Thrift Trip with My Bestie
Sometime in spring I had this magical idea of thrifting my way across the west of Canada with the final stop being Fat Sisters in Victoria, BC. When I considered doing this trip I knew that it would be additionally magical with the aid of my Bestie Stephanie. Stephanie and I have been friends since grade 6 and unfortunately, we no longer live near each other so it’s hard to get together and I remember in my psych education, they talked about one of the best ways to keep a friendship strong is by the creation of new memories. Well, what better way to create new memories than to go on a week long roadtrip, popping in and out of various thrift stores and coffee shops along the way, having deep convos, laughing until we almost pee, and pulling over to explore random forests! The photos below are some of the highlights of our magical time together.
Here’s the playlist that we made for the trip:
Some noteable highlights:
*Randomly stopping in front of a place so I could take a call from my doctor only to find out it was a treasure trove of thrifty goodness inside (watch for the photos with the hubcaps to get an idea! There were apparently 30,000 hubcaps collected by the man who started the General Store - I’d believe it!) This was in a small town called Grindstone.
*Enjoying the Harrison Hot Springs (though we thought they’d be hotter tbh)
*Finding a flute for $50 at the Mission Thrift in Chiliwack! My younger self is STOKED.
*Steph found a cute vase from the 1920s at one of the first thrift stores we stopped at in Golden, BC.
*Watching Steph’s face as we drove through the mountain and she got to see just how majestic they are.
*Showing Steph my favorite stopping point and looking for rocks in the creek
*Staying at the City & Surf Airbnb in Victoria which is owned by our mutual childhood friend and her family. So getting to see her and reminisce and catch up after TWENTY years was amazing! Also, if you are looking for a place to stay close to Victoria with close proximity to thrifting and good coffee, make sure to save the link for their airbnb!
*Totem counting in Hope, BC
*Walking through Giant Cedars Boardwalk outside of Revelstoke was so beautiful. How can someone see these ancient trees and think “yup, a data center would be nice.”? I don’t get it. But in any case, if you are on the way to or from Revelstoke, I recommend taking a quick 15-20 minute stop to do the walk!
*Introducing Steph to the Ferry and then jumping when the horn would blow. But the main memory happened when my lens cap fell from my camera and rolled just out of reach under a “do not enter” area. We went to the coffee station, grabbed a handful of straws, macgyvered a little hanger situation and then Steph used her tiny hands to pull it out. I have never laughed so hard in my life, particular because her ass was up in the air fiddling around and people were walking by. But - we got my lens cap back! YAY!
*The Butchart Gardens just outside of Victoria were SPLENDID. I could spend all day there just enjoying the roses and various other flora. We wandered through on our way to the airbnb and I think both of us were like little kids “OOH! Look at this one!!”
*Making it to Fat Sisters and spending our time with the glorious staff. Before we went in, however, Steph and I got photographed outside the store by someone doing a piece for the downtown Victoria, lol. I found 2 dresses + a Ralph Lauren barn coat which is going to be perfect for Ireland! But more than the clothes, the vibes in that store are perfection.
*Hitting up Citizen & Cane, a cocktail bar in Victoria that was on Steph’s to-do list. Here I discovered a new accent to play with named Joisey Mike (Jersey Mike, but said with an accent). I joked his spirit from the old found it’s way into my body. Either way, that stupid voice + character gave us a lot of laughs in the days following.
*Gas station photoshoots as we waited for the car to charge. I threw Steph into one of the dresses I got at Fat Sisters and made her pose and frolic to make it look like we weren’t at a gas station. Magic was made, baby.
There’s probably more, but I can’t remember it all - I just remember the feeling of the entire trip was joyful, playful, and chill.
I told Steph that I might make the “Fat Sisters Pilgrimage” an annual thing because I love driving through the mountains, I love being on the ferry and I love thrifting! We also made plans to check out the east coast in 1-2 years. We came home with loads of awesome things - but ultimately, it was the time spent together that will last the longest I am sure.
I highly recommend grabbing your friend that you haven’t seen for awhile and going on a roadtrip - it doesn’t even have to be anywhere far. It could be a weekend or even just a day trip to explore something you both are excited to see. I promise you, it will give you more dopamine than your phone ever will.
