It is said that everything has a beginning and an end. A journey starts and eventually ends but the memories it impresses on our minds and hearts are everlasting. My journey began in Canada and has ended in Korea. Along the way I have rode a camel to the Great Pyramids in Egypt, went on a safari in Kenya, took a flight to Mount Everest, set turtles free in Sri Lanka, witnessed orangutans in their natural habitat in Borneo and tried rock climbing in the jungles of Laos. The journey has been all a great journey should be: memorable, exciting, dangerous, challenging, fun and life-changing.
I'll start this journey at the most logical place: the beginning. Or shall I say my beginning. My journey started in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Halifax is a small city on the East Coast of Canada. The beach is never more than 20 minutes drive away, it's air is clean and fresh and its people friendly and warm. It is here that I learned to appreciate sleeping in a tent, the numb feeling of jumping into the Atlantic oceans icy waters (despite it being summer), and the warm hospitality of Haligonians. My city is known for fresh seafood like lobster and mussels, Tall Ships as it's a port city, the Halifax Explosion of December 6, 1917 where two ships collided in the harbor and live music.
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| Bagpiper plays at Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia |
One of the most picturesque places in Nova Scotia is Peggy's Cove. The lighthouse seen here contains a post office. This was also the sight of the Swiss Air Flight 111 that crashed here on September 2, 1998. All 229 passengers aboard died in the waters surrounding the lighthouse. Despite this tragedy, Peggy's Cove remains one of the most popular places to visit in Nova Scotia. The sounds of waves crashing on the rocks, salty spray in your nose and warm seafood chowder in your belly.
From salty air to arid, dusty desert. I traveled to Egypt to see one of the wonders of the world; the Great Pyramids of Giza. The adventure began on top of a camel. My camel was named Mickey Mouse but as you can see had no resemblance to the Disney character. Mickey Mouse was well-mannered but could have used a bath. In the sweltering heat of the Giza desert, the putrid smell of my camel added to the discomfort of being in the hot, afternoon sun that seemed to pierce through my skin. As we rode on however, the magnificent pyramids come into focus and all discomfort was forgotten. The pyramids left no question as to why they are one of the seven wonders of the world.
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| My friend & I riding camels to the pyramids |
Adventure got ahold of me after Egypt and I yearned for more. This search brought me to Africa, a land that promises adventure from the grandeur of Victoria Falls, the amazement of Mount Kilimanjaro and the exotic animals, open plains and nature at its best witnessed on a safari in the Serengeti National Park of Kenya. As we rode through the plains in an open-air jeep, the sounds of lions roaring, elephants stomping and hyenas laughing echoed across the plains. Lions stalking their prey, towering giraffes gracefully nibbling on the leaves of high branches and gazelles being hunted by great cheetahs that ran so fast they were a blur before your eyes. The experiences of a safari in Africa is one that words can not describe but rather one to be seen and heard in person.
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| Serengeti National Park at sunset |
My next destination brought me to a place known for one of the most vast and challenging mountain ranges, Nepal. The country was like stepping back in time. Old antique foot-operated sewing machines, wells for water and undeveloped terrain. Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, standing at a staggering 8,848 meters above sea level. Unlike most, my dream was not to hike Everest instead I waited to fly to it. I boarded the 24 passenger Buddha Air flight to take the shortest flight of my life to witness the most spectacular sight I've seen to this day from a plane: the Himalayas mountain range and Mount Everest. One by one passengers were allowed to go into the cockpit with the pilot to get shots of the vast mountains that surrounded us.
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| The Himalayas & Mount Everest in Nepal |
Tea hills rolling along the mountain sides, winding roads that caused car sickness, unique wildlife and long, stretches of beaches is what awaited me in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has suffered from civil unrest until 2009 and parts of the country were closed to tourists. I liked that this country was new to tourists which meant it was largely untouched. Many beaches in Sri Lanka are home to five types of marine turtles. However, many of these turtles are facing extinction due to predators, as well as people taking turtle eggs for food. To protect the turtles, conservation efforts have created hatcheries to try to replenish the dying out breeds. The baby turtles are then released to the sea at dusk to help increase their chances of survival. While I was there, I had the incredible experience of releasing these baby turtles into the sea. It was a memorable and unique experience.
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| Visiting a turtle hatchery in Sri Lanka |
Wildlife as well as travel is fascinating to me. I love seeing animals in their natural habitat interacting with each other. One of the most interesting animals is the orangutan as they are so close to humans in their mannerisms and behavior. Watching an orangutan care for its baby is strikingly similar to us. I visited an sanctuary in Borneo where I observed several orangutans going about their day oblivious to the stares from us, their observers. The size and strength of these animals impressed me as I watched them swing effortlessly from tree to tree with a baby on their back.
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| Orangutans in Borneo |
Daring feats like bungee jumping or skydiving have not been alluring to me. In Laos however, I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried zip lining through the tree tops of the Laotian jungle. Sailing through the air suspended from a cord was exhilarating and terrifying all at once. The adrenaline starts pumping and you feel truly free. The adventure ended with rock climbing up a steep cliff, this was an accomplishment for me and I'm thankful for the experience as I faced a fear and survived to share it!
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| Rock climbing a steep cliff in Pakse, Laos |
Like all beginnings comes endings. The last of this journey has brought me to a place I've called home for the past eight years; Seoul, Korea. It is here that I've discovered what I want to do in life and who I really am. From the balcony of my home I see Namsan Tower each night. The color of the tower changes and my favorite one is blue. Sometimes when the light is just right I can capture the colors of the sunset on the tower and it makes me smile.
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| Namsan Tower from my house at sunset in Seoul |
The journey has been a great one. It has shaped me. It has challenged me. It has brought my to places I had only read about in books and shown me things I had only seen on television. It has made an impression on me as I hope it will on you.
