Jenn & Chris – Page 4 – Mom Dad CuppaKids

What It Feels Like To Be Home

by Jenn & Chris on June 1, 2017

Learning to let it flow after travelling the world

I am sitting at the dining room table in our friend’s house soaking in the silence.

Alone.

For the first time in 240 days.

It’s quiet. So quiet. Almost too quiet after months of being surrounded by family, crowing roosters, honking horns, feuding cats or yelling neighbours.

Trekking through the Sahara Desert was a surreal and serene experience

Getting up close and personal feeding and bathing elephants in Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

Oh. Canada.

I don’t quite know what to make of it to be honest. It feels a bit like a dream. I sit here a bit flummoxed as I try to process the fact that we are actually back in Canada after an amazing adventure around the world. It was incredible. One I look back at with zero regrets. We pushed ourselves, we explored, we had fun and we, as a family, connected deeper than I would ever possibly hope for.

We were warned that re-entry would be hard and I really did believe I was prepared for it.

A dream come true. Trying the Airbus A380 Flight Simulator in Dubai.

What it feels like to be home.

In some ways, it feels really really good. We missed our friends and family. We missed Canada. Our appreciation for mother nature’s magic is far greater than before we left. Our gratitude in the freedom we have to live our lives here unsurmountable. Democracy, rights & freedoms, heath care, clean water, recycling, and our opportunity for choice in so many arenas has rendered us forever thankful for the country we live in.

Galapagos was like nothing else on the planet as marine iguanas, sea turtles and sea lions swam alongside you on any given day.

We pushed ourselves often to face our fears. Ziplining in Banos, Ecuador.

Does it feel strange?

Yes. Everything is the same, I am the same, and I am different. It feels a bit awkward. Like a 13 year old boy who’s not sure where to put his hands at a dance. I get upset at the wastefulness here. I get frustrated at anyone using #firstworldproblems. I look up often into the sky and gaze at the clouds. I am not sure where to go or what I want but I certainly know what I don’t.

I know I don’t want to go back to being the “busy” person, wearing exhaustion like a badge of honour. I know I don’t want to get sucked back into social media so much that I miss being present, as in really and truly present for my family. I know I don’t want to be caught in the need for stuff, we have zero requirement for anything, in fact I would like to get rid of more.

No. I have zero interest in buying a ticket for that train.

Releasing baby turtles back into the ocean- Anawanatuna, Sri Lanka

Learning to make chocolate in Lima, Peru was schooling for all of us

Watching a healthy glacier calving in El Calafate, Argentina was an extraordinary experience.

A special moment was participating in the Women’s March in New Zealand. It created a lot of dialogue around equity within our family.

Oh My Aching Heart

My heart hurt a lot on this trip but it also nearly burst dozens of times from sheer joy. My intention has always been towards fostering relationships but now more than ever it’s how I can provide value outwards and into the world. To help contribute to making it a better place in as little or as large of a way I can.

We are all connected. That connection point means that whatever you feed and water on a daily basis has a ripple affect on others in your sphere. My heart aches when I see so many people on social media constantly in a state of complaint, anger or disgust. When did it become the norm to be so negative?

You can choose every day which seeds you will water. Water the negative seeds, and you will watch a plant wither and die. Water the positive seeds and you will see a plant flourish and grow. *

We all have a responsibility to be kinder. THAT is the kind of ripple effect we need to keep creating in ourselves and in our children.

Learning to Tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina made this dancer mom a happy gal

Visiting Hobbiton (Lord of the Rings) in New Zealand had us all geeked out

Swimming with 100+ wild dolphins in Kaikoura, New Zealand was pure magic

One of my biggest colour inspirations were the lanterns at the night market in Hoi An

Keep Calm, Let it Go and Flow

So now what? Good question.

The answer is we don’t know yet. In the past, this would have sent me into a massive anxiety attack. But the world showed us that even without any kind of definitive plan that everything will end up working out.

We don’t yet have a home, our village kindly sheltering us as we seek out a place to “settle” for the moment. The desire to put down some roots, (even temporary ones) has gotten hold and now its a matter of simply trust. Spending energy on worrying about what might or might not happen does none of us any good.

So now we let go and let it flow.

And maybe just enjoy the silence.

*This philosophy stems from the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh. A philosopher and monk who does a beautiful job of teaching the importance of being present.

Meeting wallabies in Australia convinced Lauren that she wants to care for animals

Worldschooling about Ancient Greece by being at the Olympic stadium and the Parthenon

A few domino moments led to making a decision that changed their family’s life. The loss of 2 dear friends and a keen awareness that their kids were falling down a path of first world privilege prompted the Powells to sell their house and head into the world to teach their children the importance of Global Citizenship. Their #Familygoals focused on teaching compassion, community and to always live big.

After 8 months, 6 continents, 21 countries, and travelling with a child with special needs, the Powell’s discovered so much more than simply how much they love to travel. They discovered gratitude in mother nature and joy in each other. Lessons they never realized (until now) were the lessons they needed the most.

Real Life

Hang to Dry – Taking Time to Chill On the Line

by Jenn & Chris on April 30, 2017

Downtime and Laundry Have Me in Heaven

We arrive at our latest place to stay and it feels like we have jumped into a movie set.

The view is insanely beautiful.

We keep waiting for someone to show up and tell us that we have the wrong house. That we should actually be staying in the garage, not the main villa overlooking the water in a small seaside town on the coast of Greece. It is everything you imagine a greek villa should look like, right down to the whitewashed walls and marble in every room.

We have fallen upon this place via a friend and his incredibly generous offer to use his family home. After many months of travel, through guesthouses, hostels, AirBnb’s or caravaning our way through the countryside, this feels like heaven because we are stopping for awhile.

We are chilling out. Taking it easy. No agenda. Nothing to see. Just to be.

Sunrises like these provide opportunity to reflect in gratitude

This feels like heaven because we can unpack.

Fully unpack for 10 days.

Not just our personal packs but the 1 big yellow backpack that encompasses our travel cubes, souvenirs, shoes, cosmetics and usually a big honkin’ bag of laundry.

It’s funny how perspectives shift on the road.

To us now, a chance to unpack could very well be one of the biggest luxuries we enjoy on this trip.

We typically don’t plan any more than a couple days ahead. We like travelling as the day takes us but lately its sped up a bit. I can’t quite tell if it’s because we now have a return date for our trip back to Canada or if we are in places we want to see so much of that we toggle back & forth between “tourist” and “traveller”?

When a travel days wipes out the whole crew

We seem to intuitively anticipate each other’s needs now. We can tell when one (or more of us) are travel weary and start making space and time for relaxing.

Reflection, quiet and sleep are our medicines required to get back on the horse (or camel or tuk tuk) and keep going.

We have all changed, I know that. My OCD on keeping things “neat & clean” has relaxed from a 9 to about a 2 on the peripheral stuff. Those things don’t matter so much anymore. What matters really is us, these experiences and being together.

As our priorities shift to focusing on being present, I can see a shift in everything we do.

For an absolutely incredible book on the practice of being present, I can’t recommend highly enough the book You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh. It has brought a calm and peacefulness to my world that I have never experienced before.

This book will change the way you look at life.

One of the most evident is in how we pack. What we thought we needed and what we really do is so completely different than when we started.

We have 3 distinct styles of packing. They all seem to be focus on eliminating extra time, energy and unnecessary opening of bags.

Here is a quick breakdown of how we roll:

The overnight/carry on travel pack

This includes 1 change of clothes, always a swim suit (thank you Drew Dudley and his tip that a swimsuit is “fun insurance” it has come in handy more than once), flip flops, a pr of PJ’s, toothbrush, and deodorant.

The 2-4 days city pack

1 extra pair of shorts, 2-3 shirts (depending on the mean temperature and how sweaty or smelly we might get as we travel), swim suit, flip flops, sarong (this can go a long way between beach, temple coverage and sun protection), small bag of deodorant, soap, conditioner, brush, and toothbrush.

The 4+ day in one stationary location

This gets me so excited you can’t imagine. Laundry, homemade meals, naps, even being domestic (like establishing some element of “home” for a few days) feels really really good.

Down days are some of my absolute favorites

For awhile, when we started talking about going home, I would picture Fred Flintstone putting his feet down in his car to put on the brakes. I wasn’t feeling ready yet. We still had so much to explore. What I realize now is that I had in my head that this was a singular defining moment for us. Yet life isn’t over after this trip. We can start planning the next one. We can relish in all the adventures we have had. We can cherish the beauty and the specialness of Canada for awhile. We can reconnect with family & friends. We can create & savour new memories back home.

Perhaps we can even welcome some of the amazing people we have met on our adventures to our home land and show them why we are so proud to be Canadian.

Come on over guys. The door is always open.

Family Matters Travel

Last Night I Cried…

by Jenn & Chris on March 31, 2017

Not ready to head home from a life-changing trip around the world.

Last night I cried.

For a person who is quite synonymous with tears, I think my track record over these last many months has been pretty good. There have been only a few crying moments on this trip.

Apart from tears of joy.

My Happiness is all about being around these majestic animals

We knew at the beginning of this adventure that it would change all of us one way or another. Shifted perspectives, maturity/growth in the kids, a deeper understanding of how our world works.

What we didn’t know was exactly how or when we would start to notice that change. If I am being honest, I kept searching for it in the beginning months. I was waiting to be enlightened. Waiting to “feel” different or suddenly have that moment of clarity of where our life would lead. I thought FOR SURE it would be revealed as I sat on the beach and gazed out at the sunset.

You have to admit this sunset IS pretty inspiring. Taken on Koh Lanta, Thailand

Admittedly, I MIGHT be a bit of a hopeless romantic.

The truth is, it didn’t quite happen like that.

What happened instead was the realization that we actually had to go THROUGH this entire journey before we could figure out what it was all about.

Along the way I had the deepest desire to write. To share the experiences we have had with you at home. Hopefully as a source of encouragement, inspiration or to satisfy that travel bug for you in the midst of those bleary winter months. I wanted to write countless tips & travel hacks that we have learned along the way. And post more videos. And pictures.

And we will. Just not yet.

You see one of the biggest a-ha’s we have had on this trip is the difference when we are fully and totally present. We are practicing mindfulness in the moments and with that comes a delay of sharing all the things. I felt guilty for awhile, for not sharing enough. Now? Now I’m good because I believe BEING PRESENT is a big part of our story.

The real reason I started crying last night is because we started planning on when we were going to come home.

Granted, it is almost exactly to the day from our third version of our adventure timeline (initially we were going for 3 months, then 6 months and now it will be closer to 9 months). But we actually started talking and PLANNING how we were going to get home. Yuck.

Our kids (actually, our whole family) have thrived in this choice.

We are healthier. An easy task when your daily dose of Vitamin D goes from the trip between house and car to the entire day outside.

We are happier. Again, when your daily activity surrounds physical activity, laughter and exploration, life feels all together simpler. To watch our kids try new things, to be adventurous, to overcome their fears? God! That makes me happiest of all.

Most importantly, we are so much more connected that we ever could have asked for. Can I say (without judgement) that I believe I love both my kids and my husband more or maybe deeper?

Having had the chance to spend so much quality time together, we have more consideration and respect for one another than we did when we were full of busy.

I believe they in return love me more as well.

I know, I know. Life isn’t over. We still have a couple months to go and trust me, in those months we will be soaking up every moment we can.

I just don’t want it to end.

Just not yet.

Dad Says:

Yup. She cried. It has been few and far between, but this was a doozy. Recognition that we were going to wind up returning home hit hard. It took a bit to get past the inevitable and realize that our future was still unwritten. That what we take from the trip will no doubt determine what we become in the future.

And then she cried again.

Jenn holds the value of being respectful to the core. Yet at the entrance to the Grand Palace she was rejected by some overbearing guard, who decided that she wasn’t properly covered in her overwhelmingly hot capris and would need to purchase a skirt and top to shroud herself in penitent fabric. This, as others strode by in skirts and bare legs.

Oh well, off to a rather shrewdly located shop that sold just the thing. And as you might expect with such a captive audience of cast-offs searching for coverage, big markups and rude service. Can I try this on? NO. CASH ONLY. Tears in eyes she emerged, and covered herself in a blouse that, for all intents and purposes, is not the best look ever. I mean ever. But it got her passed the gate, and, wiping the tears away, we went on to sweat our bits off admiring Bangkok’s best.

And if we are being truthful, she cried one more time.

At the Grand Palace in Thailand, home of the Jade buddha and where the king is laid to rest. The ornate decoration took your breath away. It was awesome, some would say even overwhelming. For Jenn, who feels deeply in every moment, too overwhelming. For her, it was that beautiful.

Sure, a few small occasions of tears but in the end (as it always will), everything worked out fine. Just like us heading home. Whatever happens, it will all work out fine.

Just saying…

Travel

Bums. Bums. We Know Where You’re From.

by Jenn & Chris on March 25, 2017

The correlation between country and coverage.

Disclaimer: This article refers to particular fashion choices. It is in no way judgemental of persons living or dead, any species or phylum. It is funny in its observation. If you are easily offended, go read the Post.

Dad Says:

While it looks like long term travel is all things glamorous, there comes a time in anyone’s journey where you hit a wall. Overnight buses, on-going negotiations, laundry, sourcing points of interest, booking, writing, researching, relaying information, schooling and continuous movement means you start recognizing the need for a break from the trip you are on. Ours hit about 2.5 months in.

The choice for down time came in 2 weeks on a Uruguayan beach, filled with all manner of vacationers over South American summer holidays. They came from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, a few Americans, 15 hostels of internationals, and apparently one family from Canada.

I was talking to my lovely wife about some pressing matter, and as I looked down the beach, I discovered that there was nowhere safe to direct my gaze. Bodies on display everywhere in various stages of undress. Of course I was horrified, to the point where a group of college co-eds walked by and I forgot what I was talking to Jenn about.

I was that scared, I tell ya.

A curious thing to observe, it was at that time we came up with a theory about fashion and nationality. The hypothesis was, we could determine where someone was from based on their base coverage. After days of intensive investigation, these are our findings regarding peoples behindings…

Brazil

The name itself is synonymous with an aggressive technique of hair removal, and this is a pre-requisite for anyone sporting swimwear from this country. If you have any spare fabric lying around, send it to Brazil. Apparently, they have a serious shortage of cloth in the country, literally none to spare for bathing trunks. Think of them before tossing away those socks with a hole in the toe, it could be enough for 8 pairs of bottoms.

Argentina

It might be a show of wealth, a nod to being ‘the paris of SA’, but the whale tale is in play and on full display. No cheeky coverage at all, but a wider waist wrap as if to say, “Here I am, ti amor, look and be amazed!”. You will find most Argentinians strolling the beach with their Mate gorde and requisite hot water canteen to go with it. Oh, and did you know Messi is from Argentina? Don’t screw that up. Unrelated, but important, apparently. To not know this would be considered insulting when talking to someone from Argentina. A sentiment we found out first hand.

Uruguay

Like their southern cousins, but with less fabric and still a cheeky bunch. It might be a geographical relationship, I should probably return and study in depth! For you, my dedicated readers, I will do this thing…

North Americans

Unless from Cali, the general choice is a 2 piece, full bottom but with enough tease to catch an eye. You can tell North Americans because they are looking in awe at all the South Americans, impressed with their zest for life and minimal laundry. They are comfortable on the beach, sure, but they render invisible when standing beside a Brazilian.

Aussies

Perhaps it’s being so used to the sun, those who were there from down under carried more of a boy short meets peep cheek style down under. And every single one of them looked ready for a beach volleyball jaunt or some killer waves.

Europeans

This was an interesting phenomenon as we found Europeans cared much less about the bottoms (albeit pretty free as in the end zone as well) as for the most part they were more intent on being topless than sunning the lower half.

The deal breakers

Hippies: they seem to go with a hodgepodge of fabrics, piled high with pachouli and somehow able to make dreadlocks attractive. On the ladies. History has shown that on the fellas you just present as unwashed. I am looking at you Jason!

The Fellas

Generally, we are in planetary alignment. Board shorts rule, with flowers, cartoon characters, pot plants or just plain ol colours. Of course there will always be a few lads who just saw Daniel Craig’s surf scene and thought, I can pull that off. And always there is the one Gentlemen, of medium to advanced years, who puts it all out there in a marble smuggler. Immediate response is this joke: What do you find between an old mans nuts? His toes!

Mom Says:

This tongue-in-cheek commentary came as part of a conversation in which we admired the body confidence women carried from other countries.

Followed this with a question of “when did we get so uptight”?

We’re not, nor should you be.

As Donna Barker said, ‘if you aren’t laughing, you aren’t doing it right’.

Jenn, Chris, Spencer and Lauren are a family from Canada who sold their house and travelling the globe to teach their kids to become citizens of the world. Their ethos is to support local, be compassionate, raise awareness of key issues around the world and pushing each other so far out of their comfort zone that there is no zone left.

Follow them via social channels at #CuppaRTW

Facebook : Mom Dad Cuppa Kids

Instagram: @MomDadCuppaKids and @JennPowellLive

YouTube: MomDadCuppaKids

Twitter: @MomDadCuppaKids and @JennPowellLive

Click here To learn more about who we are

Real Life Travel

Cloud Nine – How Airlines Across The World Have Treated Our Special Needs Son

by Jenn & Chris on March 20, 2017

If you were to meet our son anywhere on our world trip, the first thing you would likely hear is “Hi, my name is Spencer. I really love airplanes. Can I tell you about them?”

It’s a script we have worked on to explain his deep passion with planes while helping him practice the social cues of conversation.

You see, Spencer has Autism. While Autism carries a breadth of different behaviours, a common trait is fixating on a particular subject matter that can often nears obsession. Currently, his fascination is everything to do with airplanes. He wants to become a pilot, practices Google flight simulator daily, watches everything he can on YouTube from aircraft investigations to test flights for Airbus and Boeing airplanes.

Flight crews (and especially pilots) are like gods to Spence. The generosity and kindness they have shown him throughout our adventure make them rock stars in my books. More than once their gestures have caused me to tear up simply because people just don’t do that anymore.

Thai Airlines pilots were so very generous with their time. They are definitely near the top of our list.

It is common for Spencer to enter a plane and turn left while the rest of us turn right. Don’t worry. He always asks permission and surprisingly often he is allowed to say a quick hello to the pilots before we head to our seats.

One West Jet flight, he checked in with the pilots to see if they had done their pre-flight checklist. “Jeff and Jeff” were incredibly gracious to him, walking through their flight plans and the controls. As he left the cockpit, he made the entire plane giggle as he said “if you need me, I’m in row 16!”. The beauty of the West Jet brand is that it wasn’t just the pilots. The crew were equally kind, providing us a care package as a send off on our world trip and an experience that Spencer still remembers (& talks about to this day).

When we flew Avianca back from the Galapagos Islands on a near empty airplane, he could hardly believe his good fortune to be able to wander the plane and look out the window from a myriad of locations. We couldn’t believe the patience the flight crew had to let him.

LATAM was by far one of his favourites because they use fancy (see glass) glasses and proper napkins. Spencer’s comment was that we might as well be in first class. A dream of his is to tour first class on an Emirates Airbus A380. If ever there was a brand advocate, he is theirs. Not because of Jennifer Aniston, but because of THIS guy. YouTube can be a very powerful influence. Let’s leave it at that.

Air New Zealand was so very special because we flew on a 787 Dreamliner, one of Spencer’s ultimate aircrafts. Their flight path was interactive, their in-flight entertainment system was the bomb, add in seat to seat texting and meeting the pilots, we will have a sweet spot for Air New Zealand forever and a day.

On Singapore Airlines, the pilot actually came out at the end of the flight and shook Spencer’s hand. I tried not to cringe as he commented and scored them a 7 out of 10 on their landing, suggesting that next time they try to “lightly kiss the ground” when they touch down. Thank god for their sense of humour and openness to hearing this from a 10 year old.

Singapore Airlines pilots were some of the nicest we have ever met

The wild thing is that its not just the general stuff. He knows fuel ratios, flap extension degrees, and all sorts of stuff that is way outside his weight class. When we were standing in line for customs at Brisbane airport, an Emirates flight crew walked up along side us. Spencer vibrated as he met the flight crew who very kindly offered to introduce him to the pilots. You would have thought me were meeting the Queen, as Spence drew in a big breath and approached the pilots with a hand out and his “Hi I’m Spencer” intro. The pilots smiled and listened as Spencer recounted the entire features and benefits list of an Emirates airplane. One pilot in particular (a Canadian) suggested he apply for a job when he is older. An ambition that is now solidly in Spencer’s line of sight.

On Thai Airlines, the flight crew provided an official passport for him to track his flights and for the pilot to sign. At the end of the flight, he went in to see the cockpit and was able to sit in the pilot’s seat. A chance opportunity he will remember for a lifetime.

Spencer perusing the cockpit of the Thai Airlines A330 flight we were on.

Every time we get to an airport, he goes plane-spotting, an opportunity to point out all the incoming planes and what they are. The awesomeness of an airport is determined by how many A380’s we have seen or how many 747, 777 and 787’s were at the terminal. He will tell anyone close how exciting this is and to be honest, his excitement is often infectious.

You see, the irony is that we were told with his Autism, Spencer might never be social. He might never hug us and he might never say I love you.

What we have discovered is that when we shifted our perspective just a little, we stopped focusing on the Autism. Sure. There are and always will be moments along this journey that our son has special needs, but it is far from what defines or drives us. Traveling the world, Spencer has no routine (his preference to his life before travel). Our days are filled with spontaneity and loudness and life. He has learned to deal with so much along the way and he is learning every day how to meet and connect with people from all over the world.

We, along with dozens of flight crews have been witness to an extraordinary little man who’s light and enthusiasm lights up a smile in anyone he meets.

We watch while he turns the coldest hearts into giggling people. Even when he’s talking all things aviation.

Except crashes.

We only have one rule: We don’t talk about plane crashes while we are on a plane.

That one is one even mom can’t handle.

Travel

Number One Rule To Travel : Don’t Be a Dick

by Jenn & Chris on March 10, 2017

When what you do represents so much more than you.

It’s a strange view from here.

We sit in the middle of two worlds. A no man’s land of sorts. Learning and experiencing travel on the road while still being able to stay in touch with the goings on at home.

Most of the time it’s great. But sometimes, not so much.

Checking in on social media feels like we are watching home from behind a plexiglass window at the zoo. We are detached. We have the benefit of not being barraged with bad news all the time except when the only thing on Facebook is bad news.

When we go on, it’s hard not to get depressed by the time you finish scrolling. We have somehow normalized vent posts, frustration updates, anger, spewing hurtful comments, judging people you have never met before or better yet telling each other what to do.

Does this kind of malaise come naturally now? When did everyone become such dicks?

Or do you think anyone ever stops to think that every time they post something shitty on Facebook they have the potential of bringing other people down due to the collective dicklike activity already happening there?

Don’t worry though. It’s not just Facebook.

They are plenty out there in real life. But there are also plenty of amazing as well.

We connected with Thomas through a Trip advisor mention and google search. He is one of THE sweetest guys you will meet driving from Hue to Hoi An

Respecting the culture locally and of tourism

One of the best ways we have learned about hidden bits of awesome is simply by chatting with other long-haul travellers. We connect when cooking in hostel communal kitchens. We screenshot recommendations via social media. We discuss must-go places and did-you-knows as we hang out together on tours.

As we have chatted about best experiences, we were surprised how often we would be presented with “don’t go to X, it’s become too touristy”.

Too touristy?

What exactly does that mean?

Well, as far as we can gather it means too busy, too common or too western. No longer that different or unique travel experience people want to take home with them.

Ok.

So a place starts getting a buzz and suddenly a massive amount of tourist economy floods into a developing or under-developed country. Travellers arriving daily, spreading money around like its going out of style and presenting locals opportunities for more. Perhaps build a business or more importanly get out of struggling to cloth and feed their family or send their kids to school. To allow dreams to take shape and to see farther than they ever thought before. That kind of opportunity lends itself to a hustle state of mind. You do what you gotta do to make it work.

Yet tourists, who were part of creating this culture in the first place, don’t like the ickiness of the hustle.

So don’t be a dick.

Tourists having cake and eating it too

You opted to go to this country. The internet is FULL of information of what its like to travel there. You can’t say you didn’t know. Not nowadays.

Sadly, we have been witness often to someone from a developed country complaining about the people, communication boundaries, conditions of their stay, the washroom, the food, and cultural behaviours WHILE they are in said country.

It’s baffling. The demand of the tourist is to have an experience that feels authentic but in the end, the question becomes, do they really? Authentic means immersing and connecting with everything the destination is providing. Yet, in doing so, it takes tourists out of their comfort zone and forces them to look (& possibly realize) that living conditions in other parts of the world are extraordinarily different and can at times be heartbreakingly poor.

It seems tourists want to view the local surroundings from a bubble. It can give them clarity into the daily life and struggles, history and future of a culture, without the necessity to getting their hands dirty or suffering from slow Dial-Up internet. They want 20 minutes of ‘life as a local’, followed by some hand sanitizer and tsk-tsking, certainly not 2 days actually working in the mud trying to coax rice to grow in an overworked field.

What Can You Do

Book local

Planning itineraries in advance is ideal but with it comes with added mark-ups at every distribution point. A big tour company typically sub-contracts to a regional or local tour company, they in turn hire the guides. The guides make very little of the actual fees charged, so the closer you can get, the more you are supporting the local community. Book and support local wherever you can. A great option to source is via Facebook search. We have connected with many local guides and drivers by simply geo searching to find them through social media.

Su was our amazing guide through Sa Pa. We connected via Facebook.

Support businesses that might not otherwise be able to market to the masses

Tripadvisor is still by far the most trusted resource in terms of local recommendations. Yet there are new networks coming on the scene. Collaborative companies like Backstreet academy in Asia helps bring awareness of local, expert businesses that can give you a genuine, off-the-beaten path kind of experience. Be sure to help local friends by reviewing their services via Trip Advisor, Google or Facebook. Search is how you found them. Reviews help search.

Be respectful

It was hard to watch as we saw women with bandeau bathing suit tops arguing to go up the steps of a Buddhist monastery this past week. We as travellers have been given a gift in being able to be in this country. We are owed nothing but we do owe something. Respecting local culture traditions like removing footwear, being covered in sacred spaces or handing over money with two hands are easy things to learn. As is the word THANK YOU. An easy one to learn in every language.

Be kind

My daughter once schooled me when negotiating with a man in Bolivia. I was getting frustrated over the added charges (when I look back it was ultimately between $5) and she reminded me of something I had told her. “Everyone is part of a family”. So when you are in the process of negotiating or speaking with someone local on your trip, don’t just think of that moment. Think of them as a father or mother or daughter or son or sister or brother. Learn something about their family. It’s amazing how much less of a dick you end up being, when you create human connection.

Sacred valley chinchero — These beautiful weaver business women in Sacred Valley of Peru are all most importantly mothers. Makes negotiations change big time.

Make a choice

You aren’t just representing yourself. You are representing your country. You are ambassadors.

You can get upset about the too touristy piece or you can accept that everyone is as excited as you are to be there and in that moment.

Choose when you go to a major destination spot. Go in off hours or off season if you hate the tourist part so much.

Make a choice to not only think of yourself but who you are representing. And what that means in the worldwide stage of travel.

So what’s our number one rule?

Don’t Be a Dick.