Taking a break from the usual photo-stream, I've decided to participate in an initiative which the travel blog BootsnAll has created. Starting November 1, they launched a project called 30 Days of Indie Travel. They’re inviting bloggers from around the world (including you!) to join us in a daily blogging effort reflecting on our past travel experiences. Each day, they'll post a new prompt on BootsnAll articles. Bloggers can follow the prompts as strictly or loosely as they like, interpreting them in various ways and responding via text, photos or video posted on their own blogs.
Today's theme: Home
For some people, no matter how much they love travelling, there’s always no place like home. Other travellers make their homes wherever they happen to be. Tell us about your home – where is it and why do you consider it your home?
Today's theme: Home
For some people, no matter how much they love travelling, there’s always no place like home. Other travellers make their homes wherever they happen to be. Tell us about your home – where is it and why do you consider it your home?
My family seeing me off on another voyage
As the old saying goes, "Home is where the heart is". I feel this is an accurate statement, though there's one slight problem when I take an introspective look at my own heart. There is no fixed location I can lock in on, as I've left pieces of my heart scattered across the globe, as I fell in love with cultures, landscapes, wildlife, and people along the way.
Some life long friends made along the way
Born and raised in the small city of Guelph - approximately an hour drive west of Toronto, Canada - I will always be welcomed by the comfortable feeling of "coming home" when I drive in to it's tree lined streets, it's rivers, and it's old Victorian style architecture, and of course having some close friends and family who make it their home as well. It's a warm feeling, with many fond memories of my childhood. However, for nearly half my life now, it has not been the place I've chosen to reside. The nomad in me needed to stretch his legs, and uproot beyond the confines of this quaint University town. Thus began the scattering of my heart, as I began to find a feeling of home and comfort in the world that awaited.
Toronto's skyline from Centre Island
I've stopped along the way and set up camp in a number of locations - From Sydney, to Vancouver, Banff to London (ahem.. London, Ontario), even stopping in Luxor, Egypt for several weeks, and for the past 6 years, Toronto has been the place I chose to reside. Along the way, I've made many Meaningful Connections, and have found many comforts in my surroundings, from favorite coffee shops, to parks I would frequent, bartenders who knew not only my name, but even my drinks of choice. All these elements have captured a part of me, and will always be comforting upon my return to see them.
My doorstep view in the Akha village
I've currently stopped in a small Akha Hilltribe Village, in Northern Thailand, somewhere in the hills between Chiang Rai and Mae Sai. Though only here a week, this will be my residence for at least the next few months as I volunteer my time in assisting with the start-up Non-Profit Foundation, Pennies for Papa. It's a big change from anywhere I've stopped in before, but the people of the village have ear to ear smiles which melt your heart.. thus stealing a piece of mine already, and making it slowly feel like home as well.
It's hard to say when or where I'll end up next. A bit of a vagabond, I tend to wander; similarly, my plans tend to wander. I don't tend to do much of these wanderings with a set destination. "Sometimes it's better to travel than to arrive." ~ Robert Pirsig. As it stands now, I'm quite content with where I am, as I usually am, though I know at some point my heart will pull me in another direction. At the moment, presently unexplored, my heart's got a very strong and indisputable magnetism towards Mexico and a meaningful connection found there-in.
The world is our oyster, and life is too short and precious to always wait for an opportune time to make life happen! Create the life you want to live in your mind, and the universe will find a way to manifest this to be so - just don't ignore the messages it speaks to guide you there. As those words are continuously spoken to me, you'll be the first to hear about them as you follow my journey right here on Where Sidewalks End :)
The world is our oyster, and life is too short and precious to always wait for an opportune time to make life happen! Create the life you want to live in your mind, and the universe will find a way to manifest this to be so - just don't ignore the messages it speaks to guide you there. As those words are continuously spoken to me, you'll be the first to hear about them as you follow my journey right here on Where Sidewalks End :)
RSS Feed
