Prelude

This has been something that I've always wanted to do.

Although there are many travel destinations around the world, we plan on travelling in our own backyard this summer, as there is so much to see and do. We will experience Canada through everything it has to offer, from observing the beautiful scenery to meeting different people and cultures along the way. We're not doing it to say that we've "cycled Canada", instead, our goal is to have fun and enjoy our time as we travel around Canada by bike. Our route is longer than most other people who have done this thing before - going from Tofino to St. John's, and taking detours along the way, such as through the Icefields Parkway and Gaspé Peninsula. This will test us both mentally and physically, as we will need to cycle an average of 90 km/day throughout the trip to stay on track. Our planned route is over 25% of the circumference of the earth, and we will take four months to complete the journey.

I figure that this is an excellent time for me to do this trip since I don't have any strict commitment, and who knows what I'll have after I completely finish school eons from now. Plus, there are many more adventures that I want to go on throughout my life, and I need to fit them all in somehow.

I'm relly looking forward to all the activities that we have planned, including: camping under the stars, canoe/portage trip in Algonquin, hiking the West Coast Trail, rock climbing in Squamish, surfing on the coasts, whitewater rafting on the Ottawa River, and sea kyaking on the Bay of Fundy. I'm also excited to discover some hidden gems along the way.

I'd like to thank Frédérique for helping us get the kegs for our "Kegger Fun!raiser" (where we raised a net $270) and to everyone who showed up to support us. Below is a photo of Nicole, me and Travis with a friend at the kegger. Also, thanks to the McGill Outdoors Club helping us get our trip started through the $200 Adventure Grant. We're in the process of getting all our equipment together, and these funds will go a long way!

I've been looking forward to this trip ever since Travis and I met up in Calgary for drinks last July. Nicole and I have been talking about doing this for quite a while, and now we are actually making this trip happen! As the starting date approaches, it's starting to become real to me, and I can't talk about it without getting really excited! Flights are booked for me and Nicole, and we should arrive in Tofino on May 3rd.

Let the journey begin!