Car Camping with Angela Chen

From China to Canada and the Northern Experience

She’s been all over the world, been educated at multiple universities, and has worked many jobs in many fields. She’s enjoyed adventures around the globe, but up until recently, Angela Chen had never been camping.

Chen was born and raised in central China, in the province of Hubei, the fourth of five children. Chen and her siblings were encouraged to work hard and dream big and then follow those dreams. In her case, those dreams took her to Australia for schooling, to Scandinavia for travel, and—after being intrigued by Canada when meeting Canadians on those travels—to this country (southern Ontario first) for more schooling and work. She found herself contemplating a move north in 2019 to the beautiful wilderness of Northwestern Ontario.

Thunder Bay is where Chen met her husband Tyler Forbes. He helped fix her car one evening, which led to chatting and visiting and dating and, eventually, camping. Forbes actually hadn’t been camping alone before. His experiences with the great outdoors were from childhood memories with friends and family. But they were both excited to try something new. They bought a tent, borrowed everything else, and ventured into Minnesota in search of Tettegouche State Park.

Chen recounts their first attempt at camping with much laughter. She says, “We had some bumps. I didn’t realize that campsites usually have to be booked in advance.” Thankfully there was an open spot for them at Tettegouche. And the fun was only just beginning. She said the first time they tried to light a fire was absolutely comical and putting up the tent was hilarious. Chen and her husband never gave up though. They loved learning by trial and error during the summer of 2019. They enjoyed laughing at themselves as they figured it all out and we’re better prepared for the next summer.

In 2020, the couple decided that camping wasn’t enough— they were going to also try fishing. They stayed closer to the city this time and went to Silver Falls, near Kaministiquia. “I can’t imagine what people must have thought as we struggled and tried our best,” Chen says. “We caught nothing but it was so fun.” Another notable trip was a trek to Pukaskwa National Park, towards the end of last summer. The idea of going to a nationally known park seemed like an important achievement for the no-longer-novice camping couple. At Pukaskwa, the two were excited to improve their skills and spend time just relaxing. “We swam in the lake, laid on the beach, watched the sunset, watched the birds, and explored some of the smaller hiking trails,” Chen says. Unfortunately the canoe rental station was closed at the time, but there will be plenty of time this coming season to keep trying new things, like canoeing and boating—maybe some of the longer hiking trails, too.

Thinking back to the little girl living in Hubei, it’s likely that getting married in Canada (with family attending via Zoom) was never on the radar. Now that she’s married and working a steady job, her world travelling days often seem like ancient history. But putting down roots doesn’t mean the adventures are over. There are always new things to do and new things to learn. “I love it,” Chen says. “I love camping. It has been one of my best experiences in Canada so far.”

Canada is expansive and there is little doubt that Chen is going to see as much of this huge country as possible. With her husband and her dog, a tent and a campfire, Chen is truly living that northern experience.