ABOUT ME
&
THIS BLOG
Hi!
I’m Kamila!
Welcome to Scattered Trails. An adventure and travel blog dedicated to the many scattered roads that travelling can take you on!
In A Nutshell.
I’m a Toronto-born twenty-something year-old who loves adventure, dark chocolate and wine (separately or together) and can’t seem to keep still. Exploring new places fuels me and crafting my next trip gets me through the more humdrum parts of life. I’ve come to realize a conventional 9-5 lifestyle just won’t bring me happiness. Hopefully, I can spark or help fuel that craving in your life for adventure and new experiences.
Maybe you prefer rougher journeys, or maybe you prefer finer experiences. Or perhaps you are like me and genuinely enjoy both. I love a good backcountry camping trip, but visiting wine country with friends is awesome too! It can be daunting to take off to a new place and overwhelming to plan, but the rewards are worth it and empowering. Whether you feel more comfortable in your hiking boots or in your flip flops, I guarantee there is room for both.
I started travelling at a young age and haven’t stopped, but my style of travel has shifted as I’ve gotten older. These days I opt for a more mellow hostel or airbnb instead of the liveliest dorm in the city centre. I’ve always preferred fewer stops and a slower pace instead of rushing through as many cities as possible, but over the years I’ve learned to budget, save and plan better which has allowed for a wider variety of experiences. There is definitely a way to travel on every budget and for every style.
I always kept some sort of record while travelling – a journal, a collection of ticket stubs or coasters, photos of signs, a log of hiking times… something that I could look back at to remember the journey. When I backpacked solo around the world for over two years I kept a journal every single day. I started Scattered Trails so I could share stories, mistakes and advice from my meandering adventures, and to give you a push out your own front door.
Maybe you need that nudge in the right direction, or a tale to spark an idea, or maybe you just want to laugh at my mishaps. Whichever it is, if you’re itching for some new adventures, I hope Scattered Trails can spur and help you on your way.
Full-er Story
The not-so-normal kid years.
Ever since I can remember I have been travelling and adventuring. I guess I can “blame” my pretty cool parents for infecting me with the travel bug. My parents have never been monetarily wealthy, but they have always prioritized trips over material things.
I had my first serious backpacking trip at age 12 with my mum and dad (thanks!). My mum was a teacher and took a year off to do a round-the-world year trip and decided she would take me with her. My dad, having a small business of his own, was only able to come with us for 2 months. After years of saving we were off with our backpacks for 365 days. We stayed in hostels and guesthouses and did everything most backpackers do, but at age 12 it was a rare experience – and an incredible one.
There was some “home-schooling” but other than basic algebra (I remember getting frustrated with my mom for telling me that letters could be numbers) we didn’t do much from a textbook. My mom always joked that our budgeting equaled math, English was the books I was reading, museums and sites provided history and art, and geography… was self explanatory. The experiences from that year taught me more than a classroom could have.
Prior to that year, most summers and holidays were spent camping or adventuring both close to home and far. With all family ties in Poland there were several visits and European trips, but we have always loved exploring our beautiful Canadian backyard too. So I think it’s safe to say that I had a pretty early start in the travel and adventure department.
Saving To Go Solo.
Once I grew older I started setting out on my own more frequently – when my savings would allow that is. I always knew I wanted to do an extended backpacking trip at some point. Having travelled with my parents and meeting so many young people on gap years, that desire was created early on. Thankfully, I decided to wait until after university. I say thankfully because I had basically no money to my name straight out of high-school and very little concept of budgeting. There’s also a good chance I would have never gone back to school.
During my summers, and for a year after graduating from university in Halifax, I worked on boats, in bars and in restaurants to save up some money. I worked much as I could to save as much as I could. My answer to people asking me how long I was planning to leave for grew steadily. At first it was “6 months”, then “6-8”, then a definite “8”… “maybe up to a year”.. “ok, definitely a year”. In the end it was open ended and I decided I would come back when I felt like it… or, more likely, when I ran out of money.
Solo backpacking trip.
When I left I had a happy bank account and a rough direction but, regretfully, I did not worry enough about budgeting and I started flying through my savings. Whoops! My first time saving a bigger chunk of money, it seemed like I had a hefty enough sum that I could treat myself to nice meals and fancy cocktails a lot…
Yea, that didn’t last long.
I had an incredible, carefree time making my way south through Central America, but six months later my funds were almost completely depleted and I had no desire of going home yet. Even if I had stuck to a budget, hostels and meals would have added up eventually. I decided the best option would be to work abroad somewhere and make money while still being on the road.
Boom! I took a big, 30-hour leap across the pond.
Living abroad.
I can’t remember why I chose Australia. There are so many good options for working abroad. I was granted a working-holiday visa and off I went. I managed to work (mainly as a bartender), save and travel for another 20 months, both in Australia and Europe. Working for accommodation is also a great way to save money and something I took advantage of in both Sydney and Amsterdam.
Working while travelling mixes up the travel style a bit, but being rooted to a place doesn’t mean you can’t explore. On the contrary, living abroad opens a different door and allows you to discover some nooks and hidden gems that you don’t always find when you’re travelling through quickly. l got to explore Sydney, Airlie Beach and Amsterdam in great detail and created some life-long friendships.
Very unexpectedly, I met my current boyfriend (of 3+ years!) in Airlie Beach and together we went on a few van trips through different parts of Aus. A lot of my recent travels have been with him.
After 790 days on the road.
Some people love the nomadic lifestyle and want to do it forever, and I at one point I definitely thought that could be me. Most of my friends from home thought I was never coming back…
…but after two-and-a-bit years on the road (and the five years prior spent studying in Halifax) I felt like Toronto was calling me back for a little. For two years I enjoyed being in Toronto again and appreciated the benefits of having a home base. Though that does not mean the adventures were fewer or less exciting.
We often forget how much awesome there is to explore in our own “backyard”. I’ve spent the last little while enjoying all the cool things near by while trying to figure out some life stuff.
The thought of starting a 9-5 office job has been a serious fear of mine, and it has grown exponentially. I can’t imagine myself sitting in cubicle all day and doing the same thing day in and day out. I need to be mooooving.
Now…?!
I am about to start a cross-Canada trip and move with my boyfriend. We will be driving and camping from Toronto to Banff where we plan to stay for the next year or so. There are still lots of decisions to be made and adventures to be had. I’m just going to keep turning over rocks, dipping my toes in the water and exploring new trails.