It's with a heavy heart that the Lessard-Ringuette clan, who began their nomadic life four years ago almost to the day, put their house on wheels up for sale. It's a necessary step for them to embark on phase 2 of their life plan, which they hope will take them to the four corners of the globe.

“ The time has come for us to embark on phase 2 of the journey. I'm telling you about it, and I'm as giddy and shivering as when we decided to embark on this adventure four years ago. Today, we've discovered Canada, the United States and Mexico with our four boys. We don't want to settle down and go back to our crazy daily lives. So we decided to sell our bus and set off to discover the rest of the world backpacking and flying. Our playground is widening,” says Vicky, standing in the heart of their home on wheels, where they've been having a wonderful time since their departure in 2020.

Since they don't know when they'll have to bid farewell to their fully-equipped gray behemoth, the family doesn't have a departure date in mind. “ We don't have a plan. We give ourselves total freedom, which is both pleasant and frightening. We're going to set off on a nowhere, which means that if we get last-minute discount tickets to destination X, we'll just jump in and go,” she adds.

For their home on wheels, the couple is asking $85,000. “ We're aware that it's not for every budget. But, it really is a mobile home. It includes four bunk beds, a closed bedroom with king bed, a kitchen with ceramic countertop and stove-fridge, a swivel kitchen table and a bathroom with ceramic shower. It runs on solar power. It has everything you need to make another family happy. On the various social networking pages where we shared our ad, we got 350 shares," explains Alexandre.

This sum, combined with the family allowance they receive each month, will enable them to finance their lifestyle. “ Obviously, since we left, we've slowed down. To be honest, our bus costs us 50% less than our mortgage. We save on electricity because it runs on solar power,” says Alexandre.

However, it's not because they're fed up that they've decided to give up their home on wheels.“ On the contrary, we want to take our experience even further.Our oldest is 15.He still has a few years left with us before he takes off to lead his own life.We want to make the most of it.We're so much closer than before.These four years together have enabled us to do some family and even couple therapy. Before our trip, I didn't know if Alex and I were going to stay together.We used to say “it's make or break” about the two of us.We've really noticed the benefits our new life has had on us,” says Vicky.

If the bus doesn't find a buyer by January, the family will head for Florida. “ We don't want the bus to rust and deteriorate. We're going to drive it until we sell it. We hope it brings as much happiness to its new owners as we've had. We're really in the mourning process right now,” they say with a heavy chorus.

A mind-opening journey

Four years after their departure, their sons Dominick, Gabriel, Olivier and Raphaël are aged 15, 12, 11 and 8. “ It's crazy. Raph has lived as long on the bus as he has off it. He's never been to normal school,” says the woman who teaches them on a daily basis.

What did they like best about their journey? Mine was swimming with the turtles in Tulum, Mexico,” shares the youngest. “ Me, it's the ocean and the jungle ,” adds the eldest, Dominick. For his part, Olivier fell in love with Vancouver Island, while Gabriel preferred Baja California, where he could touch whales. Dad Alexandre has fond memories of Newfoundland and its icebergs.

What places do they dream of discovering in phase 2 of their trip? “ Australia,” claims the youngest Raphaël first. “ The Chinese temples and the City of Hong Kong,” adds Gabriel. As for Olivier, he'd like to see Alaska, while Dominick, the eldest, would like to set foot in Panama and French Polynesia.

“ It's nice to see that they have dreams and that they believe that nothing is impossible. That's what we wanted to instill in them. We're not rich monetarily, but this will be our legacy to them. We're proud to see that they're reaching out to others and that they're really interested in human beings. In each destination, we try to eat the local food and talk to the people who live there. We want to understand and experience the local way of life”, they share.

At the end of this North American journey, the eldest Dominick is trilingual. The rest of the clan is bilingual. “ They're not afraid to face the unknown. They see that anything is possible. They learn to adapt. We never felt in danger during our trip. It's worth mentioning,” says Alexandre.

Back home with their loved ones, the family can only make a few observations. First, the pace of life in the Greater Montreal area is not the same as in Quebec. “ Here, we're always on the go. We force ourselves to see each other over the holidays, even if we're tired and exhausted. We don't spend quality time together. The kids are addicted to screens and don't sleep well. Here, we consume more. On the road, we consumed much less. We were self-sufficient, thanks to the solar panels on the roof of our bus. We didn't stop at the grocery store unless absolutely necessary. We're observers of our loved ones' daily lives, and we don't know how we managed to be part of it before we left. We can't see ourselves going back to the way things were”, they admit.

A busy daily life

Although many people associate the nomadic life with total freedom, Vicky and Alexandre had established a well-established routine on the road. So much so, in fact, that their children affectionately refer to them as having parents in the army.

“ We get up early and make our bed. Then it's lunch, training, showers and getting dressed. Then it's lesson time. Then free time for activities. It may sound military, but we've noticed the benefits of this lifestyle for ourselves. We're fitter, we eat better, we sleep 12 hours a night. We're in a better mood. The kids only get two hours of screen time a week, and they're doing fine. They've read so much since we left, it's crazy. One of our boys used to be very anxious. Today, the anxiety is gone,” says Vicky, a Coteau-du-Lac native.

However, they admit that not everything is rosy.Going out on the road is synonymous with adaptation.You have to accept the mechanical problems and other glitches that can arise along the way.“ Alex is super forward-thinking and good with his hands, so he's got a good personality to go along with my crazy ideas (laughs).We advise all families to experience something like this at least once in their lives.At the very least, it strengthens their bond.If we can inspire just one to go on an adventure, we'll be happy.If people have any questions, they can write to us on our Facebook page Mon Espace Famille.You can also follow them, under the same name, on Instagram and Youtube.In fact, we'll continue to share our next adventures there.It won't change,” concludes Vicky, enthusiastic about what fate has in store for her little family.