TRAVELLER: Yrene Dee, Lumby, BC, Canada.
Globerovers Magazine is in conversation with Yrene Dee from Lumby, BC, Canada. Swiss born, Yrene is an entrepreneur, wilderness nut and animal lover who prefers off-the-beaten-track places.
Globerovers (GR): How many countries have you been to?
Yrene Dee (YD): Honestly, I have never counted. I travelled for 10 years when I left home at the age of just 20, and I learned to move slowly and stay longer, which sometimes turned into a stay of a few years.
GR: What are your top 5 most preferred countries for leisure travel?
YD:
- Australia – with its incredible outback and indigenous culture, the endless white sandy beaches, and the easy-going Aussie lifestyle.
- New Zealand – because of the stunning diverse landscapes, for being a hitchhikers‘ heaven and for its friendly people.
- Switzerland – the land of cheese, chocolate and the sound of cowbells, and old traditions that warm my heart. The Swiss Alps are super special to me.
- Canada – the second largest country in the world, where I immigrated and I’m still living here today.
- Italy – for its ancient history. Maybe I love Italy so much because it was the first country I ever visited.
GR: Which is your most preferred country for travel and why?
YD: It’s mostly the country I’m in at the time. I don’t have a preferred country for travel. I don’t compare countries as each is unique in its own way. For now, I prefer “wild land Canada” and it is where I am living right now.
GR: Where do you wish you were right now and why?
YD: In the Canadian High Arctic. This is the most off-the-beaten-track I can go in Canada. I’m fascinated by the Inuit history and their survival and I want to gain more insight into their lives.
GR: Among those countries you have not yet visited, which ones are at the top of your “must do” list?
YD: Mongolia to experience their timeless way of life and ride a horse across the land with no fences.
GR: Please tell us about the most incredible and memorable experience you have ever had while travelling?
YD: Hitchhiking solo around Australia, which would fill up a book. Sick in a hospital in southern India would fill up another book; a bus trip through Afghanistan before the Afghan war, a third book!
GR: Based on your travel experiences, if you were to recommend the one most amazing destination for intrepid travellers, which place would that be, and why?
YD: You mean I can suggest only one destination? A road trip from Dawson City, Yukon to Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada, on the epic Dempster Highway. It’s wild, adventurous and will leave you speechless. Please read my article on page 132.
GR: What is the single best lesson you have learned about the world during your travels around the world?
YD: Travelling is the best education and an investment for life. It has shaped me into the person I am now. Living out of a backpack has taught me that we actually “need” very little. People in poor countries are often the happiest and most generous.
Follow Yrene:
- Facebook: @backcountrycanada
- Pinterest: @backcountrycana
- Twitter: @backcountrycana
- Website: backcountrycanadatravel.com
This interview appears in the July 2018 issue of Globerovers Magazine.
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