Travel (Outside of Canada)

I discovered that I developed a new passion for travelling not very long ago. During my childhood, I travelled short distances with my family to other towns, cities and seaside resorts close to Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine, my hometown. Although, these places were familiar to me, I still felt very excited about going somewhere different.

After the age of 30, I started to travel to new and exciting places around the world such as the Philippines, China, and the United Arab Emirates. I fell in love with long distance travel the moment I stepped on a plane for the first time knowing that I would be going on an adventure.

Although I had used travel agents in the past, I found that planning my own trips was a lot more fun. Travel agents offer all clients more or less the same destinations and activities; whereas, when you plan your own trip, you have total control. You can arrange to visit many places off the beaten track and really get to experience the true culture of a country.

Wherever you choose to travel, only a well-prepared trip can bring pleasure and satisfaction. Every traveller should be aware of the potential dangers they may encounter and know how to be safe in unfamiliar places. They must be ready to deal with frequent surprises and unexpected situations.

For instance, when I was travelling in a huge crowded Asian city approximately 3 years ago, I discovered that there wasn’t any Internet service, and that nobody spoke English. Furthermore, there were no hard copy maps available or signage in English. As a result, it was very difficult to get around. Thankfully, a receptionist at my hotel wrote out some basic phrases for me: the address of the hotel, how to get a taxi, and the addresses of a few places I wanted to visit, etc.

Travellers must also be open to encountering innumerable new things and unfamiliar ways. For example, in another big cosmopolitan city, I had long conversation with an old man whom I randomly met on the street and who told me countless interesting and informative things: facts about that city, facts about the history of the country and city, and stories about the culture and his family’s daily life. Even though I couldn’t change my travel plans, I still learned a lot from our conversation and I got great pleasure from this meeting.

Traveling will always be my passion. Traveling inspires me to learn about new cultures, which in turn has broadened my knowledge of the world. I feel excited and energetic when I travel. It gives me the courage to test myself and to know myself more. Lastly, I am gifted with unforgettable impressions and experiences that nothing else can bring.