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I Thought I Was Looking for a Place, But I Found a Feeling
During this trip, I’ve been searching for a new place to call home. But the more places I discover, the more confused I become about what “home” really means to me. The Easy Part is Leaving Everywhere I’ve lived, I’ve been okay saying goodbye. It was easy to leave Vancouver Island. I was ready to move on from Kamloops. And deep down, I always knew Gatineau wasn’t where I would stay long term. So what does home really feel like? Is it material? A space you love because you worked hard to own it? Or is it emotional? A sense of comfort and safety? Is it where your best memories…
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My New Zealand Roady: Not a Single (Literal) Mountain Was Climbed
Six-weeks into my trip I was sitting at a hostel telling another traveler that I was about to wrap up my time on the North Island and head South. When he asked me what hikes I had done, I told him none. You could physically see him recalculating my credibility as a traveler. But for me, it isn’t that kind of trip. I gave myself three goals. By the end of my six-months abroad I would like to: Now, nearly twelve-weeks in, I can confidently say that I am on track for all of them. How to Start a Trip With Mild Risk When I landed in New Zealand I…
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Riley Madaire: When the Breakdown Is Just the Beginning
Are you the type of person who strikes up a conversation with the traveler sitting next to you on a plane? Well, I’m sure you can already guess that I most definitely am. Making Friends at 30,000 Feet When I was flying to Australia for my first solo overseas adventure, I sat in the aisle, and was beyond grateful when the plane closed its doors and no one was sitting in the middle seat. And even beyond that, I was thankful that the person sitting at the window was a girl around my age. Obviously, I started talking to her, and learned that she was a twenty-three-year-old from Calgary, Alberta,…
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Choosing a Life of Oceans over Offspring: Travel over Tradition
I have always jokingly called myself the family disappointment. Not because I genuinely feel like one. But because I have never been the type of gal to follow the ‘normal’ societal path that is drilled into us as littles. So, moving through life, I have consistently shrugged off my interesting choices as keeping the title of the family disappointment alive. From getting a neck tattoo at 18 to wanting to abandon a life of routine for a life of travel are examples of what would fall under this self-appointed title. But in all seriousness, my family supports and even encourages my unique desires. And I know that my mother loves…
A solo journey through chaos, clarity, and cabernet.
