Finding your reason to travel

Everyone who travels has their own story about why they are compelled to do so. Here is mine.

Growing up right beside the railroad tracks in the tiny prairie town of Marquette is what first sparked my curiosity. Passenger trains were the most exciting part of any day! We’d hear the distant whistle, race to a good vantage point, and wait.

I remember feeling the ground rumble as they passed by, and the non-stop blasts of hot air. I’d watch until long after they disappeared on the horizon. Always wondering who those people were that got to ride on passenger trains and where they were going.

My first opportunity to travel came at 13, when my brother Michael promised I could visit him in Thunder Bay, Ont., if I earned good grades. So I did. Three other brothers and my mom drove me through the spectacular Canadian Shield — a dramatic contrast to the flat landscapes that I knew. After a few weeks in Ontario, Micheal put me on a plane to fly home to Winnipeg, and I got to experience my very first flight.

At 15, I travelled to Brooks, Alta., to babysit for my brother Fred. He and his wife took me on day trips to explore Lethbridge, Calgary, Calaway Park, and Banff, where I first saw the Rocky Mountains. The most meaningful part of that summer, though, was spending precious time with my infant nephew and godson, Jeffrey, whose life was heartbreakingly short.

By 19, I was working at Camp Stephens on Lake of the Woods. For the next four summers, Northwestern Ontario became my second home. It was there that I found my love for adventure through wilderness canoe trips, kayaking, sailing, and swimming. I also learned about self-reliance, resilience, and the deep appreciation for the outdoors that I still maintain today.

My first big trip outside of Canada happened at the age of 20, during my days at university. I signed up for a spring break bus tour to Daytona Beach, and after a 48-hour ride, got to spend five carefree days in Florida. It’s the first time I saw the Atlantic Ocean, and found myself enamoured by its endless horizon. It reminded me of the flatness of the vast Canadian prairies where I roamed as a kid.

Adventure travel eventually became my passion. At 29, eight girlfriends and I paddled three canoes for 31 days across nearly 500 kilometres of Northwestern Ontario. We traveled from one full moon to the next, from Ear Falls to Pickle Lake, with only essential supplies. With a mid-point food drop and predetermined launch and pickup points, it was an ambitious wilderness expedition that demanded careful planning. It all worked out beautifully, and I cherish those memories today.

Around the same time, work began taking me away from home, too. My first ‘business trip’ was to Toronto in 1998, to meet with advertisers for a newspaper that my sisters and I had launched. Then, an internship with Winnipeg production company, Buffalo Gal Pictures, led to my first overseas travel, where I got to attend the MIPCOM television conference in Cannes, France, and the Mannheim-Heidelberg Film Festival in Germany.

In 2001, I returned to the wilderness as one of eight participants in Quest for the Bay, a five-part History Channel series. Over 61 days, we rowed a 19th-century York boat from Winnipeg to York Factory, using only 1840s period-appropriate clothing, gear, and equipment. It meant no sleeping bags, rain gear, insect repellent, or even toilet paper. It was physically exhausting, mentally demanding and often miserable. It was also completely inspiring and totally empowering.

That expedition also changed my life. I kept a detailed journal throughout the journey, which became a feature-length article published in multiple newspapers and magazines. Seeing those bylines reignited my enthusiasm for writing, and launched what would become a lifelong pursuit of publishing.

Over the next 25 years, I established a successful freelance travel-writing career, which ultimately led to this regular bi-weekly column for Canstar News starting in 2012. And now, after writing 368 stories for Travelations, this will be my final one.

To everyone who has read my column over the past 14 years, thank you. For those who took time to reach out by email, who asked questions, gave advice, and shared with me about your own travel experiences, thank you. You made this journey so meaningful and worthwhile. Without you, it wouldn’t have even been possible in the first place. May you continue to find your own reasons and desire for traveling.

Looking back now, I realize that becoming a travel writer wasn’t a straight path for me. It was an ever-changing journey that first began beside prairie railroad tracks, meandered through multiple wilderness adventures, blossomed through different work opportunities, and continues to bloom today — with the same curiosity that first made me wonder where those awesome passenger trains were going.

It’s been an honour, and a pleasure, writing travel stories for you over the years. If you’d like to continue following my journey as a writer, you will find me over at www.inspirementmagazine.com

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.