MIA goes M.I.A: How I caught the travel bug

 

Curiosity killed the cat, at least that how the saying goes right? Well not in my opinion. In my opinion curiosity helped the cat grow, learn, and evolve. I like to think of myself as a curious person, curious about other countries, cultures, and lifestyles. Curious about what makes different parts and people of the world unique

It is this curiosity that lead to my passion for travel. My passion to explore lands that are so diverse and different from the one I grew up in. To listen to the languages, to enjoy their foods, to take in the beauty of their landscapes.

It is this reason why I decided to start writing about my travel experiences. My whole life I have been the sports girl, the athlete, the sports reporter. But travel has also been a huge part of my life, a quieter part of my life, and now I am using this outlet to share that part of my life with you.

So where did this curiosity come from?  I believe it starts with the fact that I am a first generation Canadian. My parents moved from South Africa the year before I was born to give our family a better life.

For my first birthday, I took my first trip across seas to visit my family in South Africa. Every other year until I was 16, I would go back. Each time seeing a new part of that society. From safaris, to towns, to the poverty of Zimbabwe, to the dangers of Johannesburg, I experienced it all first hand

Then there is the fact that my father, a cinematographer, is also a photographer. His wildlife and landscapes have been featured in The National Geographic. So as a child I would have the opportunity to travel a lot with him.

No matter where we were in the world, he found beauty. Car rides would seem endless because of all the “photo opp” stops we would have to take. I soon learned to see the beauty through his “lenses” his eyes. The colours of the sun, the beauty of the mountain range, the pureness of the wildlife.

As I grew older, my travel adventures changed. Less with my family and more so with my tennis coach as I tried to pursue a professional tennis career. I would still travel to this amazing places, Costa Rica, Panama, you name it, but no longer for leisure, it was no for work.

I no longer had free time to explore the beauty, instead I explored hotel rooms, lobby restaurants, and tennis courts.

I loved being an athlete, but I hated traveling to these amazing places, and not being able to learn, to explore, to experience. The curiosity was still there but it wasn’t fed, it wasn’t satisfied.

And so when professional tennis didn’t work out for me, I made a promise to myself. A promise to never give up that need, that want to travel. I wanted to go back to all of the places I went as an athlete but this time as a student ready to learn about what each and every places I was fortunate enough to visit had to offer. My mind was my new notepad, blank page after blank page just waiting to be filled with experiences.

I have been so fortunate to have traveled to many different places. There was the Europe back pack trip my best friend that took us through the valleys of Germany to the top of the Eifel Tower in France.  There was the Barcelona to Cannes road trip with mom and pop. There was the solo trip to Thailand. The ski adventure in Whistler, and most recently the first real trip my boyfriend and I took to Cabo as a couple.

Each one of these trips offered different experiences, opened my eyes to different cultures, and interestingly taught me something new about myself.

Yes, the job title on my business card is sports reporter with the National Lacrosse League, and yes I love my job and wouldn’t dream of doing anything else as a career, but as a person, I am so much more than just my title.

As a person I am a reporter, a writer, and explorer, an adventurer, a traveler, a student, and a curious cat, and I hope to continue to grow, and learn, and experience until my very last breath.

I already have my next adventure planned, and this one is right in my own back yard. Since this is Canada’s 150^th birthday and all the National Parks are free, I decided to make a trip to one of the parks this summer. I am going to have the opportunity to explore the Bruce Peninsula and I cannot wait.

So many times I think of all the places I want to go, that I forget the beauty that is right at home. I hope that you will follow along with this adventure and the ones to come in my future.

I also hope, more than anything that you will embrace your true passions in life, whatever they may be, and that you too will be a curious cat.

XOXO

Mia