Where I've been... Where I'm From...

I am a advocate of travelling and experiencing other cultures. I think it is a necessary part of understanding our own significance as well as our own insignificance. It allows us to see humanity, issues, and the world from different perspectives and invokes empathy, understanding, and action. I have had the privilege of travelling to many amazing places in the world with so many more places I wish to go. The top 5 places I have travelled are:

5. Yukon and Alaska- There is something memorable to me about nature. It sooths my soul and makes me feel at home. I love the Majesty of mountains and coming from Northern Alberta I find trees to be a comfort. We went on a trip here years ago with my family and it left a lasting impression. My husband and I plan to travel there together in the next couple of years as it is something he has not got to do yet.

4. Victoria BC- There is something appealing about Victoria for me. With its warm climate, funky shops, and culture, it is a great place to go. I personally love BC, it has always been one of my favourite places to go though I must say I would love to do a trip out East.

3. New York- I love people watching and what better place to do so than NY! I honestly loved everything from the hustle and bustle to the noise, from the people and places to the museums (oh and I cannot forget the food... oh my the food was amazing!). There is something gritty and real about NY, and by that I mean that you see people in all walks of life all occupying the same space. Some are not afraid to approach you because they have such a small window of opportunity to do so, and others fold within themselves not wanting to be bothered the outside world.

2. Taiwan- My gosh what an amazing experience it was to go to Taipei. The only thing that made this trip hard was the fact that I was 4 months pregnant when we went (something that does not go well with 40 degree Celsius weather and 100% humidity). That being said I love history and buildings, something Taiwan has in spades. If I have one thing to say about Taiwan it is that the people there were so friendly. When we first arrived off the plane I will admit I was more than a little overwhelmed. It is amazing to see so many people living in such a small place. I was proud of how self reliant I became while we were there, I even became the subway planner for the day. Funny fact though, as much as I wanted to try much of the food I mostly lived off of 7-11 Pringles and water (pregnancy was not nice to me- morning sickness for 9 months!) while I was there. My husband was a lot more adventurous and tried a variety of local favourites.

1. France/Cannes- This will be my favourite forever because it was the first time I travelled out of Canada and I was 18. The first time you do anything big in life I think it is almost overwhelming to adjust to at first. I was very much a country girl out of my league when I went to France that first time. It did not take me long to fall in love with it though. Like NY, Paris has a grittiness to it, though maybe I feel its a bit more whimsical at the same time. You cannot help but feel romantic in both France and Nice. I loved visiting the old castles and also the perfume Fields. We got to go for a brief day trip into Monte Carlo and Italy as well. I would love to go back to Europe and travel around for a few months. I have family in Germany that I would like to meet and have always wanted to go to Prague.

Ok so those are some of the places I have been. As wonderful as it is to travel I seriously feel there is no place like home. I was born and raised in Alberta, and I still live here to this day. There are different types of beauty you can see from the plains, to the forests, to the mountains. My husband came across a touching video about Alberta and I thought I would share it with you. Hope you enjoy my home.