My Bucket List...

From the time I was little I had five things I just knew I had to do at some point in life.  I didn't realize at the time, but it was the beginning of a Bucket List.  It was short and to the point and I had completed four of the five things by the end of high school.  I completed the last remaining thing when I traveled to Romania at 21.

1. Be a camp counsellor
2. Be a cheerleader
3. Work with kids in Romania (my cousin was adopted from there and I had always wanted to see where she was from, and work with kids in a similar situation to what she had been born into)
4. Model
5. Act

As I grew, so did my list.  So, without further ado, here is my current bucket list  (:

• Cycle across Canada for something I believe in (planned for July-Oct 2011)
• Find a starfish in the Ocean (Completed in The Bahamas, April 2010)
• Present about Israel-Palestine in 100 Cities

1. Kitchener (Grandview Baptist Church, September 2009)
2. Waterloo (University of Waterloo, March 2010)

• Present about Israel-Palestine in each Province in 2011

1. Vancouver, BC
2. Calgary, Alberta
3. Regina, Saskatchewan
4. Winnipeg, Manitoba
5. Ottawa, Ontario
6. Montreal, Quebec
7. Fredericton, New Brunswick
8. Halifax, Nova Scotia
9. Charlottetown, PEI
10. St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

• Take a father-daughter trip to soak in some European architecture :)
• Take a mother-daughter trip
• Travel to:
• Tokyo (to visit my brother and see his life over there)
• Italy
• Switzerland (my mum's favourite European country)
• Newfoundland
• California (Completed Dec 2009)
• Romania (Completed Summer 2003)
• London (Completed August 2003)
• Austria
• Papua New Guinea (to see my cousin and get a glimpse of her life)
• BC (Completed when I was little, but revisited as an adult June 2009)
• NYC (Completed for the first time on a grade 12 drama trip)
• Texas
• Boston
• An African safari
• Arizona
• The Wave, Utah (and photograph it!)
• Greece
• The peak of Mount Sinai
• Spain
• Tanzania
• Argentina
• Chile
• Nepal
• Barcelona
• The Galapagos Islands
• Use nothing but a bike for transportation for an entire month (aside from across Canada tour)
• Bike Australia
• Become a published author
• Participate in a worship service at Westminster Abbey in London (Completed August 2003)
• Own a dog  (:
• Photograph the International AIDS conference
• Volunteer in Africa doing something related to the AIDS epidemic
• See a Shakespearean play in the Globe Theatre in London (Completed August 2003)
• Go an entire year without buying anything new (shoes, furniture, clothes, etc.)!
• Publish a photography book
• Go SCUBA diving or snorkeling in tropical waters
• Launch Love Travels
• Learn to speak/understand
• Arabic
• Hebrew
• Publish a coffee table book showing the similarities between Israelis and Palestinians

What's on YOUR bucket list??  I'd love to hear it  (:

Tears Courtesy Of Israel

Israel made me cry today.
A lot.
Actually, I'm still crying.
The kind of crying that makes it difficult to breath and leaves you with tired eyes and a slight headache when you stop.
Well, okay. So it wasn't JUST Israel that made me cry. This morning, I spent a lot of time reading updates about the situation over there. I started crying when I happened upon a video I recorded last August. I had just returned home from my first trip to the Middle East and some of my friends were singing Matisyahu's One Day. See that video here: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=383865845734 and lyrics below. If that link doesn't work for you just search "Matisyahu One Day" on YouTube.

With all the terrible news we've heard from Israel today (http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1162382.html), and the past few weeks and months (and years to be honest!) I still break down when I hear Matisyahu's song, One Day. The things happening over there are NOT okay and some people here get that...but a lot of other people just don't care. This song means so much to me. It means I'm not the only one who dreams of that day when Israel & Palestine will live peacefully (I know I'm not in general, but to have a popular artist singing for peace is wonderful). Days like today though, make it hard to believe the leaders of Israel's army even want that. I know what I'm working for is worthwhile and SO important...I just wish the leaders there had the same goals in mind.

One Day


"sometimes I lay
under the moon
and thank God I'm breathing
then I pray
don't take me soon
cause I am here for a reason

sometimes in my tears I drown
but I never let it get me down
so when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around
because

all my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we don't wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
and our children will play
one day, one day, one day 
one day, one day, one day 

it's not about
win or lose
we all lose
when they feed on the souls of the innocent
blood drenched pavement
keep on moving though the waters stay raging

in this maze you can lose your way (your way)
it might drive you crazy but don't let it faze you no way (no way)

sometimes in my tears I drown
but I never let it get me down
so when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around
because

all my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we don't wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
and our children will play
one day, one day, one day 
one day, one day, one day 

one day this all will change
treat people the same
stop with the violence
down with the hate
one day we'll all be free
and proud to be
under the same sun
singing songs of freedom like
one day, one day
one day, one day

all my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we don't wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
and our children will play
one day"

Love travels to Haiti :)

I logged onto Facebook one morning a few weeks ago and in my newsfeed saw a video link a friend had posted; it was entitled Young Artists For Haiti - Wavin' Flag. I'm sure many have already seen this by now but if you haven't, check it out.

I can't put my finger on just what it was, but something in the video really touched my heart and I immediately knew I had to go to Haiti to help. A friend of mine, Julia (I think you'll hear a lot about here in this blog since she has quickly become my partner in crime when it comes to traveling) had told me of her plans to go to Haiti in September. Her plan was to buy a one way ticket and stay indefinitely. I called her right away and made plans to meet her there for the month of October.

Later that day, Julia and I met up to go to the movies. As Julia and I stood in line to see Alice In Wonderland 3D our conversation turned to past travels, and aspirations for the coming years. During that 90 minutes in line (yes, we waited that long, and to top it off, I fell asleep during the flick!) we birthed the idea of a non-profit travel organization.

Each of us are frequently approached by friends with questions about how to get involved with volunteering around the world. We have both had the opportunity to travel extensively and have worked with organizations in many countries. Our idea is still very much in its birthing stage and not yet launched, but even so, I'll tell you a little bit about it.

Love Travels will provide guidance to people who are interested in traveling with the purpose of learning about the people and history of the region, as well as baring witness to the current struggles in that area. We will be partnered with organizations around the globe who are making a difference in their local communities in order to ensure the people we send will be helping in practical ways.

It was two days later when Joe, the Pastor of The Embassy, approached us with the idea of sending a team to Haiti to help with relief efforts. He hadn't heard about Love Travels yet, since it's still being formed, but Julia and I saw this as an opportunity to put our ideas to action before officially launching our newest endeavor.

We spent two weeks getting in touch with organizations in Haiti, putting together an application package, generating interest, and developing what we believe will be a successful orientation and debriefing.

We will be taking a team of around 12 people to help with building initiatives and delivering relief packs to families in need. I'm excited to share that we've sent out the application packages to the 20+ people who have shown an interest in joining the team!! I can't wait to get the interviews going, select the team, and begin the orientation.

This is the cover we designed for the application package...

Please pray for our discernment throughout this application and interview process and as we begin the orientation. It's a time during which the foundation of our team will be built, and we hope it will be a strong one!

Mesi!! ("Thanks" in Haitian Creole)

Hannah

Why Barefoot & Boundless?

What's with the Blog title? The two words combined work well to describe me and where I'm at in life right now.

Barefoot:

Well, other than the fact that I love to be barefoot whether it be while driving, worshipping, or walking with sand or grass between my toes...

Bare feet have become a symbol of peace, as shoes are banned within Gandhi's memorial site, Raj Ghat. One way to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi is to walk barefoot around his monument (which I would love to do someday!). Those of you who know me know that peace (particularly in Israel-Palestine) is something I dream of and do my best to work for. I was so happy to learn that bare feet symbolize peace.

Bare feet are also a sign of mourning within the Jewish traditions; shoes are not worn by mourners during the ritual Shiva mourning period. Last year was a year of mourning for me and my family. The ways in which I am changed (and continue to be) as a result of those losses and times of mourning are difficult to define but I'm certain that those close to me can bare witness.

Boundless:

To be limitless. I have nothing holding me back right now and am available to make ambitious plans that reflect that. The plans I have in the works at the moment include time in the Middle East this summer, a couple of trips to Haiti to join relief efforts, and a bike trip across Canada in 2011!

Thanks for reading! I'm excited to have you along for the ride!

Peace,

Hannah