Thought your Christmas shopping trips were grueling?
A Canadian woman who lives off the grid has to drive ten hours round-trip to go on grocery runs, each of which costs her over a thousand dollars — but the intrepid gal enjoys the journey.
“It feels [like] a privilege to make the trip,” Hilary Messer-Barrow, 30, told Jam Press of the jaunt, which she documented in a TikTok video with over 2.6 million views.
Five years ago, the Canuck left her hometown of Vancouver, British Colombia — where she lived for 29 years — to move to Beaver Creek, a remote Yukon community with around 90 residents, Business Insider reported. She resides there with her husband and dog, Chilli.
Needless to say, the city slicker-cum-frontierswoman has embraced the rustic lifestyle, which involves enduring freezing days with only four hours of daylight, commuting via cross-country skis and supplementing her diet with wild game and berries.
She frequently documents the trials and tribulations of her off-the-grid existence for her over 150,000 followers on TikTok.
Understandably, living on the edge means Messer-Barrow can’t just pop out to the grocery store when she’s feeling peckish.
Instead, every six to eight months, she and her husband have to drive 300 miles in two days to buy groceries and attend appointments in Whitehorse, Yukon.
“[We buy] groceries, food, dog food, and supplies, and just miscellaneous household items like toilet paper, cleaning products, garden supplies,” said Messer-Barrow.
Before embarking, the couple has to draw up a comprehensive grocery/errand list via spreadsheet to ensure they get everything they need during these long-distance supply runs. There’s no driving back the next day if they forget toilet paper.
Each journey runs them around $1,250 dollars, including food, gas, and potential accommodations if the pair stop overnight.
“In winter, we generally stay overnight as there is very little daylight but in the summer we tend to make the trip in one day,” said Messer-Barrow. “We also make sure we have a fully stocked emergency kit in our vehicle in case of breakdown or accident.”
“Because the roads are so remote, it is important that we are prepared for the unlikely possibility that we’re stranded for some time,” added the Canuck, who makes the trips with her husband or solo depending on their work schedules.
Due to the hassle and expense of going shopping, Messer-Barrow and her hubby are forced to partially live off the land.
“We have a garden that we rely heavily on in the warmer months and we forage for berries,” she said. “Plus we eat wild meat and fish, which brings down our grocery costs, particularly during the summer.”
Their epic shopping odyssey boggled minds on TikTok with one commenter fretting: “What if u need the ER.”
“Imagine you forget something,” said another.
A third said: “And I complain about my two-hour grocery trip every week, and I’m 10 minutes from the store. Dang!”
While these grocery runs might evoke a zombie apocalypse movie, Messer-Barrow enjoys the drive due to the picturesque scenery along the way.
“People travel from all over the world on road trips through the Yukon and it’s the journey we get to take to get our groceries,” she gushed.
In addition, the couple doesn’t drive outside of grocery runs because they can travel anywhere else in the community easily by “walking, cross-country skiing, and cycling,” according to Messer-Barrow.
Ultimately, she wouldn’t trade her austere-seeming existence for the world.
“The people who live here love where they live and are proud of their community,” Messer-Barrow said. “It’s a privilege to be part of the community, and my husband and I remark about how fortunate we feel to live here daily.
She added: “It’s not for everyone, but we certainly love it!”
