Interview With Nicole and Cameron Wears of Traveling Canucks
Cameron and Nicole, please tell my readers about yourselves. What made
you want to start travelingcanucks.com?
We are Nicole and Cameron, a married couple living in beautiful Vancouver, British
Columbia on the west coast of Canada. In January of 2009 we made a bold move.
We traded our great jobs for a backpack and a long checklist, which has proven
to be one of the greatest decisions we’ve ever made. That life changing
adventure was the inspiration for creating our travel blog, to share our travels
and experiences through stories, photography and videos. Learn more about us
by clicking here.
In all of your travels, in your opinion what country has the best food?
and the worst food?
That’s a tough one! We love food and the world is filled with an outstanding
variety of deliciousness. If we had to pick, the best we can do is a Top 3 –
Japan, Thailand and Turkey. We actually did a post about the amazing Turkish
cuisine, the Foodies
Guide to Turkish Food
When you both first started traveling, did your family support your
decision?
Yes and No. Our families want us to be happy and to pursue our dreams, so in
that context they were very supportive. However, we’d be lying if we said
our families were thrilled about not seeing us for several months at a time,
visiting parts of the world deemed unsafe or dangerous.
Eventually they came around and have since supported our adventures. In fact,
both of our parents have actually joined us on our travels throughout Europe,
which has been a rewarding experience for everyone.
If you both had to choose one favorite destination, which one would
you chose?
Geez, another tough one! We hate to pick just one destination because travel
is often rated on circumstances (it can be hard to reflect positively on a destination
that gave you food poisoning or had terrible weather). But if we had to pick,
some of our
favourite destinations have been Japan, Peru, Philippines, Jordan and Easter
Island (Chile).
What has been the least exciting destination you've traveled to?
We were not big fans of Vietnam. There is nothing wrong with Vietnam, it was
fine and we had no problems. We just liked the other countries in Southeast
Asia so much more (it ranks low based on the competition). We also would not
return to Ecuador or Uruguay for similar reasons (although we LOVED the Galapagos
Islands).
Did you both always have a love of travel or did you develop your passion
for traveling as you got older?
We have both loved travel for as long as we can remember. Cameron visited Africa
at age 12 and Nicole backpacked around Europe at age 19. As we get older, we
appreciate our adventures much more. Now that we have a baby boy in our family,
we look forward to new travel experiences that will inevitably be much different
than our past travels.
What impact has travelingcanucks.com had on your lives?
Our website has allowed us to connect with like minded people and it has opened
many new doors to the world of travel and tourism. We’ve really enjoyed
meeting new people and feel fortunate to have been able to leverage the success
of the travel site. There is no better feeling than receiving a comment from
a reader that has been inspired by our travel experiences. It keeps us coming
back for more!
What has been the most surprising destination you've been to? Meaning,
you had a specific mindset about a certain destination but it was totally a
different experience than you had imagined.
This is an easy one for us - Jordan.
We really didn’t know what to expect when we crossed the border into Jordan.
The media portrays the Middle East as an unstable, dangerous part of the world
(and for good reason at times). We were completely surprised by how hospitable
and welcoming the people of Jordan are. Not only did we feel safe at all times,
we were introduced to incredible food, rich culture and breathtaking landscapes
that rival the best in the world. Do yourself a favour, visit Jordan!
If you had to decide which destination has been the most influential
in your lives, which destination would you chose?
We would probably have to go with Germany. Both of us have family in Germany,
so it’s a logical choice. We’ve visited numerous times and plan
to bring our baby boy to Germany this summer to meet his extended family and
enjoy his first Bratwurst and pint of Kolsch beer – okay, maybe not the
beer just yet (more for us!).
If you had to decide which destination has been the most influential
in your lives, which destination would you chose?
We would probably have to go with Germany. Both of us have family in Germany,
so it’s a logical choice. We’ve visited numerous times and plan
to bring our baby boy to Germany this summer to meet his extended family and
enjoy his first Bratwurst and pint of Kolsch beer – okay, maybe not the
beer just yet (more for us!).
What advice would you give to a newbie traveler?
Respect the country you are visiting. Try to learn the basics of its language,
taste its traditional foods, sample its beverages, visit its religious sites,
brush up on its history and learn its customs.
Don’t be a drunken fool and act like an obnoxious idiot. Our rule of thumb is that when you are traveling in a foreign country, pretend that your mother is with you and be on your best behaviour. Don’t get angry and don’t get hostile when things don’t go your way. You are privileged to travel and experience the world; don’t abuse this privilege by disrespecting locals.
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