| I always keep my eyes open for interesting | | | | that time the engine in my camper van seized |
| people, and Krista Scott just absolutely | | | | up and I had to buy a new engine. After it |
| grabbed my attention. I first met Krista 2 | | | | was fixed, together with 8 other people we |
| days ago on a whitewater kayaking weekend | | | | decided to drive to Central Australia and we |
| where she accompanied our group to do our | | | | visited Ayer's Rock (Uluru) and various other |
| first kayaking lessons on the Ottawa River. | | | | little towns in the area. I heard lots of |
| In the van she told us that she recently did | | | | outback stories from the locals while we were |
| a 13 month trip to Australia where she did | | | | there. We also went to a town called Cooper |
| all sorts of harvest work in different | | | | Pedy, a place where everybody lives |
| locations. She also mentioned that she | | | | underground in caves since the weather is too |
| completed an ESL program at the university | | | | hot. We stayed in a hostel where the bunkbeds |
| and is heading off for her first teaching | | | | were located in a cave. While I was there I |
| assignment to Vietnam this fall. I knew at | | | | also talked to a group of Hell's Angels |
| that stage that this was a very interesting | | | | bikers, who seemed to be pretty cool people |
| young woman and I decided I would get to know | | | | as long as you didn't upset them.From there I |
| her a bit better.Krista is a very cute young | | | | went to the West Coast which is just a |
| woman, always in a good mood and sporting a | | | | beautiful area. There you can have all sorts |
| great smile. Later that evening, Krista gave | | | | of beaches to yourself. I went to a place |
| a special performance after sunset at the | | | | called Exmouth and from there I explored the |
| campground of something called "poise", a | | | | Nigaloo Reef which is unique since the corals |
| former Martial art developed by the Maori | | | | start right at the beach. The scenery is |
| people that involves the rhythmic twirling of | | | | breathtaking. While there I did some harvest |
| two long wires that have a wick at the end | | | | work and I ended up picking apples.Next I |
| that is set on fire. One of her co-workers | | | | explored Northern Australia, including the |
| was playing the bongos and the performance | | | | cities of Cairns and Darwin. There I got a |
| did have a very aboriginal feel to it. The | | | | surfboard and did lots of surfing.I explored |
| image that is created in the dark is of | | | | places like Margaret River and Esperance. My |
| circles of fires whirling around the | | | | friend from Canada had joined me and we |
| performer in perfect coordination with the | | | | stayed in hostels, parked by the side of the |
| rhythm.So without further ado, here is Krista | | | | road, camped in caravan parks. At that time I |
| Scott, a very adventurous, endearing young | | | | realized that sometimes a hot shower goes a |
| woman, as you will discover yourself.1) | | | | long way....Queensland was my next stop, it's |
| Please tell us about yourself.I am 25 years | | | | a beautiful place with lush rainforest. I got |
| old and I'm originally from Cobourg, Ontario. | | | | myself a job in banana harvesting, started |
| I have always loved the outdoors and loved to | | | | working in the shed, sorting bananas. Then I |
| play outside. When I finished high school I | | | | asked to work outside, which was very unusual |
| wasn't ready for university. I went | | | | for a woman. I got to drive a 4x4 and cut |
| travelling to the prairies and started | | | | down banans with a machete. Harvest work is |
| working in a restaurant in Regina. I met a | | | | done about 80% by backpackers. The local |
| lot of cool people along the way. From there | | | | harvest workers are a different crowd of |
| I went west to work in Alberta as well as in | | | | people and they sport some amazing mullets. |
| Whistler, B.C. There I worked in a grocery | | | | They are a little reserved at the beginning, |
| store and at Boston Pizza and spent the rest | | | | but if you make an effort they are really |
| of my time snowboarding. I also ran into a | | | | approachable.On the Gold Coast I met up with |
| lot of Aussies there. I knew this was a place | | | | the same people I had travelled with earlier, |
| that was going to suck you in with its | | | | we mostly did surfing and bummed around the |
| addictive lifestyle, so I decided to head | | | | area. We also checked out Frazier Island, did |
| home. Based on my friendships with these | | | | some swimming with the sharks and some |
| people from Australia, I decided to get a | | | | skydiving. I later told my dad that I went |
| working visa for that country, something that | | | | skydiving and he said he would have really |
| was pretty easy to get for a Canadian | | | | worried about me if he had known. But when I |
| citizen. I had decided I wanted to go to | | | | was back in Canada, my dad and I decided to |
| Australia to travel and work there for a | | | | go skydiving together and he really loved it. |
| year.2) Please tell us about your 13 month | | | | That was great.My last stop in Australia was |
| adventure in Australia.After a couple of | | | | Sydney again from where I came home. The |
| stopovers in Alaska and Hong Kong I landed in | | | | culture shock of coming back to Canada was |
| Australia. In Alaska I had a chance to see | | | | harsh. I went from + 30 degrees to -25 |
| the Aurora Borealis, while Hong Kong struck | | | | degrees. I had also gone through this amazing |
| me as a very busy and smoggy place. But the | | | | adventure, while life for my friends had |
| airport is on an island, which was really | | | | pretty much stayed the same. It was difficult |
| interesting.I landed in Sydney and headed | | | | to adjust when I came back. But it gave me |
| over to New South Wales to link up with a | | | | the idea to take an ESL (Teaching English at |
| girl I had met at Whistler. I bought a 1984 | | | | a Second Language) program to get myself an |
| Toyota Tourago camping van which had a flat | | | | international career.The full interview with |
| nose because the engine was right under the | | | | photos is published at Travel and Transitions |
| seat. I had a tent and a stove and I lived | | | | - InterviewsSusanne Pacher is the publisher |
| out of the van. During this time I realized | | | | of a website called Travel and Transitions( |
| for the first time how little you need to | | | | Travel and Transitions deals with |
| live. I often slept on the roof of the van, | | | | unconventional travel and is chock full of |
| looking at the stars.In South Australia I | | | | advice, tips, real life travel experiences, |
| stayed in a working hostel that connected me | | | | interviews with travellers and travel |
| to harvest work opportunities. I found these | | | | experts, insights and reflections, |
| places through the Lonely Planet guidebook, | | | | cross-cultural issues, contests and many |
| which was tremendously helpful. My first | | | | other features. You will also find stories |
| harvest work assignment was to sort potatoes | | | | about life and the transitions that we face |
| in a shed. This was midnight work since the | | | | as we go through our own personal life-long |
| potatoes' skins would crack during the day | | | | journeys.Submit your own travel stories in |
| time. The heat was often stifling at 42 | | | | our first travel story contest( and have a |
| degrees Celsius. After the potato harvest I | | | | chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on |
| also harvested grapes and onions. In total I | | | | the Amazon River. |
| did about 3 months of harvest work there.At | | | | |