Voyager

Voyager - No, not Star Trek...

I've done a fair amount of travelling in my day. I thought I'd share with you some of my thoughts on the places I've visited and where I'd like to visit in the future. I left out the part about the sandy beaches and the hot sun in case any unwary Canadian happens to stumble across this page! ;)

The True North...

lovely-lovely - say that you love me...

Although I have visited some very cool places, I would have to say that Canada remains my favourite country. I love the diversity of the landscape, from the three oceans that surround us, to the mountains, prairies and forests. I have travelled all accross Canada and visited almost all of the provinces. Someday I hope to travel north to see the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, the two remaining regions which I have not yet visited. I also love the diversity of the people of Canada. Canadians are not only those of us lucky enough to have been born here, but also people from countless other countries of the world who now call Canada home. The multicultural makeup of Canada is one of our country's most important assets. I love that when I travel to other countries, the native peoples often say how much they like Canada. I feel proud and privileged to be a Canadian, and will always remember my heritage, no matter where life may lead me.

The Southern Cross...

platypus

In 1988 I moved to Brisbane, Australia with my family, while my father was on sabbatical leave. It was a fabulous experience that I will remember always. I attended Indooroopilly State High School (uniforms optional!) where I met some very dear friends with whom I am still in contact today. While in Australia, I had the opportunity to travel around and see much of the eastern and central parts of the country. I travelled as far north as Cairns (Great Barrier Reef), as far south as Melbourne, and inland to Charleville. I saw some very interesting things which are uniquely Australian - the Royal Flying Doctor service, kangaroos, emus, redback spiders (yikes!) and many others. The thing I liked the most about Australia was the people. Australians are among the most friendly, laid-back agreeable people I've ever met. On a recent trip around Europe (see later section!), I met many young Australians who made my travels an absolute joy. I think that without some of my new found Australian pals the European trip wouldn't have been quite the same! I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Australia and definitely plan to return someday soon.

Hecho en Espa�a...

ole

Yet another sabbatical brought me and my family to Alicante, Spain. This experience was entirely different from the previous sabbatical in that we were travelling to a country where the native tongue was not English. Luckily, I had studied a bit of Spanish during my university degree. I was able to "get by" with my limited Spanish on most occasions. My Spanish was no where near fluent when I left, but I did pick up a great deal. Again, I got to travel around and see much of the country. We took a wonderful car trip around Spain, starting in Alicante, and travelling south to Granada, Gibraltar, and Seville, and then north to Cordoba, Madrid and a few other fascinating places. Spain is a wonderful place to visit if you are interested in history, geography, art, music, food... the list is endless! I learned a great deal about European and world history during my 6 months in Spain. I also learned alot about myself, and how to deal with people when no common tongue is shared. Because of striking cultural differences, I had to deal with some issues which I had come to take for granted, such as equality for women, civic pride, and animal rights. I won't go into too much detail here, but suffice it to say I experienced a hefty case of culture shock after moving to Spain. Encountering the "other side" of these issues helped me to understand and appreciate just exactly what I have to be thankful for in my home country. My experiences in Spain were at times difficult, but overall most enjoyable and educational. I would like to return someday in the future to see how the country changes in the coming years.

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