All Aboard!

Discovering that it’s not about the destination, but the journey

- Nicolas Mongeon

My mother always told me you should explore your own country before stepping out into the world. Being from Canada, it seems like a tough mission to attempt to travel all across its expansive and untamed surfaces. But luckily for me, Via Rail Canada offered youths between the ages of 18 and 25 the chance to ride across the country for the month of July in 2017. This coveted “Willy Wonka-like” ticket was a bargain $150 to commemorate Canada’s 150th anniversary. My best friends—Trevor, Joel and Jeremy—and I impulsively jumped at the opportunity and after several hours of phone calls, endless emails and soothing elevator onhold music, we secured four tickets on the great Canadian railroad.

For a group of 20-year olds, this was like the hatchlings’ first flight from the nest. Excitement and wanderlust coursed through our veins as we approached the train station on the morning our 22-day adventure from Sudbury to Vancouver was to begin. As dawn approached, our enthusiasm was at its peak. Eyes baggy from lack of sleep, we jumped on board the passenger vessel like it was the train to Hogwarts in