There must always be balance. We all understand the natural characteristics of such a phenomenon and respect it in quiet ignorance – most of the time. It’s when we are tipped that we become louder in our questioning of that which defines the rules of life.For most, balance becomes the saving and humbling force of reality we come to appreciate and expect. When we are down, generally there is an experience that brings us back up, or inversely, when we are too high, one that brings us back to Earth. I am no longer interested in such an expectation of experience. How do we balance the good with more good?I don’t want to be ironical or hypocritical or anything absurd; but, my struggle becomes not an expression of doing what I do not know how to do, but actually, acting on the instincts that have been taught to me over and over.When we can choose to listen and live within ourselves we begin kill off the very choices and emotions we engage in – that hold us back.With Project World Citizen, myself, my brother, and my best friend believe in an ideal. That ideal is our dream and that dream is our reality. Over the course of 45,000kms we will see that dream tried and tested until it becomes not something to defend or protect – but such that it lives on through our very actions no matter what happens.I have been afraid of failure my whole life – and it is not through my accomplishments that I have learned what it is going to take to walk out my front door and end up in Singapore without using any planes. It is through my failure.- – Give me a penny, I’ll be fine, because with the amount of pennies that have been taken from me, I learned just how to take one as far as it can go – -

On Thursday December 6th, O’niel , Dustin, and I set up a booth at the Best of the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Next year, ‘Best of Banff’ will see the official Project World Citizen teaser and in 2010 Banff will be featuring our movie. So be ready.


A special thanks to Rodger Friesen for making this possible.

” I thought you, your friend, and your brother’s forthcoming adventure would be a fascinating combination…I will pray for god to grant you health and safety.”Certain people possess a quality of presence. A silent worrier whose wisdom and worth is shared with those only – who accidentally stumble into the worrier’s path. Often little is said – but that is enough.I will refer to this person only as R.W. E – and we thank-you for your kinds words and well wishes.Condolences to your tragic loss – you are in our thoughts.

” Do not go where the path may lead; Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Holding an assault rifle, a 12 year old child becomes the voice a of a law most of us know nothing about – in a world I cannot imagine.Today, I met a man named Kjll Jacobson whose contribution to Project World Citizen may be more generous than any to date. The price of life is expensive – in any country – and Kjll promises to front the cash to keep ours alive.” Don’t get me wrong” Says Kjll, ” I love what your doing, but going to countries like that you will find yourself rotting away and hungry in some cell waiting for your parents to gather $50,000.00 and bail you out.”I don’t want to carry-on in a winded rant about such a philosophy; yet, my mind is left wondering such – late into this night.Is there a reality to this world I refuse to face. Most well-versed – well-aged people will probably agree with a certain Hobbes:”No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” But I am far too young, pretty, and naive to understand such a world as that. It is only in my ignorance that I can really see the world I am about to see – if I entered any country, seemingly, and knowingly, I fear my perspective would be turned into an hour that has 60 minutes – and I would know far to much about something I knew nothing about. It is only when my eyes have seen nothing that I can open them to see everything. My belief in people is only good – so Mr. Jacobson you can keep your money.

I came across one of my journal entries from 6 weeks ago – it’s amazing how much has changed.”The Anticipation was not almost too much – it was too much. Maybe it felt like what a stockbroker feels or a lawyer. There were no assurances. There was all these things and we still had nothing.”

At first I wasn’t sure what inspired it – maybe I believed it was one defining moment – but quickly I realized such a phenomenon was not possible. A desire to do is never quite as instantaneous as it may feel – it slowly builds and burns within us until our most human elements cannot keep it at bay any longer.I was sitting on the ledge of the 13th floor hotel suite looking out to the Mexican Peninsula when I realized I had to set out on another adventure.That was 3 months ago…For the 5th time in two weeks my brother, my best friend and myself sat in our dungeon workshop until the wee hours of the morning creating and formulating and finally starting to see the realization of Project World Citizen.It started as an idea to travel the world and film it- that became a website, a blog and probably one of the most interesting interview series the world will ever see.

“Happiness is best when shared with others” – there’s a quote that goes something like that. I cannot say for sure I knew it would be my brother and my best friend that I would be traveling the world with, but I can say that I could have dreamed of nothing better.We’re still 2.5 months away from leaving for Mexico City, but the Journey for us three has already begun…I heard a quote the other day I quite liked:Emerson Said ” Most men live lives of quiet desperation ” – that might be true but it is not true for us.

We recently interviewed Chuck Webb of Fraser Financial Group to hear stories of travel and to ask him what it might mean to be a World Citizen.Our sincere appreciation goes to Chuck and the Fraser Financial Group for sharing your time and memories.