Biography

I have had the pleasure of being a 'Hometown Tourist' in Sarnia, Ontario; Whitehorse, Yukon; Bern, Switzerland; Calgary, Alberta; and now in Red Deer, Alberta.

Having the mindset of a 'Hometown Tourist' has helped me discover other great places around the world.  To me, most big cities are essentially the same.  You'll find similar attractions with each city's unique spin.  When I travel with my family, we spend only a short time in big cities, preferring to take to the open road and discover what else is out there.  More often than not, we come upon what we call 'happy accidents' - places we didn't plan to stop, but which added to our overall experience.  These are the places we remember most & which make our trips unique.

You're able to meet the locals more in a smaller venue.  They are often proud to tell you about their local area, it's history and attractions.  These are the things that I think most people miss out on when they travel.  I believe that more people should start looking for fun experiences in their own backyards.  Being a tourist doesn't have to take a lot of time or money - it's just getting out there to see what your community has to offer!

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I am a 30-something wife & mother of one who wants to share my passion for travel (near & far) with the world.  I started travelling very young to Europe with my mom to visit her family in the Netherlands.  The experiences I had growing up really opened my eyes to the great wide world.  I love learning about other cultures and the history behind why we do the things we do.

When I was in high school, I got the opportunity of a lifetime & won a scholarship to take part in a year long exchange to Bern, Switzerland.  It was in Bern that I learned to speak German and made some amazing friends from all walks of life. 

I returned home & made travel a big part of my life, graduating from a 2 year Tourism Management program from Lambton College in Sarnia, ON.  Since then, I've worked in many capacities of tourism & other industries, but I always seem to come back to the realization that learning about the world & sharing that knowledge with others is what makes me tick. 

I've travelled to places like Spain, Morocco, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Belgium, England.  I'm not quite as mobile as I once was, now that I have a young son (and full time job), but I still want him to learn the joys of travel, so we're focussing on our local area and have been getting a bit further afield.  So, 'Hometown Tourist' was born.  I hope you enjoy the site as much as I have in the building of it.