They spent time there for extended periods between 1966 and 2003. For more information on that topic visit their web site at http://anthropology.uwaterloo.ca/WNB/WestNewBritain.html. Between them, they have published 11 books in an effort to help others understand and make sense of a society that is different from ours in North America.
    The couple had done some camping with a rented trailer in the 70’s and discovered a culture they knew little about: full-time RVers. Their curiosity as to why some people hit the road full-time in their recreational vehicles became a study in 1993 when David and Dorothy went on a 15 month field trip to experience the RV life-style and “were stunned with what they found.” They discovered that full-time RVers, though they may not have a home base, have all the necessary ingredients for a successful life and retirement: something interesting and challenging to do; a community of people that you care about and who care about you, often that’s peers not just kin; and control over your life, to make one’s own decisions about everyday matters. RVers argue that is built-in to their lifestyle. They may begin their RVing journey on a quest but what they find is community.  Many claim to have made more friends and established more close relationships then they ever did when they owned real estate. The Counts RV experience led to a book in 1995 titled Over the Next Hill, which is not a “How to” manual but a look at the sociological aspects of recreation vehicle living.  
    Since moving to the Central Okanagan from Samoa in 1999 the Counts find they have a wealth of community and connections to people with family nearby and a network of friendships. They enjoy adjunct status at UBCO and OUC and are involved with the Society for Learning in Retirement (SLR). David serves on the board of directors and both he and Dorothy lead study groups as well as pursue their own interest in learning new things – a recognized key to keeping the brain young and healthy. They are presently taking a photography course at SLR and are learning that their digital camera can do a lot more than they had previously been aware. David believes
    “SLR is a salvation for a lot of people and is one of the very important things that we need to develop in our society. Retirement is a relatively new social form. We don’t have any cultural traditions that tell us how to be retired. There are a lot of studies in gerontology that tell us that people who have been workaholics, retire and die because they don’t know what to do with their lives.”
For course information visit the SLR website at www.slrkelowna.ca or phone 448-1203.
    David and Dorothy are avid hikers. They occasionally venture out with the Vernon Outdoor Club and each year take part in a week long camping and hiking venture in the Alberta Rockies with a group called Skyline Hikers; a non-profit organization that is operated by volunteers and offers 6-day summer wilderness camps. www.skylinehikers.ca
    Says David: “Anthropology isn’t just what you do, it is who you are.”

Donna Duke, Act III