I’m a self-proclaimed nomad living alone on a remote island in Canada with roaming bears

A self-confessed nomad has revealed how she has lived alone on a remote island in British Columbia for the past two years after landing a job as a caregiver.

Amanda, who goes by the social media handle @amandaoffgrid and does not reveal her last name, talked about her unconventional off-grid lifestyle in a YouTube video for Explore alternatives.

In the short documentary she explains that she never gets lonely and that she usually dreads trips to the nearest town to get supplies or go to the doctor.

During the summer months, the island’s owners come to visit for four to eight weeks, but otherwise Amanda’s only form of company is her dog Peaches and the local wildlife, including “bears, cougars, wolves, lots of deer and humpback whales.”

As for how she ended up on the island, Amanda said she burned out after living in downtown Vancouver in her 20s and in an effort to escape city life, she bought a 28-foot boat.

She lived on her sailboat in Vancouver for about 10 years, but as her previous dog Buttercup got older, she decided to return to the country.

The janitor job came about after she posted an ad on Facebook and the rest is history.

As for accommodation, Amanda lives in a small hut on the island that was ‘probably built about 25 years ago’.

The traveler says about the home: ‘It’s nice and cozy and it’s just perfect for me.

‘There is a nice kitchen [and] there is a small dining area… and there are two bedrooms.

‘The hut is 100 percent heated by a wood stove [which] keeps it nice and warm in winter.’

In addition to Amanda’s cabin, there is another one on the rock, which is rented out through Airbnb in the summer, and there is a larger property where the island’s owners stay when they visit.

There is a boat on the island so she can go into town for “doctor’s appointments and grocery shopping,” which she can use with a neighboring island in the winter because it has a roof.

To supplement her income, Amanda works as a freelance web designer. The island has satellite internet so she can connect to the outside world.

To keep her friends in Vancouver updated on her antics, Amanda decided to start YouTube and TikTok accounts.

There is cell service in certain parts of the island, but Amanda says she can’t remember the last time she called.

As for what her daily schedule looks like, the islander reveals that she spends about three hours working on the property every morning before moving on to her web design work.

Some of her chores include chopping firewood, mowing the lawn and tending to the greenhouse.

Because the island is protected, Amanda is not allowed to cut down trees, so she cuts down trees that have already fallen, or she says that many pieces of wood wash up during the high tide.

In winter, temperatures drop and snow falls on the island for about two weeks. There are big storms, which Amanda says “can be a little scary.”

Another scary aspect of living alone on the island is the bear population, so she always carries bear spray in case they encounter each other up close.

Thanks to the addition of solar panels, the island is almost completely self-sufficient.

There is a well that provides drinking water and some vegetable products can be grown in the greenhouse.

During the dark months there are four generators to keep everything running.

Looking ahead, Amanda says she sees herself staying on the island for a long time.

She muses, “I think I’m going to try to get out of my sailboat and explore this area this summer because it’s so beautiful.

‘I’m kind of a nomad, but I really enjoy being here. I definitely see myself staying here for the next few years.

‘It’s definitely taught me that I don’t need much to be happy… The isolation is something I really enjoy and I love the solitude. It’s so peaceful, so calm, so quiet.’