When some folks think of retirement, if lucky enough to do so, they might imagine hitting the golf green every day, or finally getting to those hobbies that were put aside.
Lower Mainlanders Margaret and John Herle had a different kind of plan, one that involved movement, sun and adventure.
The Herle's thrived as constant tourists in Canada and travelled far and wide across the United States and farther south to Mexico in a converted Greyhound bus. After many years on the road and 45 years with her husband, Margaret said she wanted to honour her enterprising and adventurous lifemate by writing about their time together on the road, and thus bloomed the story/book titled Dragonfly: Choosing to be Nomads in Retirement.
"We wanted to travel but didn't have the opportunity, because we just couldn't afford anything," said Margaret. "We just knew that if we [continued] to own the house, he couldn't stop working; we couldn't afford the taxes, but if we lived in something on wheels, travel could be affordable that way."
She said by the time of retiring age, the idea of "Freedom 55" didn't work out.
"We went to RV shows, we belonged to the family motor coach association and we subscribed to travel magazines and things like that, and we planned it well," said Margaret. "By about 1989 we bought the bus and thought we could convert it in a year, but that was wishful thinking.”
Eventually John, being handy in carpentry, converted the bus into a living space with all the comforts and amenities of a home. Their children were grown and on their own, so they sold their house and hit the road.
"We drove away, and life was never the same after that, but it was a mutual decision," said Margaret. "We didn't have emails or cell phones, so we kept in touch with pay phones, which were everywhere; we could check-in every day with our family, so we were never really out of touch."
Margaret said their children thought they were brave, some family members thought what they were doing was wonderful, but others couldn't understand their decision to pull up roots.
"Some family and friends thought, 'how could you do that?' It was such a feeling of freedom for us; we were both of the same mind."
The couple first headed for Alberta and Saskatchewan, then dipped south to California and Arizona to be there over winter.
"That was our first winter away," said Margaret. "The idea was that we would spend winters in the warm because John was born in the depression in the 1930s, and he had to work outside in the cold, so he dreamed of living somewhere warm."
They rambled around Yuma for a while and ended up at a rally with 800 other RV travellers in attendance.
The 2020 film Nomadland, starring Frances McDormand, puts a spotlight on the phenomena that occured, after the 2008 recession, of a growing number of van-dwelling, modern-day nomads in North America. In the movie folks gather at rallies to exchange knowledge about van-life and to find community.
However, Margaert said they didn't necessarily fit into that lifestyle.
"We had all the comforts of home," said Margaret. "A few years later, I had a nice little typewriter, and I would send letters to people. I had some nice compliments on what I wrote."
Margaret said she always felt like she should put the letters into a booklet for her kids but never got around to it.
"I joined a seniors group, and they taught us how to write, to speak in front of a camera and things like that," added Margaret. "It was encouraging."
After John passed away, life happened. It wasn't until she went to Gabriola Island for her 82nd birthday and heard author and musician Grant Lawrence perform that she was compelled to write.
"I had no idea who he was, but his storytelling just woke up something in me, and I thought, 'wow, that's his own personal story,’" said Margaret. "I ended up buying his books and deciding that I needed to tell my story, too."
Lawrence was so impressed when he heard about Margaret writing a book that he ended up interviewing her on CBC.
"He said in the interview that people tell him all the time that they have a book to write, but very seldom people go through with it," said Margaret. “But I thought [back then], I'm 82 now, if I don't do it, when will I ever get it done?"
Now, at 84 years young, Margaret just finished making an audiobook recording of her book.
"The book isn't meant to be a guide, but I advise, do your research, do what suits you," said Margaret. "My travels were such an education. I wish that anybody who wants to travel should travel."
Margaret will be giving a book talk at Powell River Public Library on Friday, May 23, at 3 pm. Books will be available at the event. Find Margaret online at margaretherle.com.
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