I almost feel like I was born a traveller. One of my earliest memories is from 1975 on a family trip when I was 8 years old. We travelled from Toronto to St. Lucia in the Caribbean. This was not an easy trip. Back then, it took at least two commercial flights to even get close to the Caribbean and then, you had to island hop in a ridiculously tiny plane.
I’ll never forget my poor father, a man who really suffers from motion sickness, who barely held it together as we flew from one small Caribbean island to another until we reached St. Lucia. But I loved it. Every little bump, swish and drop that we had in these planes made my heart race with excitement.
And then, there were the views. I couldn’t believe the sights that I was seeing: the ridiculous blues of the Caribbean Sea and the untouched jungles that seemed to envelope everything else. Nothing looked or felt like anything that we had left behind in cold, dark, and snowy Toronto.
The days that followed were amazing. Feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin, and spending all day every day diving in the waves of the ocean or the hotel pool was a dream come true.
But, one day, my mom decided that we should explore the island. She was curious to see the sugar cane fields. I remember feeling really annoyed. What kid wants to get dressed and explore when there are beaches and a pool waiting for you?
However, I will never forget that day. We left this pretty hotel with all the comforts that I just expected in my life (like running water, a comfortable bed, and lots of food) and drove inland. After that, all that I remember seeing is poverty.
I saw one room huts made out of scraps of corrugated metal, dirt and garbage. I saw people barefoot, women walking with baskets on their heads and babies strapped to their bodies as they worked, and open fires burning everywhere.
And then, we were back at the resort. I was devastated. All I wanted to do was go back, get out of the car, walk, explore, talk to the people, and just learn. I was so completely and utterly curious about what I had just seen.
That experience triggered something deep inside me. Ever since then, I have been insatiable about travel and seeking out different cultures. The more remote, different, untouched and authentic, the better.
In my estimation, I have taken my four children to 45 countries, mostly since 2012. Those include Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, many European countries, Jordan, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. On my own or with my husband, I have been to around 75 countries.
Prior to 2012, when they were little, I kept things simpler and went to warm destinations with beaches or theme parks, in Mexico, Hawaii, and many other parts of the United States. My budget was smaller, and the challenges of travelling with four young children kept me closer to home. But once my youngest child turned seven years old, it was time to explore the rest of the world and try new adventures. And I haven’t looked back.
I created this blog to share my adventures, travel tips and experiences with you. From travelling with my family, or just my husband, girlfriends or all alone, I have put together my personal itineraries and recommendations for you.
I hope to share travel and destination secrets that take you into the heart of a destination. I believe that no matter what age we are, we should never lose our passion for exploring, learning about and discovering new places, people and cultures.
My goal is to also show you how to travel smarter, spending less money on exactly what you want. Let’s face it. We all have different travel budgets, bucket list places we wish to see, and ways we like to spend our days. However, no one likes to find out that they over paid – that they could have done exactly what they did but for less money.
Traveling with 4 kids over the last 25 years has meant that I have had to squeeze the life out of every travel dollar that I have spent without compromising on where I have wanted to go and stay, or what I have wanted to do. Along the way, I have learned some pretty cool planning and money saving tricks that have saved me thousands and thousands of dollars.
When we go, the more we grow, and the closer we get to those on the journey with us.
I encourage you to join me. Go boldly. Be fearless. Find places that make your curiosity soar and devastate you when you have to say goodbye.
