My name is Jodi Tanenbaum and I am an intrepid traveller.

It sounds like a confession, doesn’t it? The truth is I am addicted. The day I get back from a trip I need to start planning my next one.

My first big trip was the summer after I graduated high school. I had my backpack, boyfriend and a Eurail train pass. I caught the travel bug that summer and no matter how many places I have checked off my list, I still have not recovered.

The truth of the matter is that I’m a culture vulture.

The thought of seeing a woman in a market selling tomatoes from her basket excites me. The thought of hiking for 3 days to see a wise, elderly shaman gives me goosebumps. Eating local delicacies cooked on a makeshift pot on the side of a busy thoroughfare as stray dogs walk by is heaven.

In my everyday life, I find that I easily move into auto-pilot. Sometimes I get to work and I don’t even remember driving there. But when I am in a new environment my senses are heightened. I love that I have no idea what is around the next corner.

After spending a number of summers doing shorter trips, I finally decided to take a full year off so I could really immerse myself in different cultures. Along with my boyfriend Andrew (who is now my husband of 20 years and the same guy who went to Europe with me), we travelled throughout Asia. After returning from that magical year we hunkered down, got serious jobs and had a kid. Or two. Or three. Intrepid travel seemed like a thing of the past.

But with courage and a little bit of craziness, we packed up our 2, 4 and 6 year olds (along with diapers, bottles, a portacrib, strollers, shall I continue? You get the jist) and once again headed out for the year. It was obviously a trip of a lifetime and something that has formed my kids into the people they are today.

But enough about me…

The purpose of this website is so when I get one of the many calls I get each week asking for travel advice, I can just say: go to http://www.intrepidtraveller.ca. It has been a labour of love, so I hope you find it helpful planning your next journey. Or just some good eye candy.

Happy travels.

 Jodi

PS: If you have any travel questions, click here.