Where is home?
Is it a place? The house you grew up in? Where you keep your most treasured possessions?
Is it a country? Lines drawn on a map, forged by treaties and wars and negotiations?
Once, home was what I knew, what was familiar, what was nearby. The world was unknown, full of places I hadn't seen and unfamiliar people.
We've been on the road, off and on, for over ten years now. First as a couple hanging out in dodgy hostels and hanging off the back of tuk-tuks in Thailand, and now as a family with two little travelers leading the charge.
All those years have left an imprint: Home is a mosaic; a collection of places and people, tastes and sounds.
With a million possible places to see and visit, deciding on your next destination can sometimes be overwhelming. We've put off visiting certain places for far too long and are slowly coming to grips with the reality that our desire to see and explore everything the world has to offer isn't possible in one lifetime. We're conquering our travel paralysis and making plans. Here's a few tips for any of you in the same predicament...
On opening weekend at Sun Peaks Ski Resort in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, we found out how much snowboarding, hot tubs and chocolate we could handle. Turns out, it's a heck of a lot.
Have you ever felt like you just didn't fit in?I was born on the Canadian prairies, on a family farm. Chores at 6:00 am? Check. Winters so cold they'd freeze the icicles off a snowman? Check. Big, heavy breakfasts at the crack of dawn? Check again.For a night owl who hates the cold, this is a problem.And then I read about Spain, a country with a warm, Mediterranean climate, where they serve chocolate con churros for breakfast at 11 am, and where entire families start their evening meal at 10 pm.Now that's the kind of place where I'd fit in...
Australia's Fraser Island is one of the most diverse, interesting places we've ever visited. In our three days on Fraser Island, we packed in enough sights to last a month. And we almost missed it...So what's so great about Fraser Island? In a sentence? Shipwrecks, airplanes landing on the beach, towering sand cliffs, champagne tidal pools, wild dingoes, migrating humpback wales, a freshwater aquifer, camping on the beach, 4x4 sand tracks, beautiful sandy beaches, and a fascinating Aboriginal history.Here's a overview of all the great things we found to do on Fraser Island...
We love our hot tubs.
There's something wonderfully relaxing about sliding your tired body into steaming water, leaning your head back, and breathing in crisp, clean mountain air.
We were seriously in need of a getaway. We've been planning travel itineraries, booking rooms, and all the not-so fun things we need to do to prepare for a long trip.
So when we had a chance to visit the Delta Residences at Sun Peaks we jumped at the chance.
Cinnamon-red mud splatters the windshield, and our van slides precariously sideways toward the ditch, righting just in time to keep us on the road. We don't dare stop; the thick mud is as slick as ice, and deep enough that we would be stuck in seconds. Charles and I are driving the infamous Oodnadatta Track, which cuts through the heart of Australia's Outback and traces the route of the old Ghan railway.We decided to brave the track, sometimes notoriously rough and difficult, in our 14-year-old, 2-wheel-drive, Toyota HiAce van. We are prepared for the trip: the van carries enough water to float a small navy, food for a few weeks, spare tires and a jack. Still, I'm worried that our van, which we've owned for barely two weeks, won't be up to the trip...
Need a little inspiration? Love a good read? Well, we've got you covered.Check out our roundup of some great travel articles that inspired us to get out and explore.