Seeking Enriched Experiences

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CBC for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Change is all around us, and as I have mentioned previously, I used to love change and would jump on opportunities at any chance I received. Looking back on my life, I was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and my parents lived a life of constant movement in the corporate travel industry. We would frequently pack up and start anew as we followed my dad from Dubai to Bahrain to Karachi to Dhammam and even back to Karachi. When the time came for me to leave home and head to College, I was filled with heavy emotions, including fear, yet that didn’t stop me from travelling to Maine for school, far away from my family and friends in the Middle East. Starting over excited and scared me but I was most looking forward to meeting new people. Not because I was sick of my inner circle back home, but because I was curious about those I was yet to meet. The need to explore new cultures and meet new people was the main reason I decided to study abroad in England and Australia during my Junior Year, and it was a desire for change that brought me to multicultural Canada, where I obtained my MBA, met the hubs, and eventually had kids in downtown Toronto. Who I am today is a result of the many people and experiences that have crossed my path as I embraced change and started all over. This is also the reason that I have friends all over the world that I do my best to connect with during our travels.

As Little Monkey is growing up, I’ve been doing my best to bring change into her life; we all value routine but instilling a desire to travel, meet new people, and do things that scare her are the main reasons we’ve put her into a March break camp. Sure she cried every morning as I did my best to run away, but what I found fascinating was that last morning when she whined about going to “hotel school”. I told her she didn’t have to go if she didn’t want to, but sure enough, she jumped right up.  At the end of the first day, we had asked if she’d like to stay at home the next day, but she chose the camp instead. I’m telling you she’s just a whiner! I’m starting to see her embrace change, despite the challenges and her fears. For that I’m proud, and the hubs and I have to find the right balance of introducing new experiences and allowing her to control the change around her.

Last weekend the hubs and I were in Beaver Valley area in Ontario, and as everyone slept, we talked about future change, challenges and opportunities. As we grow older, we’re more hesitant to take risks and I for one can’t even commit to a one month travel plan, let alone packing up and being nomads. While that lifestyle looks so alluring, the desire to stay close to family and have financial stability are stronger. I just keep telling myself that I’m still ready to start all over again as I have done in the past. I’m pinning to move to somewhere new and exciting, but with brakes on! I’m not ready to start all over without a guaranteed pay cheque.

This year, CBC’s annual battle of the books focuses on the theme of Starting Over.  Five prominent Canadians have chosen a book they believe is the one novel EVERYONE in Canada should read, and during four days of live debates (Canada Reads takes place March 21-24, 2016), they will narrow the list down until only one of the five books remains. I’m just glad my parents didn’t cut ties with me when I married a fellow university student like Maya’s dad in The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami, which is one of the books featured in CBC’s annual battle of the books. I’m thrilled to see Asian stories represented amongst the books. Bone and Bread by Saleema Nawaz is also at the top of my reading list. 

The five books featured this year are Birdie by Tracey Lindberg, Bone and Bread by Saleema Nawaz, The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami, The Illegal by Lawrence Hill and Minister Without Portfolio by Michael Winter. The five Panelists speaking this year are Vinay Virmani (Actor/Writer), Farah Mohamed (Activist), Clara Hughes (Olympian, Humanitarian), Bruce Poon Tip (Social Entrepreneur)and Adam Copeland (Wrestler, Actor).

You can live-stream the action on CBCbooks.ca at 10:00 am EST each day, but if you’re busy like I am, you’ll be glad to know that on-demand videos and podcasts will be available each afternoon. You can also follow along on with CBC Radio One at 11:00 am local time and also watch the action daily on CBC Television at 4:00 pm EST (3:00 pm EST on Tuesday, March 22). You know there’s always and  where you can chat with me Twitter and Facebook others following the #Canada Reads conversations.

What’s your take on starting over? Do you grab it by the horns or do you fiddle your thumbs?