A travel story not far from home. There is a tributary of the Campbell River on Vancouver Island called the Quinsam. It is small and quiet, with a maze of beautiful riverside paths that wind through the forest leading to a fish hatchery. My husband and I often camp in the Campbell River area and love to explore this beautiful place not too far from where we live. I’m a nemophilist, a term I learned recently that describes someone who loves the forest for its beauty and solitude. Canada (and especially Vancouver Island) attracts fellow nemophilist visitors from around the world.

I know I’m in my challenged state when my vision narrows and my brain turns my outside world into a fuzzy blurriness. My body slowly moves like I’m going through heavy water, and butterflies emerge from their slumber and slip into my belly, tickling my insides and lathering up my stomach acid. This state of challenge can be uncomfortable and scary, especially in a foreign or unfamiliar place.

I have no memory of my grandmother. She is described as a formidable woman, who expressed emotions not through words or hugs, but through hard work and baking. Growing up, my grandmother and her six siblings were often written about in the Chilliwack newspaper’s society column.

I remember nature walks as a child with my mother. Sometimes down a forest trail but more often along a beach, she would always point out little things like a colour, a plant, a rock, or a seashell that I would have blindly passed by. Our pockets would become heavy with heart-shaped stones, sea glass or twisted driftwood. Sometimes my load would become so unwieldy that I’d have to flip up the front of my t-shirt like a kangaroo pocket. Her ability to notice unexpected things made walks feel like treasure hunts.

I have a childhood memory of playing in a local, abandoned graveyard near my friend’s house. I was living in London, England at the time and the tombstones were from the 1800s. The moss growing in the cracks of the stone and the ivy re-claiming the space made our “play space” private, wild and welcoming of our imaginations. My friend and I would make up stories about the people and imagine life “way back then.” My much beloved Anne of Green Gables stories were also set in the 1870s, so 11-year-old me developed an association that cemeteries were like libraries, holding the stories of interesting people.

One of the many amazing outcomes of travel is the stories! Sometimes they are travel stories of adventure and misadventure, sometimes they are the stories behind the adventure - the extraordinary little things you learn about the place and about yourself because of being in that place.

For some people, trip planning is a thrill and a joy. For others it's a nightmare. If you've gotten to know me through my articles you'll know that I fall firmly in the joy category!

I have two friends visiting southern Spain as I write this and I am so thrilled and excited that their trips look very different from mine. Not because they are doing it better or that my month in Spain was anything less than amazing, but because they created highly personalized travel plans. THEY are the heart of their itinerary - not any instagram influencer, not a guidebook, not a tour company, and not me.

The concept of belonging plays a significant role in our well-being. In fact, belonging hangs out, right alongside love in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Belonging is fundamental to us as humans. Given that I also believe that travel offers people a way to foster well-being, I got curious about the relationship between belonging and travel.

Looking for fiction books set in Canada? Here are some of my top picks for novels about Canada. They will satisfy any bookworm and will make want to book your next trip! Explore your curiosity and get inspired to visit with these fiction books including mysteries, romance, and Canadian historical fiction.

Looking for fiction books set in Spain? Here are some of my top picks for novels about Spain. They will satisfy any bookworm and will make want to book your next trip! Explore your curiosity and get inspired to visit with these fiction books including mysteries, romance, and Spanish historical fiction.

Often when friends reach out to me for travel planning advice I quickly get swept up in sharing their excitement and anticipation… almost as much as with my own planning! I love to help maximize travel time and dollars while matching activities with a person’s dreams and goals.

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?”