A Journal: How to prevent cabin fever in a small BC town Day 6

A Journal: How to prevent cabin fever in a small BC town Day 6

Spending multiple days up north in small BC towns with extended family over the holidays can bring on conditions like cabin fever. Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, bursts of random laughter, intense boredom, paranoia; excessive sleep….the list of mental instabilities just goes on and on. On the flipside, embracing small town life outdoors can make your time spent in remote towns all the more interesting.  Follow my journal style exploration on how to embrace a local’s way of life in Northern BC - a reminder to adventure-on when the cabin fever sets in and not go stir crazy.

Day 6: Find the best cabin in town

Embracing my boredom and finding a way to face my cabin fever became the final chapter of my small town journey. Although it can be somewhat uncomfortable, one of the best ways of dealing with intense feelings of any kind is to fight the dragon head on.

Since my dragon has been cabin fever, I had no choice but to work my small town network and find the most interesting cabin in town. Just putting it out there opened new doors… literally. Ask and you will receive.

Soon enough I had a handful of cabin options to explore, but none quite as interesting and different as my man’s Uncle Wayne. The ultimate outdoorsman, fisherman, trapper, hunter and taxidermist complete with all the big boy toys like boats, quads and snowmobiles.

Wayne is a different breed. He’s been hunting, stalking and stuffing grizzly bears and other big game animals with his brother for over 20 years. He has more mounted wildlife on display in his cabin than any one lodge or structure I have ever seen before. Between the crossbows, rifles, photos and conversations, I learned a lot about his lifestyle. From caribou, mule deer, elk, moose, big horn sheep, lynx, wolverine, grizzly and marten, his cabin took the term man cave to a whole new level. Chilling in his home and learning about his kill was so completely out of my tree hugging world. Uncle Wayne hunts these animals for their meat. He believes that wild game has no chemicals or bi-products and is therefore healthier than store bought meat. Taxidermy is an art form and a way to supplement his income while educating people on Canadian wildlife. Preparing these animals for display has allowed him to visually show people how majestic these animals really are. Uncle Wayne also believes that wild life management is a necessity in order to keep a healthy population in the wild.

Not only did I get to handle his firearms, but I also got to pick his mind. I knew this opportunity may never present itself again. My father always taught me when travelling to embrace a culture and befriend it’s people no matter where you are in the world,and I can only assume he meant even in small towns like Terrace, BC.

Hanging out at Uncle Wayne’s cabin provided me with both an unparalleled educational experience and an entertaining afternoon learning about someone else’s world. Vive la difference!

Bottom line, a change of scenery can make feelings of craziness go away, at least for a few hours.

Enjoy this very special blog series geared for those who visit relatives in small BC towns.

Psssttt ! Envoie-ça à ton ami!

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