Thanks, Mom

Aran here.

Five years ago, mom had a crazy idea. I know, I know, that’s pretty commonplace, but trust me, this one was absolutely bonkers. She proposed that four years from then, we would travel the world, and the idea appealed to me. I was but a young buck of nine, and I could think of nothing I would rather do than travel the world with my family. However, it seemed so far away, and I could hardly think that far ahead, and so I buckled down and got on with my life.

The Long Leg Home

The very last trip – the train from Cobourg to Toronto

Eleven and a half months to travel from Toronto to Tasmania, and two weeks to get back home.  Every great journey has an end, and  we boarded the plane that pointed towards home with a mixture of sadness and exhilaration.

But the world was not done with us yet. There was still a week of exploring the Big Island in Hawaii ahead of us, and after a year of dodging disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and heatwaves, it seemed we might have to deal with a rare Hawaiian hurricane.

Oz (Part 2): Oh, the People You Will Meet

As we zig-zagged our way down the Australian east coast, we stayed with many wonderful people along the way – most of them through Servas (an organization we can’t say enough about!). This is a little photo gallery of the people and places we stayed as our way of saying thanks for sharing your homes and showing us your part of Australia.

Big Oil Malaysia: A Wake Up Call for Canada

The oil drop ride: good, clean fun with a message

Originally published in Alternatives Journal Online.

You learn some interesting things in a year of travel.

Kuala Lumpur is a striking, bustling city of 1.5 million with a transit system of six light rail lines that span across the city. The twin Petronas Towers are the city’s signature landmark, reminiscent of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The gleaming shopping centre below houses the Petrosains Discovery Centre.

A science centre funded by an oil company –– this we had to see.

Winter in Tasmania

Sixty years ago, my parents traveled by boat from England to Tasmania. It took six weeks. It took us eleven and a half months on our travels, but we finally have arrived back where I was born. It’s been 49 years since I left Tasmania as an eight year old child, and in many ways the place hasn’t changed a bit. You still walk down the steps off the plane and cross the tarmac into a tiny airport.

Oz (Part 1): Oh, the Places You Will Go!

You really have to love an accent that can rhyme “Australia” with “failure”.

Cuddlies from Down Under

Eva here. The other day we were driving to our Servas host’s house in Brisbane when we saw the sign for the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. We decided that we had to go, so the next day we loaded ourselves into the car and drove off in search of the sanctuary.

Reef Teach and the Great Barrier Reef

When I say Australia, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Okay, kangaroos. But how about the second? Oh, all right, the Outback. But after that? Vegemite? Really? Never mind. My point is that the Great Barrier Reef figures prominently in everyone’s idea of Australia. So of course, we had to go see it ourselves!

A Few More Twists in Bali

There are more layers in Bali than in a hen house. There’s the idyllic island life of magazine spreads, and then there’s a whole pile of other stuff.

Ubud had been recommended as a great place to relax and indeed it was, but it’s not the place to let down your guard.

A Few Twists and Curves in Bali

Bali! The name alone conjures images of white sandy beaches, verdant rice terraces, and graceful dancers decorated in gold. From the Families on the Move Facebook group, we had heard so much about Bali and, more specifically, about Ubud – a mecca where people regularly come for a week and stay for two months. Looking to find a place to sit in one place for a couple of weeks, how could we resist?