of Backpacks and Beards
Adventures abroad, lessons learned, and beards.
About Me
My name is Tyler Jay. I’m a writer, traveler, wildland firefighter, climber, and coldsmoke junkie. When I’m not walking through a burnt forest as a Wildland Firefighter, or obsessing over my next gear purchase, I like to spend my time exploring the inanimate bluffs and peaks around Western Canada, and the rest of the world (whenever possible). Whether with a pair of sticky soled rock shoes, or a couple planks of poplar… Read More
Top Posts & Pages
1) When travelling zip of pants are always in style – hey, they’re pants….AND shorts 2) Learning how to say the word “no” in a foreign language goes a long way. 3) A travel pillow, it looks stupid but trust me, you stand out anyway 4) Imodium – 14 hour bus rides, not a risk I’m willing to take 5) A Journal – you’ll be happy you kept one when you look… Read More
It kind of just hit me. As I was cruising on the back of a Boda taking me back to my hostel I realized that I love this city. Maybe it’s the fact that the majority of people are more than happy to help you in any way, give you directions or even bargain for transport, or the fact the Boda drivers actually charge you the fair price, or the fact that… Read More
Upon arriving in Musanze, Rwanda and spending a few hours around town I quickly learned that sometimes you need somewhere more than it needs you. The goal of this trip from Kigali was to meet a potential development partner and perhaps find or create a small scale community requested development project that our team could help to facilitate. We arrived with a very vague idea of some of the projects that had… Read More
So I’ve finally arrived in Rwanda after the longest 4 days I’ve had in a long time. after 23 hours of flying I landed safely in Kenya, where I quickly paid for my visa ($50 USD) and grabbed a taxi to Nairobi International Youth Hostel where I found Kate (my co) and Sabrina (my trip leader last year). The little room they had booked had 4 beds, and 4 guests, so I… Read More
Travelling by plane is easily one of the most relaxing ways to travel. A choice of about 100 movies & shows, relatively comfortable seats and service, and just about 8-10 hours to relax, write, and sleep. However, airports are certainly the downfall to this form of travel. Everyone seems to be constantly on edge, always a little bit rushed, and constantly questioning every subtle episode. My day of flying started no differently…. Read More
Why does someone choose to travel? Whether it’s across the world or an hours drive, the reasons for travelling are subjective to each person. For some, travelling can be a means to see the beauty of the world, learn a new culture, perhaps it’s to grow as a person and foster independence. While everyones traveling formula contains bits of pieces of reasons to go I feel as though everyone travels to make… Read More
