Deep in the Amazonian rainforest, beside an ironwood tree, our guide tells us about his ayahuasca experience. In a dark hut with his shaman, after days of fasting, he took the sacred plant concoction. It felt like snakes were coming out of his mouth and nose, he said, as all the bad in his soul … Continue reading Letting Go, Part 2
I look at the Bundt pan in my hand. I look at the already full cupboards in the tiny apartment kitchen and know it has to go. But when I look at the pan I don't see bulky metal. I see my spectacular chocolate zucchini cake, the one with the lemon glaze. I hear the … Continue reading Letting go
I presented a possible plan for our stay in Denver, that we should stay at a hotel instead of with the new friends who had offered a room at their house. There was no reply. Nervous, I came up with another suggestion, for a different hotel in a different location. Still no reply from the … Continue reading Opening my Heart Again
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.
Brave Travels 