For over 10 years I’ve been thinking about, dreaming about, traveling more and seeing more of my own country. I live in the second largest country in the world and I’ve really only explored a small bit of it. I kept putting it off though. Just one excuse after another. Not enough money this year, timing is bad, whatever. It was always some valid reason that stopped it from happening. Not anymore.
Two years ago today, during the height of a global pandemic, I walked into the Princess Margaret Hospital alone for a surgery that would alter my life forever but ultimately save it. Two months prior I had been diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer of the tongue and it was spreading fast. The surgery was far more invasive than expected with over 80% of my tongue removed, along with all the lymph nodes in my neck/jaw area, and a few teeth, and after two weeks recovering in hospital, I was sent home and told to come back a couple weeks later for intensive radiation treatments and chemotherapy.
Fast forward to today. I’m cancer free (at least for now) and although my quality of life has changed dramatically, I am alive and starting the trip of a lifetime to check off several bucket list items. I am departing Toronto early on June 24th (the 2yr anniversary of the surgery) and heading west to the Pacific Ocean, then north to the Arctic Ocean, then to the east coast to the Atlantic rounding out all three Canadian oceans. I will be on the road for about two months and will have traveled about 25,000km (over 15,500 miles) by the time I’m done.
I encourage you to follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Just search @goforadv and you’ll find me.
Also, If you could find it in your heart to pitch in for some gas, it would be much appreciated! Help fuel the dream at GoFundMe.
