From Broken Bones to Bora Bora: How I Became a Travel Addict.

If I’m to start at the very beginning, it would be fitting for me to tell you I was born to travel. But I’m not cliche and neither will be this blog! Instead I can tell you I was born with a fractured femur and multiple other healing bones that had been broken in the womb. At 4 hours old I was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which in simple terms, means my bones break easily. I was whisked away to the specialized Children’s Hospital in the city and placed in an incubator where I lay on only one side for the next few days creating my forever egg shaped head. As a baby I would break from coughing, sneezing, rolling over, crawling, having my diaper changed… you know, life’s typical daily activities. Most parents get good at distinguishing the ‘feed me’ cry from the ‘change me’ cry… my parents could also pick out the ‘I’m broken’ cry.

I spent a lot of my childhood in and out of hospitals, operating rooms, casts and physical therapy, although definitely not as much as the medical professionals would have liked…but, I had other stuff to do. I had street tag to play, karaoke to sing, backyard camp out dates with friends, major league baseball players to crush on and caterpillars to catch. I loved the outdoors! As a baby I slept best half naked by an open window and as an adult I still welcome the bright sun waking me up in the early morning. I liked picking out the worms and crayfish on fishing trips and letting family bury me in the sand. I was always drawn to the water. One of the few places I didn’t cry as a baby was in mom and tots swim class. While the other kiddies kicked and screamed, my mom tells me I was most content just floating. Maybe my body liked the weightlessness and freedom of the water. Maybe I’ve just got my dad’s east coast Nova Scotia genes.

My first travel outside of North America was to Mexico with my mom. I was 15 and I had convinced my parents that a trip down south was exactly what I needed before going in for my biggest, most complicated surgery later that summer – a 10 hour operation on my back to stabilize my curved spine. I had just taken a grade 10 Spanish course the semester prior so I added to my argument that a trip to Mexico would give me excellent practice! I fell in love with a week of sunshine, blue waters, relaxing ocean waves and a whole new culture with bright beautiful colors, music and food. Those calming memories did serve me well through my anxious hospital stay.

A few years later I had the opportunity to attend World Youth Day in Australia, complete an exchange program in England, and was invited to perform at a Synchronized Swimming Festival in Kyoto, Japan. I loved seeing both the similarities and differences in other countries. I loved picking up on new languages, trying new foods and realizing there was so much more to a city or culture than I thought I knew. Here at home in Toronto I’m lucky to live in one of the most diverse and multicultural cities in the world. Meeting people who have come from all around the globe and hearing their stories fuels my desire to experience the world near and far.

When Mark and I first began talking, one commonality that connected us early on, even before meeting, was that we had both recently taken the 72 hour train ride between Toronto and Vancouver, passing through all of Western Canada and the Rocky Mountains in coach class. Although Mark hadn’t been outside of North America prior to meeting me, he shared that same craving for adventure. Helloooo travel partner for life!

After getting engaged we agreed that our honeymoon would be the start of really living out our bucket list adventures. First up on that list? Bora Bora! With proper planning, budgeting and monetary gifts from our generous wedding guests, we made our first big travel dream a reality. When we emerged from the sand and rolling Pacific waves 10 days later with images of dazzling marine life, water hammocks and starry nights on replay in our heads, we knew this was only the beginning.

So here we are, 7 years later and 21 countries landed together! Maybe in some way my disability did set me up for travel. I’m a natural planner. I think ahead, I prepare. I problem solve, I adapt. I’ve had to. I’m resourceful, I’m used to places that aren’t designed for me. I’m perfectly comfortable with being the minority. Add in Mark with a little bit of muscle and some help from strangers here and there and there’s no reason we can’t continue to make our path around this world! (Well, maybe except for that darn Corona….)

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