So it's been suggested to me that I should share some highlights from each of my past trips , before begining to blog my next new adventure.

If your someone who knows me well then it's likely you've already heard the stories and seen the pictures about a gazillion times but whats one more time between friends.... right? So anyway, here it goes.......

As I've mentioned before, my first trip abroad was organised by my dad so we (My dad, brother, nan and I) could visit his older brother in Ontario Canada. My uncle Terry had moved to Canada when he was just a few years older than I was at the time of our visit ( 17yrs old) and while there had been a few visits back and forth between them, they were all many years ago.

The initial idea of visiting Canada was for me a very daunting one. Back in those days I wouldn't say boo to a ghost and I hope they'll forgive me for saying so, but the idea of staying with virtual strangers for 3 weeks, terrified me!

However over the course of our stay, I got to know my aunt and uncle, my cousins and my aunts family too. And by the end of our stay we had affectionately began referring to our Canadian side of the family as the 'functional' ones, while we still to this day remain known as the 'British' ones.

During our time in Onatrio we did the normal tourist visits including Niagara Falls, The CN Tower in Toronto, and we also went to a Blue Jays game- Though not knowing a thing about baseball I have to admit the most memorable part of the evening for me, was being sat in the Rogers Center with the sky turning the most vibrant colours before darkness fell.

We also enjoyed visits to St Jacobs which was a firm favorite of mine, as well as a drive north to Sauble beach where my dad had visited long ago. And towards the end of our stay in Canada my dad and I drove up to Ottawa and wandered the parliament buildings.

All in all I went out to Canada that first time, scared of anything new. I cant say that changed in just 3 weeks but it sure opened my eyes to the possibilities and put me onto a new path I never imagined.

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."
― Augustine of Hippo