Journeys That Shaped Me

These journeys were about learning how to live and travel differently, and that’s the work I now do with women navigating transitions of their own.

Lucky Bay, Western Australia, November 2023

“Lucky Bay is the most stunning beach in the world,” claimed the traveler I met on a river rafting trip in Norther Thailand. She raved about the turquoise waters and white sand beaches along the south coast of Western Australia. A month later, while visiting my good friend in Perth, we set off to the town of Esperance and from there, Cape Le Grand National Park, home of the aforementioned beach. And WOW, it was amazing (and the water super cold!!)

The sand is ridiculously white but it was also super squeaky. Apparently, the sand grains are made of quartz (from granite rock worn down over millennia) and as you walk on the beach the grains rub against each other which creates the squeaking sound. Sounds cool but honestly, it reminded me of nails on a chalkboard!

The Memorial of Glory, Almaty, Kazakhstan, October 2023

This sculpture took my breath away. The Memorial of Glory in the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen was the sight I most wanted to see when I travelled to Almaty, Kazakhstan. Its sheer size, the power and posture of the central figure, the determination on the faces of the soldiers, all killed while fighting to protect German tanks from invading Moscow in1941. It was hard to pull away.

Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, October 2023

The construction of this mosque was one of the most ambitious architectural projects of conqueror Timur’s time in power. Its size is jaw-dropping. The doors alone are over 35 metres high! And the tile work.

I had joined a small group tour of Uzbekistan in October 2023, off-season, which is perhaps why there were so few tourists. Tashkent (if you go, don’t miss their amazing subway stations), Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva were towns that developed along the Silk Road hundreds of years ago. If mosques and mausoleums, minarets and madrasahs (ancient Islamic schools of theology and law) interest you then Uzbekistan is a destination.

Gulfoss Waterfalls, Iceland, April 2018

When Icelandair was offering free stopovers to Reykjavik on flights between Vancouver and Manchester, I jumped at the opportunity. Like many short-term visitors to Iceland, I opted for the Golden Circle Day tour to get a glimpse of Iceland’s incredible landscape. The enormous Gulfoss Waterfalls have three different drops that can be viewed by hiking along a headland and walking out on to viewpoints. I arrived back in Reykjavik in time for a swim and a soak in the local outdoor pool, heated, of course, by hot springs.

Segesta, Sicily, Italy November 2016

The story behind my visit to Sicily is rather embarrassing. I signed up to volunteer picking olives at an olive farm in central Sicily. Problem was when I arrived, they told me it was un raccolto scarso, i.e. no olives. My departure was well…that’s another story for another day. But as so often happens, when one door closes another, even better one, opens. Case in point, my dear friend flew over from England to join me, we rented a car and spent two weeks traveling around Sicily having the time of our lives. Taken at the hilltop of the ruined Greek theatre in Segesta, with a view over the valley towards the Gulf of Castellamare, this photo captures that joy. After all the divine pasta and pizza, we both returned to the UK struggling to zip up our jeans!

Bern, Switzerland, September 2011

Freedom at last. Walking through these fountains in Bern, Switzerland, and allowing myself to get soaking wet was exactly what I needed to do. It was the first week of my life-changing journey overseas (a journey that lasted over two years) and in this moment I was finally letting go of all the weight and worry and grief and heartbreak and indecision that had plagued my life since the death of my daughter eighteen months earlier. I didn’t care that I’d have to spend the rest of the day in wet clothes. There’s no logic to the actions of a grieving mother. Just a heart that needed reviving.

Sebrezac, France, September 2023

In September 2023 I started walking Le Chemin de St Jacques in France from Le Puy-en-Velay to Cahors. I’d been studying French for 4 years: Duolingo, a tutor, online courses and two stints at language schools in France, first in Toulouse pre-Covid and the other in Montpellier in the Spring of 2023. I was on a roll. So, walking a pilgrim path in France seemed like a perfect fit for me, the marriage of some of my favourite pastimes: hiking, eating French food, shopping at outdoor markets, plus a golden opportunity to practice my French. It was an amazing experience (even though I barely understood most of the dinner conversations at each gîte!)

This picture, taken on day 12, captures so much. A baguette bought at the local bakery that morning in Estaing, the walnut saucisson and Opinel switchblade knife I bought in Le Puy-en-Velay the morning I set off, the Comté, though warm and sweaty, was (and still is) my favourite cheese, and that juicy, juicy plum. A divine combo. That’s the beautiful thing about long distance walking in France. It’s a route less travelled (compared to its Spanish neighbour’s Camino), it’s quieter, and it’s so easy to buy fresh foods for lunches before you set out each morning.

Bamburgh, Northumberland, England, February 2023

Famous for its castle, it’s the beach at Bamburgh that I love more. (Oh, and the Michelin Star restaurant The Potted Lobster, which serves up the best seafood chowder, better still after a long windy walk along its vast stretch of sand and a trek through the dunes to get back into town.) I love this part of England because it’s off the tourist track for many North Americans who bypass it en route to Edinburgh, plus I have a cousin close by who always invites me to stay.

Doi Saket, Mae Pong, Thailand October 2022

How fortunate I was to find Noi’s place. In her 70s, she lives alone in this sprawling home, high in the jungle, less than an hour’s drive from Chiang Mai. In the evenings, after dinner, we’d drive to the local hot springs to wash our bodies – five open air pools, each a different temperature, and each surrounded by a small rock wall, we’d sit and fill a metal bowl and pour the hot water over our skin and hair, Noi chattering to the others gathered there to bathe under the starlit skies. On my last night, Noi made me the most amazing Tom Yum soup, cutting lemongrass and picking kaffir lime leaves from her garden plot, all part of her huge outdoor kitchen (larger than my apartment)! It was an unforgettable experience.

Surfboard Bench, Mooloolaba Beach, Queensland, Australia

In 1998 I accepted a year-long teaching exchange in Mooloolaba, Queensland. My daughters attended the same school, entering into Years 5 and 7 (I taught Year 6). Our school was a 5-minute walk away from the beach. As part of their PE program both my girls had surf lessons and nippers training (wading, beach running, ocean swimming, board paddling, and lifesaving to prepare to become a lifeguard). This iconic surfboard bench sits outside the ‘Loo With a View’, the change rooms at Mooloolaba Beach, a beach frequently voted one of Queensland’s best. After a swim we’d often meet up at this bench to ready ourselves for the drive back to our apartment. (The picture was taken by my older daughter in 2005 when she was traveling in Australia independently. She wanted to go back to see where we’d spent our magical year together.)