As adults it's all too common to lose touch with the magic in the world. Somewhere along the way - in between work, family, finances and a mountain of stress - we become blind to the beauty that is all around us, to the wonder of this extraordinary planet we live on. We become restricted by the ever-shrinking bounds of our own imagination and forget to step back, breathe, and take it all in. A ten-day trip to Canada's remote Yukon, hidden away in the country's most north-westerly territory, changed this all for our resident Canada expert, Abigail.
Beyond Home Comforts
Once you remove yourself from the routines of your daily life, and I mean really remove yourself - from the comforts of home, from (gasp) phone reception, from paved roads, shops and a life where you can have everything instantaneously - you will be surprised how, all of a sudden and without warning, you believe in magic once again. Ten days in the Yukon and BOY do I believe in magic.
Reconnecting in the Yukon
What I thought I needed to survive was drastically questioned during my time in the Yukon. I panned for gold in the shadows of the great Klondike; I hiked in golden hued mountains; danced the night away under the swirling, and utterly mesmerizing Northern Lights; spotted wild bears; had the privilege of meeting some of the most friendly, fascinating and intriguing people; flew over glaciers that have survived for millennia; paddled along the great Yukon river and completely fell in love with every inch of this mesmerising wilderness (all without 4G and a single Uber in sight)!
Re-discovering Work-Life Balance
Once I stopped worrying about emails, about what I was going to do next weekend, what I was going to wear to XYZ event, my senses went into overdrive and my eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. I learnt to stop sweating the small stuff, to take a step back and breathe because a place with the sheer scale and enormity of the Yukon teaches you that none of us really have any control over anything. I had never felt smaller or more insignificant but you know what? That was okay.
A Step Above the Rest
I have been to a lot of Canada. I am well versed in the incredible views the Rockies offer, in the kindness of the people, in the uniqueness of the cities and in the variety of the wildlife. But, and this is in no way said lightly, the Yukon knocked them all out of the park and right into the next stadium. Cutting this short to avoid writing a dissertation-length love letter, I urge you all to visit the Yukon. It will not disappoint. Not only will you see the magic bouncing off the mountains, gliding across the lakes and rustling between the trees, but back home, rest assured a little bit of that magic will have snuck into your luggage, ready and waiting for you when you need a reminder of how wonderful our planet really is... even during your Monday morning commutes!