My first trip by air!

This is something I scrapbooked years ago, so here is the play-by-play of my first trip ever by air over Thanksgiving weekend about 30 years ago. It's rather funny to read now...

Regina to Calgary: I'm buckled into Seat 8F - it's a window seat on the right side of the plane. Takeoff was pretty smooth - my hands only shook for the first 10 minutes. The view from up here is incredible! The ground looks like a giant checker board! We followed the South Saskatchewan River most of the way - it's very curvy. It is starting to get cloudy now. Turbulence is interesting - it feels like the plane is bouncing or trying to jump. Supper is served - breadsticks and dip, cheese, grapes, pretzels, and oatmeal cookies. WOW! ARE THE BRAKES EVER LOUD! We're coming into Calgary now and it's very cloudy - at times you can see nothing but white and other times it's like you are looking through a lace curtain. The landing was smooth - whew! Where can I get some Ginger Ale?

Calgary to Edmonton: Well, I think I'm ready to do this again. It's dark out now - the sun set while I was inside the airport. My seat is 22F - I'm at the back of the plane this time. Once we leveled off, we were served a snack almost immediately - pretzels and orange juice this time. Whoops! - more turbulence - even the flight attendants sat down this time! By the way, I'm on a new plane that has little monitors that fold down from the ceiling of the plane. They show things such as maps, speed, altitude, etc. - very cool! We're here - that was fast...

Edmonton to Calgary: Ooh! What an early morning! My flight left at 6:45 a.m. I'm in Seat 19F and it's dark outside. Snack time - orange juice and cookies are served - I think it's too early to eat. Ugh!

Calgary to Regina: Just when I was starting to get comfortable on the right side of the plane - now I'm on the left side - Seat 6A. Sunrise is beautiful beyond description! It is very cloudy this morning. We're flying much higher - above 30,000 feet! Oh - here comes breakfast... I prayed I wouldn't get eggs, but here they are along with ham, fruit, and a muffin. You cannot see a thing through these clouds - what a rough descent! I'm glad those eggs are down a ways!

The things that hold us back...

We all have prisons. My prison was fear.

I was afraid to leave the house. I was afraid whenever a family member left. What would happen to them? What would happen to me? My wonderful imagination would conjure up car accidents galore, usually with no survivors. I can’t imagine the stress I put my body under while these scenarios ran through my mind. It couldn’t have been good.

So, what changed? I had to fight my way through it. It wasn’t a one-and-done situation in prayer. Fear was a daily (and sometimes hourly) fight – a fight to live and experience life outside the house I grew up in. The enemy wanted me bound, but God had a different plan for me.

John 10:10 in the Amplified version of the Bible says, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].”

If you’ve never heard this verse before or if you wonder what it means, the thief refers to our enemy, the devil, who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). The “I” as in “I came” is Jesus, the One who has abundant, full and eternal life to offer us. Finally, the abundance refers to wholeness – spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, relational, and more!

The enemy wanted to keep me in a small life. He wanted to prevent me from ever getting on a plane, train, boat or subway. He didn’t want me to see the heights from a chair lift on the isle of Capri or the wonders of cave systems below the earth. He didn’t want me to have stories to share from all over the world. But God!

God and I have traveled the world near and far exploring the wonders He created. I remember the moonrise over the Andaman Sea in Thailand. I’ve walked where Jesus and His apostles walked in Israel and in Rome. I’ve seen giraffes cross the road in front of our safari jeep in Uganda. I recall driving up a mountain of switchbacks in Ecuador. Had I not fought for my freedom all this would have been lost – so many missed opportunities!

It hasn’t been an easy fight. Many times I’d lose a battle, but my goal was always to win the war! The prison I found myself in was not where I wanted to stay. Despite difficulties and even the fear of the unknown (what’s on the other side?), I pressed through.

Is everything a cakewalk now? No, certainly not. Are there still fears I need to fight. Yes, perhaps always. Is it worth fighting through the fears to see what’s on the other side? Definitely!

“For the Lord is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” – Psalm 84:11 (New Living Translation)

My travel bucket list!

In no particular order, here is my current (and always-growing) list...

Canada: PEI, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec

USA: Hawaii, California, Utah, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Oregon, South Carolina

Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua

Caribbean: Bermuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, Saint Lucia, Bonaire, Barbados, Turks & Caicos, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands

South America: Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile (especially Easter Island!), Uruguay, Paraguay

Europe: Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey (UK islands), Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Finland, Montenegro, Greece, Georgia, Russia (Moscow and St. Petersburg), Romania, Bulgaria, Malta

Middle East: Jordan

Africa: Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, the Seychelles, Zambia

Asia: Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia

Oceania: Australia, New Zealand (both islands)

Antarctica!

Where did my love of travel come from?

Picture this: I was 11 years old and in grade 6 at school. One day, I opened my Social Studies book and there in front of me was a picture of a most beautiful place. That place was Prague! I remember saying to myself, "Some day I'm going to go there." And 20 years later, I did!

A snapshot in time

Date: August 9, 2026

Age: 52

Number of countries I've visited: 43

Number of continents I've visited: 5

Number of states I've visited in the USA: 30

Number of provinces I've visited in Canada: 6

Number of territories I've visited in Canada: 2