My year of travel has been fun-- and frivolous. I've learned a lot about different parts of the world, met many people, had my eyes opened. But it has begun to feel very self-indulgent. Apart from me and the people who take my money, who benefits? I always talked about doing aid work overseas. As … Continue reading Travel with a Purpose
Technically, I have been homeless for 7 months. I walked out the door of the house I'd lived in for 18 years in mid-April and will not have an address of residence for another two weeks. In reality, it has been a privileged and voluntary form of homelessness. For 5 months of that period I … Continue reading Homeless
Hearing about my six months of travelling this year, the most common question from people is, "What was your favourite place?" (Impossible to answer, by the way. So many places, so different, each with their unique appeal.) The second is, "Don't you get homesick?" And the answer is, "No." That's ingenuous, of course. There were … Continue reading Don’t you Get Homesick?
Determined to get back in the habit of working out, I headed to the hotel gym this week. As I was doing a bicep curl on the Universal machine, I noticed I was holding my left hand a little funny. I was puzzled for a moment and then I realized-- I was protecting the gold … Continue reading Breaking the Habit of Being Comfortable
I turn on the tap and wet my toothbrush, then turn it off. It's only as I'm brushing that I remember that the tap water isn't safe. I go out into the hall of my Saint Petersburg hotel and fill a bottle from the water cooler that is on each floor. It's hard to adjust … Continue reading Water, Water, Everywhere…
I don't know if she heard me in the night, or if she just drew conclusions from my puffy eyes the next morning. "So," she said. "Why are you still having such bad days? Maybe you should go and get some more counselling." I understand the friends and family members who are tired of my … Continue reading Why Aren’t You Over It Yet? A Year Later
Eighteen states, two provinces and 13 thousand kilometres driven-- I would call that a pretty good road trip! Here's what I learned. Are you making time or having fun? Is it about the destination or the journey? On my travels, there were times when speed was the requirement. A delay due to food poisoning meant … Continue reading Two months on the road: Advice for a road trip.
People ask what it's like to drive so far on my own, so this is what an ordinary day on my US road trip looked like. I woke early in an A-frame cabin by the Belle Fourche River in Hulett, Wyoming, and was out by 7:30; after months of travelling everything in my bag is … Continue reading Perfect Imperfect Travel Day
New Orleans is a city of indulgence and celebration. Bourbon Street is a touristy extreme, but the same feel, perhaps slightly more restrained, can be felt throughout the city. Perhaps it's the French roots, or the tropical climate, but whatever the reason most who live or visit here embrace it. Every event demands a parade. … Continue reading Crawfish and Beignet: Eating my way through New Orleans
Sitting in Jackson Square in the French Quarter of New Orleans, I kept seeing it: groups of people wearing the same colour T-shirts. At first I thought it was what I'd seen in Mystic last month, a group of young women who all bought the same souvenir shirt and then put them on in the … Continue reading We’re with Her: Destination Friend trips
Brave Travels 