While on our journey across Canada and down to Mexico I realised that my partner and I are in some ways like these flowers in the sand. Even though the world around us seems to be constantly shifting and at times inhospitable, if we could just find a nice, quiet place to settle down for awhile, where we could let our roots take hold, then we too might thrive and blossom in the sun. And that is why we find ourselves still drifting...

This photo was taken on the rugged stretch of the northern California coast within Redwood National Park. 

Whenever I go for a hike I always make sure to keep an eye out for any mushrooms that might be peeking out from the ground. Not because I want to eat them (because I honestly wouldn't know if they were safe, deadly, or hallucinogenic) but because I think they're beautiful.

During our trek across Canada we were lucky in some ways that it was so wet and cold. The conditions were obviously just fine for fungi. Just take a look at some of the beauties we ran across...

If anyone knows what these are, please let me know in the comments!

Here's a travel tip you don't hear everyday. If you happen to see a rainbow on your journey, follow it. There's a good chance you'll end up in a good place. Skeptical? I would be, had I not had the following experiences recently.

On our trek from Toronto to Bacalar we were "guided" by no less than 3 rainbows! The first one was spotted on our trip through the Rockies, on beautiful Lake Louise, Alberta, where we had an amazing time. Ok, so it isn't that hard to believe we had a great time in one of Canada's most scenic spots, rainbow or not, but we took note, as well as this gorgeous photo.

The next rainbow came to us in Toluca, Mexico, which is near Mexico City. We had pulled into town and were looking for a place to stay during a major downpour. We didn't know where we were going, the sun was going down, we had already enquired at 2 overpriced hotels and we were beginning to lose hope of finding a place to stay in our budget. We pulled into yet another potentially expensive hotel, and as P was inside enquiring about a room, a beautiful rainbow appeared right next to us. We took it as a sign and decided to stay the night, for sure enough it turned out to be a great hotel at a reasonable rate and we got a really good night's sleep.

The third rainbow helped us near the end of our journey, by appearing at the precise moment we were trying to decide whether to keep driving towards Escarcega or to take a side-trip to Palenque, the fabled Mayan city in the Chiapas rainforest. We were keen to see Palenque, but also exhausted and eager to reach our final destination. While we were debating, a striking rainbow appeared low over the horizon, straight ahead of us, and as it turned out, just above the turn-off for Palenque. So the decision was made to take the detour, based on this fortuitous sign, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions we made the entire trip. We ended up spending 3 amazing days and two restful nights in the jungle, exploring ancient ruins, enjoying great live music nightly, not to mention great food, delicious coffee, all the while surrounded by the serenity of the Chiapas highlands. Had it not been for that rainbow we might have kept driving and missed out on a truly wonderful experience.

Now I'm not a religious person, and these rainbows would probably not be considered "signs" in the biblical sense, but for us they symbolised something special. There's no denying that rainbows are a spectacular phenomena, even if they are just the effect of light passing through billions of tiny drops of water. But for whatever reason, on this trip, they were also benevolent spirits in the sky, guiding us, encouraging us, and ultimately helping us feel like this world really is a special place where magical things really do happen. So pay attention next time you see a rainbow. It could be trying to tell you something.

So what prompted my wife and I to get rid of all our stuff, sell our condo, quit our jobs, and decide to leave our friends and family in Toronto anyway?

Of course we wanted to escape the cold Canadian winters. Yes, we wanted to learn Spanish. But more importantly, we wanted to have a healthier lifestyle.

Despite all of its conveniences and amenities, life in the big city wasn't giving us what we needed. We were working our asses off and still drowning in debt. We were under constant stress from job pressures and environmental stresses. Deadlines, smog, road-rage... We felt like every day that went by was taking a year off our lives. Our health was suffering.

We knew the grass was greener on the other side, we just had to come up with a plan to escape. One of the keys to pulling it off was our firm commitment to each other. We did it because we loved each other too much not to do it. And once we announced to everyone that we were going for it, we didn't look back.

We're still not sure where we're going and we don't know when we'll get there, because we haven't figured everything out yet. Hell, we're just winging it as we go. But the goal is clear and attainable, though it may seem kind of vague: we're looking for a better life.

The above photo was taken at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, at the highest point in the Canadian prairies.

I'd like to introduce our trusty steed, the Buena Onda, a '99 Toyota 4Runner that was both our ride and our home for most of the summer. In this photo she's sitting pretty on top of the prairies, literally.

This photo was taken at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, where we checked out the Canada's highest point between the Rockies and the Labrador Peninsula.