I have always been a traveler. When I was eight years old, my parents decided to take me from my grade two class in White Rock, British Columbia to one of the most beautiful and difficult to get to places in the world – South Africa.
We toured gold mines, went on Safari and saw the big five, and stayed at what I still consider to be the most incredible resort I’ve ever been to – Sun City.
Since that trip I haven’t looked back. As soon as I graduated from high school I fell in love with Asia. I backpacked from Beijing to Shanghai and Hong Kong, saw some of the most beautiful beaches in the world in Malaysia, and spent nearly two months jumping from town to town in Thailand. It only made sense that in my adolescence I should start a travel blog and keep track of all the experiences I held so dear.
After college, I quickly accepted a job as a travel writer and manager of business development at a luxury tour operator. This job allowed me to visit the Masai Mara in Kenya, the fjords of Norway, lesser known parts of South America and Europe, and even to return to the place where my wanderlust all started – South Africa.
I’ve been back to South Africa twice since I was a child, and it is undoubtably my favorite place in the world outside of my hometown, Vancouver. Cape Town, as Mark Twain once said, is virtually indistinguishable from heaven. I had the chance to swim with great white sharks, leap from the highest bungee jump in the world at Bloukrans Bridge, and spot game and amazing animals throughout the country.
Since leaving my dream job and starting my own advertising business, I’ve made sure not to give up on my passion of traveling. I’ve spent time in Costa Rica, Colombia, India, Slovenia, Italy, the Czech Republic, Austria, Mexico, Hungary, and England in recent years, along with traveling throughout the US and Canada. It’s been amazing – but since India I’ve found myself searching for something more. More daring. More exhilarating. Something that will get me nervous, anxious and excited all at once.
Which brings me to where I am today. Planning my future travels.
While I’m likely to go to Vietnam next year, I’m ready to start planning a more daring adventure after that trip. Which is why I’m making a new commitment to myself today. It’s a commitment that scares me. One that requires more planning, effort, and execution than any trip I’ve been on.
I’m going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
I first saw the mountain from Kenya in 2013. Across the border in nearby Tanzania, Kili is the tallest mountain in Africa. It is a serious climb, a task that most who climb it refer to as the most challenging 7 days of their life. It’s a challenge I accept here and now.
More to come soon.