Born Lucky

Throughout my travels over the years, I have often reflected about how much of our life is impacted by something over which we have no control – that is, where we are born.

You need only read or listen to the news to be overwhelmed by the unrest affecting so many countries and people around the world. Poverty, violence, disease, natural disasters a reality many face just trying to get by. These circumstances are a daily reminder of the great fortune we can be endowed with or denied by virtue of our birthplace.

As a Canadian, I would argue that Canada is among the top countries worldwide as it relates to freedom, opportunity, peace, education, and scenic beauty. It should be no surprise then that a recent article in the Globe & Mail considers Canadians among the happiest people in the world.

Having said that though I absolutely love travelling – exploring new places, learning about different cultures and customs – I also love coming home. I have had the opportunity to visit countries richer, poorer, bigger and smaller than my own. I have felt inspired, awed, excited, embraced, challenged, threatened and sometimes even afraid along the way.

But what is consistent is my appreciation for my home and all that it has afforded me; in many ways the very opportunity to travel in and of itself.

How do you feel about where you were born?