing circumstances, including the Russian conflict with Ukraine, the trip literally turned in another direction once the Fishers could get moving again.
They shifted from Istanbul taking the camper van back to the United Kingdom for a couple of weeks and then shipping it to Charleston, South Carolina. They eventually arrived in B.C. after traversing through Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and other states along the way.
They then headed north to Alaska via the Dempster Highway through the Northwest Territories and the Yukon to the Arctic Ocean and back to Chemainus.
Chris has been taking extensive videos of all their experiences on YouTube where they have paid sponsorships helping to pay the bills.
乌鸦传媒淚 think it乌鸦传媒檚 been a real test of everything,乌鸦传媒� said Chris. 乌鸦传媒淵ou don乌鸦传媒檛 know where you乌鸦传媒檙e going to sleep, where you乌鸦传媒檙e going to get water from. I prefer to stay in the more remote places. It乌鸦传媒檚 been fascinating to see. Travelling like this you get another perspective on a country.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 put high expectations on many things,乌鸦传媒� offered Marianne. 乌鸦传媒淚 find it leads to a much better experience. I always go with a fresh open mind.乌鸦传媒�
The final chapter is a long way from being written. Chris intends to write a book someday.
The Fishers are going to tour a bit more of B.C. next and into Alberta before heading south, likely as far as Mexico, then ship the van to Melbourne, Australia. After a brief sabbatical back in England, extensive travels Down Under and probably into New Zealand will follow 乌鸦传媒� unless the plan changes.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檇 say we乌鸦传媒檝e got about two years to go on this one,乌鸦传媒� said Chris. 乌鸦传媒淭he world situation is constantly changing. It乌鸦传媒檚 like a game of chess. You just have to make sure you don乌鸦传媒檛 get check-mated.乌鸦传媒�
You can follow the Fishers under Tread The Globe on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and .
don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
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