Back in 2011, I said in an interview for the Vancouver Sun, “I don’t see myself ever going back to living in one place again.”

To some extent, that is still true. But in 2011, I had no idea that a place like Haven was even a possibility for me. My nest egg had grown too small to expect to be able to buy property, at least in the world that I knew. Accruing more debt to by land just wasn’t an option. I had no idea that within two years I would have seen enough of Canada to know for certain where in this country I’d be willing to put down some roots, much less that this location would enable me to own my property outright.

And that’s what’s changed everything for me. This land is mine. In exchange for very low annual property taxes, I have the security of knowing that I could travel the world for years, never setting foot in Canada in all that time, and still have a place to land when I grow weary of wandering.

With this property, I get another amazing luxury, the freedom to develop as I wish, without interference by building inspectors or local ordinances. I can build a small off the grid structure at my own pace, as funds and materials and labour present themselves, and know that I’ll be left alone to do it.

In 2011, I couldn’t fathom a future that included a paid-for stick house, even in the far off future. Now, that is almost a certainty. I might never live in that house, but knowing it is there just in case is even better than money in the bank.

I used to have two dreams for my life, that of the globetrotting nomad and that of the sedentary homesteader. I thought that RVing was the perfect compromise to both those dreams. I had no idea that it would be the key to fulfilling both of them because it enabled me to travel all over Canada until I found the most travel-friendly province in which to establish residency.

What was becoming clear in 2011 was how difficult it would be to be a true full-timer for any great length of time in Canada. I knew that one day all the lies and half-truths I had to tell to maintain my driving and health care privileges would catch up to me and that there would be hell to pay.

That burden grew heavier as the months marched on until the weight of it was unbearable. When I had the blowouts this spring that caused a lot of damage more than one person said I should go to my insurance company. I’ll say now what I couldn’t say then; I strongly suspected that I would have trouble with the claim having been out of Alberta for a full year by that time. I absolutely had to keep flying under the radar.

This morning, my life as a full-timer took a twist. I’m still bound by the six-month rule to maintain my health coverage, but that rule isn’t so onerous because I will be returning to a place I love that was of my own choosing and where I am a burden to no one. I’ve wandered enough in this country to be content with having a set summer camp.

But my driving privileges are finally unfettered. I can go south for the winter and even for trips outside the province with my truck during the summer without any problems. The government knows what I’m up to and considers that fine and dandy. I don’t even have to pay a supplement for the privilege.

All that to say that, for the cost of a $3 lamp (plus $9 to install it), my truck sailed through her out of province safety inspection this morning. An hour after pulling out of the shop, and thanks to my huge pile of well-organized paperwork and a not insignificant sum of money, I became a Saskatchewan resident.

I’ve applied for my Saskatchewan health card and as long as all the paperwork is in order, I should have coverage here at the end of next month.

Next hurdle, Miranda’s out of province safety inspection. If the list for a motorhome is similar to that for a light vehicle, my only real concern is about her frame being bent from the accident and her possibly being out of alignment. I already know she’s missing a couple of fuses as the horn and radio don’t work. I’m thinking of rescheduling for the following week as I’ll have more funds then. I’ve gained permission from the shop to pull in after dinner the night before the inspection and sleep on site to save myself a crazy early morning.

I can’t wait for Miranda’s legal stuff to be squared away so I can start firming up my winter plans.

Is it too early to toast my officially becoming a resident of this gorgeous land of living skies? 😀