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