Ziplining: Check

Ziplining was on "The List." That's what others call the Bucket List, but I never really understood the term "Kicking the Bucket" anyway. Sounds like such an ungraceful end.

So, now I can cross off ziplining off "The List"...the verdict? Fun, fun, fun.

You know if a cord would snap, or if the lone hook you're attached to somehow buckled, you would be facing certain death on the rugged terrain below.

But you feel safe hanging in your harness. The sensation is not of one falling, but of flying at great speeds, barely missing tree tops and whizzing over raging rivers and creeks.

Is it worth the 100-plus dollars?

For speed demons out there, sure. But it definitely does make a difference where you choose to zipline. You can just about zipline anywhere these days, but flying through a rainforest in British Columbia from Blackcomb to Whistler is among the best destinations for ziplining.

The views alone are worth it.

Tip: Ziptrek in Whistler is the fastest, and has one of the longest lines in north America.

The intrepid traveler

With gray skies and a light drizzle rolling through Victoria, Isaac and I decided to head to the Royal B.C. Museum.

It was there I discovered the Canadian artist and writer Emily Carr. She traveled to remote abandoned Indian villages during a time solitary travel for women was frowned upon by Victorian society. She captured a people's character, their pains, their joy, their soul as best as an outsider could. She crafted words as efficiently as a reporter, but as vibrant as her paintings.

While reading passages of Klee Wyck during a ferry ride out of Swartz Bay, I yearned to capture that same kind of spirit with sincerity, honesty and power in my own career. I yearned for that courage to travel beyond what I know, however far the distance, to create a piece of work that transforms, that compels understanding and progress..

Ms. Carr, thank you for the inspiration.