Awe is one of our most complex and mysterious emotions. Awe comes in various forms and we have all experienced it at some level: your jaw dropping in amazement, those little goosebumps on your skin, your breathing halted by a feeling of wow, even a sense of fear or uncertainty in the presence of something incomprehensible.

One year ago I began to prepare for my first solo long distance walk. My approach was focused on the physical preparation of walking and the organization of my itinerary. I made the assumption that any aha moments on my carefully crafted journey of self-discovery was going to be as a result of being solo, not from walking.

I was wrong. Walking was the catalyst for learning about myself as much, if not more, than being on my own.  Along with good science, the experience convinced me that there is a self-development connection between walking and wellbeing.

Shortly after completing my first solo journey, I discovered Jenny Mowbray's book, Solo Travel in a Relationship. I thought, THIS is the book any woman in a relationship who is even remotely intrigued by solo travel needs to read! It validated every feeling and every question I had before, during, and after my journey.

The Alhambra is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Spain. Yet in spite of its crowds and busyness, it can also offer a fantastic opportunity for deep travel. You will have to tolerate people trying to get the perfect selfie or instagrammable photo, but with a little effort to learn some history, eat local food, connect with people, and marvel at different cultures, the Alhambra in Granada has the perfect ingredients for a deep travel experience.

I've been bitten by a travel bug. In this article my husband and frequent travel partner shares his thoughts about how travel influences our relationship, how our travels have evolved together and how travel plays a transitional role in retirement.

Have you ever wondered what you do with the hundreds (or thousands) of travel photos on your phone or camera, especially after a vacation? Welcome to photo management overwhelm - you are not alone.

Transitioning back from your travels can be daunting. You have so many stories to tell and experiences to talk about but it can be hard to answer questions like “What was your favourite place?” Or “What were some trip highlights?”

I know a LOT of people HATE travel packing and trying to pack light can cause some extreme pre-trip anxiety. Conversely, packing contributes to my travel bliss. I’ve scoured the internet to find the best tips and tricks and tested them against my own experiences being a carry-on only traveller for the past six years.

Strongly tied to a school calendar for almost 3 decades, off season travel was not an option for my family. I had kids in school (until a few years ago) and my husband worked in the school system so travel opportunities were limited to high season holiday breaks.

I’m not afraid to try something new especially when it has something to do with travel and wellbeing. That doesn’t make me immune to feeling frustrated or even incompetent while learning – in fact it invites it.

As someone who likes and needs a plan, knowing where I’m going to sleep is pretty important to me. My planning self, though, got a shake up and a wake up this past week.

I have a wall-sized map of the world in my office. It’s a beautiful, oak 3-D map from Enjoy the Wood, a family owned Ukrainian company. I catch myself designing routes - to fly, drive, train, hike or motorbike. It’s a beautiful distraction and the bookshelf beside the map is full of travel guides to lose myself even further. The invitation to do some armchair travel and dreaming about where I’d like to explore next is ever present.

Stretching my travel budget makes me giddy. My relationship with travel rewards and the concept of travel hacking started early. Air Miles launched in Canada in 1992 and I jumped on board - slowly and sporadically building a bank of miles.

“Traveling outgrows its motives. It soon proves sufficient in itself. You think you are making a trip, but soon it is making you - or unmaking you.”

Do you have a bucket list? I find it hard to imagine, but the earliest mention of the term bucket list seems to only date back to a 2004 book by Patrick Carlisle. So it’s a relatively modern idea. But it was the 2007 movie The Bucket List with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson that introduced the term into mainstream vocabulary.

I stood very still feeling the warm sun and gentle breeze on my skin, hearing the special silence of the wilderness and marveling at how much beauty surrounded me.

I’d been here before but it felt different.

I had shifted my purpose, altered my approach, and attempted to see my regular world with a fresh perspective. Not always an easy task!

“Adventure is a loose word that means different things to different people. It is a state of mind, a spirit of trying something new and leaving your comfort zone. Adventure is about enthusiasm, ambition, open-mindedness and curiosity.” Alastair Humphreys