How it started...

How did it all start?

2008... I was to turn 30 years old that summer. Everyone around me was either getting married or having kids...

Where was I?

I had just finished 3 degrees, quit teaching and was working overnights for a VERY minimal salary at my dream radio job! Actually, I had given up my teaching contract, but could not survive in Montreal on that radio salary, so I still practiced part-time teaching. I was happy, but it wasn't easy... I had no social life (work overnight, sleep an hour, teach, sleep & repeat) and it truly bugged me that I was about to turn thirty with nothing to show for (or so I saw it then). I wanted some WOW in my life. I needed a break!

"I want to go do an African safari", I told my dad one weekend... we had been reading the No.1 Lady Detective series, which are set in Botswana, and I was curious to know if the imagery in my head matched that of the real African land. There was no way though... I tool such a salary cut to get into radio... I couldn't afford an African Safari...

That's when my dad gave me the best advice ever. He was quite ill then, attached to an oxygen tank. He looked at my and said: "You know Kim, if I had waited to travel... waited until retirement... I would not have seen the world. I am sick now but have no regrets. I've seen the world many times over and if Africa is what you want, GO! You are young, no sickness, no attachements... that's what a line of credit is for. Just go!"

Up until that day, my debt was 0$. My credit line jumped to 4000$ when I booked an 8 days (I know--so short) safari through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. I don't regret one penny spent on that trip!

It was my first experience with video blogging and what, 4 years later, inspired me to get onto the "video blog as much as you can to one day get your own travel show" bandwagon!

Now that the videos have gathered views and that I have achieved a certain level of success in the media, I am going back to those videos, one by one and I want to blog about them...

So that is where all this starts! I hope you enjoy the ride!
 

Ice Hotel

Now why would anyone in their straight mind CHOOSE to go sleep in/on & surrounded by ice?!

For the experience of course!

I have to admit that even though my mom is of Inuit descent and I proudly awknowledge those roots, I think winter breaks down south have definitely killed a bit of the Inuit in me! Don't get me wrong, I don't HATE the cold and think that I can stand it better than most. Neither would I permantly exchange my snowy Canadian winters days for sunny Jamaican ones. However, with age, my feet have gotten cold and my tolerance to -15C has diminished! The thought of sleeping on a bed of ice was intriguing though... maybe it was that "we use to live in igloos" blood of mine bubbling at the idea of living this experience! So i booked a night at the Snow Village in Montreal this past February.

Check it out:
                                   

I would definitely recomment the experience and I do thank god for the hot tubs! Sitting at the restaurant was the coldest I was all night, so I do recomment a coat that covers the tushy! It was ONLY -16C that night and our sleeping bags could withstand -30C, so I have to admit I'd like to do it again on a colder night... I know! Craziness!

Kim ;)