In Part 1 of this interview, Bimini Colt already shared with us her past travel experiences and a previous trip to Switzerland that helped save her …
Medical Travel: Bimini Colt & the Healing Powers of the Wieliczka Salt Mine – Part 1
Many times before, Facebook has put me in contact with really interesting people, and that is exactly how Bimini Colt and I connected. Early this …
Presenting: Ingrid Folkers and Her Inspiring Story of the Camino de Santiago – Part 2
In Part 1 of this interview Ingrid Folkers told us a bit about why she decided to embark on an 800 km pilgrimage on the …
Presenting: Ingrid Folkers and Her Inspiring Story of the Camino de Santiago – Part 1
Ingrid Folkers and I connected via Facebook some time ago and we realized we that we both share the same birth country – Austria – …
Presenting: Eva Schreiner – Camping & Female Solo Travel Expert – Part 2
Part 1 of this interview already introduced you to Eva Schreiner, a very interesting and adventurous woman from Constance, Germany. Eva and I met while …
Presenting: Eva Schreiner – Camping Expert & Female Solo Traveller – Part 1
One of the wonderful things about travel is the people you just coincidentally bump into and have a connection with. One such individual is Eva …
My Connection in Interlaken: Beat Kornfeind, International Tour Guide
One thing I love so much about travel is that it provides a chance to meet some really interesting and cool people. During my recent …
Dr. Jessie Voigts – Intercultural Expert and Passionate Traveller
Through the Internet, I often come in contact with interesting people, and Jessie Voigts’ postings on Facebook revealed that she is an expert and a kindred soul who is passionate about travel and intercultural connections.
Krista Scott: A Spunky Spirit, Snow Boarder, Surfer Girl, Australian Harvest Worker, Kayaking Intern and ESL Teacher in Vietnam
I always keep my eyes open for interesting people,and Krista Scott just absolutely grabbed my attention.I first met Krista 2 days ago on a whitewater …
Presenting: Teresa Roberts, International House Sitter Who Found The Gypsy In Herself
In so many ways, travel is a metaphor of the life journey that each of us find ourselves walking on. Many of us strive (and …
Iran Travel: An Interview with Mohammad Reza Gohari, Iran Tourism Expert
The Internet has afforded us all a great opportunity to explore and learn about the world without ever leaving our comfortable homes. Social media have …
Presenting: Karla Aguilar Perez – World Traveler, Philosopher and English Teacher in Korea
Today’s social media are a true double-edged sword: they can be a real time waster, an arena for cyber-bullying and online ostracizing and an efficient …
Presenting: Lash – Solo World Traveler since 1991
Social media has an interesting way of connecting people around the world.Looking through my news feed on Facebook one person’s updates caught my attention and …
Presenting: Lainie Liberti – from California Digital Media Executive to Globetrotting Mom on the Road
One of the gifts of working on this website is that it connects me to some very exceptional and often inspiring people.In this interview,meet Lainie …
Presenting: Danielle Weiss – Latin America Fan and Sustainable Travel Expert
I had a chance to meet Danielle through G Adventures, Canada’s largest adventure travel company. G Adventures sponsored our first Travel Story Contest a few …
Presenting: Brandon Wilson – Author, Photographer and World Traveler Shares Tales of a Pilgrim – Part II
For several years now I have started to question life as we understand it. For some strange reason, as I get older, things such as …
Presenting: Brandon Wilson – Author, Photographer and World Traveller Shares Tales of a Pilgrim
As I have gotten older I have found myself getting increasingly disenchanted with my regular rat-race life, and I have actively searched out individuals who …
Presenting: Another Neighbourhood Walk and Talk Along Queen Street with Maria Minna
Maria and I really hit it off so we planned to get together for another “neighbourhood walk and talk” to be able to check out …
Presenting: Hong Zhao – A personal evolution from Chinese Immigrant with Little English Skills to Becoming A Successful English-Language Publisher in the Beach
Like so many other good ideas for my Celebrate Toronto article series that starts with the Beach, the name of this interview candidate came from …
Presenting: Maria Minna – An Italian-Canadian Immigrant Story and a Life-Long Fight for Social Justice
Every Canadian neighbourhood is officially represented at three different levels: the municipal, provincial and federal levels. As far as the Beach neighbourhood is concerned I …
Presenting: Andrew Howard and Rachael Smith from SNAP Beaches and the Yard Sale for the Cure – Creative Entrepreneurs and Dedicated Community Builders
Toronto’s Beach neighbourhood is a place where many creative and innovative people congregate. It is also a hotbed for enlightened entrepreneurs, people such as Alex …
A History Tour of the Beach and a Mission of Mercy with Gene Domagala
Gene Domagala is not only a key volunteer in the Beach, an individual who helps out with all sorts of charities and non-profit organizations – …
Tasty Caribbean Treats and a Neighbourhood Tour through the Beach with Sandra Bussin
In my neighbourhood portrait about the Beach, I definitely wanted to include Sandra Bussin, City Councillor for Beaches / East York, who has represented the …
Ralph Noble: Firefighter, Lifesaver and Creator of the Most Famous Mural in the Beach – A Noble Man Indeed
Michael Prue’s office has been a great source of interview contacts and connected me with some very unique people. On this cold February morning I …
Presenting: Lido Chilelli – Founder of the Toronto International Beaches Jazz Festival
Every year one entertainment event in Toronto’s Beach neighbourhood attracts huge worldwide attention: the Toronto International Beaches Jazz Festival. Lido Chilelli, a local entrepreneur, is …
Neighbourhood Walks and Talks: Lucille Crighton – A Textile Arts Hall of Famer & Gifted Gardener in the Beach
Toronto’s Beach community is not only a beautiful waterfront neighbourhood with mature trees and historic houses, it is also one of the favourite places of …
Presenting: John Dowding – A Private Lesson in Photography from a True Master
John Dowding and I first met a few days ago at Spiaggia Trattoria where I was doing an interview with the owner, Mary Lee. Right …
Presenting: Marie Perrotta from the Pegasus Community Project – Reaching for the Stars
One person I had heard a lot about from different sources while searching for interview candidates about Toronto’s Beach neighbourhood is Marie Perrotta, the Founding …
Presenting: Michael Prue, A Working Class Success Story: From Regent Park to Queens Park
One person who has been extremely supportive of my “Celebrate Toronto” project is Provincial Member of Parliament, Michael Prue. He and his staff have connected …
Presenting: Alex Winch & the Beaches Solar Laundromat – Unstoppable when it comes to Championing Renewable Energy & Innovative Entrepeneurship
Over the last couple of years I have had the opportunity to interview many interesting personalities: tourism experts, authors, philanthropists, and enlightened entrepreneurs. For my …
Presenting: Arie Nerman and the Beach Hebrew Institute – The People’s Synagogue
For my Celebrate Toronto articles series I am continuously searching for people who are making positive contributions in the neighbourhood and building the community in …
Glenn Cochrane – Media Personality, Author and Expert Fundraiser – A Champion of the Beach for almost 40 years
When I recently talked to several people about my Celebrate Toronto project, which starts with an article & interview series and a photo exhibition about …
Presenting: Gene Domagala – A Human Convenience Store of Charity and Community Involvement in Toronto’s Beach
One of the lessons travel has taught me is to not only get to know the beauty of the foreign places, but to appreciate the …
Presenting: Colleen O’Brien – The Grand Prize Winner of Our First International Story Contest
Our recently concluded Travel Story Contest was a resounding success. We received over 300 stories from people all over the world about their experiences in …
Presenting: Ben Viccari – A Lifetime Dedicated to Multicultural Communications
Interesting people are everywhere. I met Ben Viccari a few weeks ago at the initial screening of a documentary called “Small Places – Small Homes”. …
Presenting: Lenny Lombardi from CHIN Radio – Pioneering Canada’s Multicultural Vision
As you know by now, www.travelandtransitions.com has dedicated itself to building bridges between people of different places and different backgrounds. There are many organizations and …
Presenting: Paul A. Teolis – World Traveller, Successful Hollywood Animator and Travel Photographer
Paul’s story is an interesting one since it combines extensive world travel and an interesting life journey – a deliberate switch from a successful career …
Presenting: Pablo Buitron from Fundacion Comunidad – Helping Women Help Themselves in the Mexican State of Morelos
During my stay in Cuernavaca I had the opportunity to meet several people from different community organizations that are involved in helping local disadvantaged people. …
Presenting: Richard Belliveau – World Traveller, Adventurer and Charity Mountain Climber: One Person CAN Make A Difference!
My search for outstanding people who do unusual and positive things is an ongoing thing. Danielle Weiss from G.A.P Adventures recently put me on to …
A Follow-Up Interview with Sue Kenney and Her Documentary on the Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim Continues Her Journey
My good friend Sue Kenney left the corporate world a few years ago and went on a pilgrimage on the famous Camino de Santiago, a …
Presenting: Farzana Hassan – A Progressive Voice in Canadian Islam
The current controversy over the Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed has ignited my interest to educate myself more about Islam as I realized that …
Expatriation Coaching – What Does That Mean?
One of the topics that I am fascinated with is the cross-cultural adjustment process. As an Austrian immigrant in Canada I know that even a …
Presenting: Esther and Li, Two Toronto-based women, Create a Documentary during a Holocaust Education Trip
My dentist, Dr. Rajiv Arya, and I have the most amazing conversations while he examines the precarious state of my molars. During my dental appointments …
Presenting: Danielle Weiss Talks about Sustainable Tourism
Danielle Weiss is the Sustainable Travel Coordinator for G.A.P Adventures, Canada’s largest adventure travel company and winner of many distinguished entrepreneurial and travel industry awards. …
Presenting: Susanne Schleyer – A Young German Photographer Confronts German History
History can be a fascinating topic. Personal family history, particularly in the case of German families, bearing the historical legacy and burden of the Second …
A Conversation with Clare Wang: China – The Mysterious Giant
Cross-cultural connections and understanding foreign cultures has been a fascination and ambition for me for a long time. In my full-time business, Textronics Communications, a …
Presenting: Bruce Bell – Comedian, Actor, Playwright, Renowned Historian and Lover of Toronto
The work on this website continues to allow me to connect with all sorts of interesting people. Some time in September my brother called me …
Presenting: Scott Rains – World Traveller, Disabled Travel Advocate & Expert on Universal Design
Scott contacted me about a week ago after having come across this website. We realized that we shared a lot of common philosophies and emails …
Presenting: Pablo Chufeni – Servas Traveller and a Champion of Cross-Border Youth Exchanges
I met Pablo at the Canada-US Servas Conference that was held at the beginning of August in Vancouver where I had a chance to spend …
Living, Working and Volunteering Abroad: Danielle Lafond Remortgages Her Condo to set up a Non-profit Community Development Project in Peru
Some time in July I was watching our local TV station, CityTV, and I caught a part of a report about a Toronto couple that …
Presenting: Robert & Bette Allekotte – Servas Members, Family Travellers, Volunteers for Peace and the Environment
Robert and Bette were among the people I had a chance to get to know at the Canada-US Servas conference which was held in Vancouver …
Presenting: Mary Jane Mikuriya – Servas Traveller and Committed Local Volunteer in San Francisco
When I first met Mary Jane at the recent Canadian-US Servas Conference in Vancouver, her youthful radiance struck me. I thought she might be in …
Mony Dojeiji and her 5000 km Walk for Peace – Part II
Here is part 2 of Mony’s story who went from being a Microsoft sales executive to completing a pilgrimage on the world-famous Camino de Santiago, …
An Interview with Helga Smith: Servas Traveller, Marathon Runner and Conqueror of Mount Kilimanjaro
I had a chance to meet Helga recently at the Servas Conference that I covered in Vancouver. Once you read Helga’s story you’ll realize why …
Mony Dojeiji and her 5000 km Walk for Peace from Rome to Jerusalem
One of the absolute pleasures of working on this website is that I am able to connect with some phenomenal people. Individuals who have done …
My Buddy Mario – A True World Traveller and Conoisseur of Intercultural Experiences
In the 16 years that I have known my friend Mario I have heard many different tales of his world travels and he is one …
Martina and Jennifer’s Mother-Daughter Bonding Trip – Cycling 1400 km from the Southern Tip of to the Northern End of Germany
Martina and I play tennis in the same league and funny enough she even looks a little like the other Martina (Navratilova), just prettier. Needless …
Interview: Dr. Arya Goes Trekks Through Nepal – His Most Intense Travel Experience Ever – Physically and Mentally
I have written about my dentist before who is a really cool guy. Not only is he a dentist, but he is also a practicing …
The Traveller Next Door: My Friend Carol – Expert on Turkey and Greece
My friend Carol, a wonderful and unique woman in her early 50s, is a high school math teacher, a gifted painter, a very decent piano …
Sue Kenney and the Camino de Santiago: Pilgrim, Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, Workshop Designer & Coach
I am very happy to be able to present to you Sue Kenney, a very fascinating individual, a consummate athlete and master rower, a pilgrim …
Interview with Ivana Grzetic – Former Miss Universe Croatia – Now Sea Kayaking Entrepreneur in Dubrovnik – Our Expert on Croatia
In one of my searches on the Internet about interesting travel websites I found a site on sea kayaking in the Adriatic. I contacted the …
The Adventurer Next Door – My Friend Leslie in Antigua
My good friend Leslie recently had a chance to go on a trip to Antigua. Although on a package deal, she managed to get in …
Presenting: Barbara Winter!
Well, I am really excited to be able to present to you my first interview: Barbara Winter, best-selling author and creative entrepreneur extraordinaire. I am …
Presenting: Dr. Rajiv Arya, My Cool Dentist
When your eyes are open you tend to find wonderful and extraordinary people right around you. My dentist, Dr. Rajiv Arya, is one of those …
Presenting Jeff Minthorn – Editor of Verge Magazine
A little while ago I mentioned that I stumbled across Verge Magazine by accident and that I planned to interview its editor, Jeff Minthorn. Jeff …
Karla Darocas: Artist, Entrepeneur and Canuck Expatriate in Spain
I had an opportunity to meet Karla last year on one of my trips to Spain. My interview preview will give you a bit of …