Trip November 1992 - May 1993 Pre-Trip Details

Let’s jump in the way back machine and mossy all the way back to 1992.  It was a different world, little or no internet, I think it existed but not for average people, no cell phones, and staying in touch over long distances took effort.  A phone call across Canada, let alone the world was quite expensive, remember the days the first 3 minutes was cheap and then it went up drastically.

There we find a much different Steve, one who is busy with his career, a good little corporate employee.  He is doing his best to fit in with what he thinks society wants from him.  He had a good number of suits in his closet and there might have been more suits than regular clothes. 

Deep inside though there is a yearning to see what is out there in the world, most of all at this time is a desire to see New Zealand, where it came from I do not know.  At this time I did own a book on New Zealand, which I still own, but other than that I have no idea where this desire to see kiwi land came from.  Remember this was decades before Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson was just starting his film career.

So after ending my first long term relationship, which some of my friends thought would lead to marriage and kids and house in the burbs it was a time for a change.  I decided a major change in my life was required and I needed to pursue it at all costs.  I requested and was granted a leave of absence from the corporation I worked for and had already decided if I did not receive it I would leave my job.  I was lucky enough to get a leave of absence and with my holidays, I had almost 7 months off.  This was February 1992 and I was not leaving till November 1992.

So then I set about planning my trip, 6+ months, where else would be fun to see as well as New Zealand.  I had plenty of people who were telling me I was crazy to focus on NZ and I should be going to the warmth and sun of Australia, but Australia, never really appealed to me.  Of course Australia was on my list but only for a month or so, and I soon added Fiji and the Cooke Islands.  I thought this would be a nice 6 months worth of adventures.

Australia, like some people think of it, including some who live there.

Australia, like if really is.

Fiji could be a 6 month trip in itself so many islands and places to see

And the final stop on my trip, a Canadian with very little funds by this time.

I had the countries I wanted to visit and now to do research and planning.  By the time I was done, I had my 6+ month trip planned out to the week essentially.  Yes, I even had a spreadsheet made showing where I was planning to go, for how long, activities etc.  Here is a little foreshadowing that plan lasted approximately 1 day after landing in Fiji, 😊

So, the next major step was to sell my brand new car which was a little over a year old.  There was no sense making payments on a car, that I was not planning on using anymore.  I think when I sold the car, is when most people thought I was serious about this trip, others thought I was having some sort of breakdown.  To me it made perfect sense and was the next step.

                                     Mine was Black 

The final step in my preparations, was telling my parents, I was planning on leaving Canada for 6+ months by myself, not knowing a single soul anywhere where my travels would take me.  I expected everything from elation to silent resolve.  It would not change my plans how they reacted but was hoping they would approve.

So on a Friday night in late March I presented them with my plans, letting them know I would have a job to come back to.  How excited I was for this adventure and turning a new chapter in my life.  I should preface this with the fact that in my house, there was very little affection shown, my parents both being former members of the military.

My mother was quite happy and excited for me and was pleased with all the preparation work I had done.  My father was less receptive and from that night till my return in May of 1993, he did not knowingly speak a word to me.  In fact shortly after telling my parents about my plans for this trip some neighbors dropped over and my father said and trust me I will remember these words, “Come in and hear how my son has ruined his life”

Needless to say, was a very quiet visit.  November could not come soon enough.

When I shared the news of my upcoming trips with friends, a close friend at the time Tracy Williams wrote a poem, that is the start of my scrapbooks and is below.

The adventure is ready to begin. November 5th 1992 would be the start of the rest of my life.