Mady L.M. MacDonald: Giving a brief run-down on yourself is never fun, but I never lose the chance. Here’s the highlights, which I hope don’t spill over into boring details. I’ve always leaned towards independence and adventure. It began when I whooshed out of the womb in under three hours and continued with adventures — primarily found in books — until the age of eighteen. Then I got the travel bug. I planned to go to Europe with a friend and she bailed. Undisturbed, I continued with my plans solo and waundered the UK and Europe for nearly three months. From there I promised myself I’d get an education and spent four years with my head down studying.

 
My reward was a communications career, which currently funds my adventures. After university, I hitched my way through eastern Canada and then started to work in my field. A few years later I found myself prepping my passport and heading off to Asia for nine months. There, I traveled Thailand, Korea, and India and spent five months traveling and freelancing in Nepal. Now I’m home and reveling in the Canadian landscape again. Where next? Chile I suspect… the Andes have their appeal (even after the Himalayas). Life philosophy? Never get so trapped in your life that you fail to see other lifestyle options.