About I’ve Been Bit

Hi there! I’m Lindsay and in case it’s not quite clear, I was bit by the travel bug quite some time ago!

While my early journeys were the typical trips to Florida’s Disney World when I was barely out of diapers, travel has become so much more for me. From my first international trip to Sweden and Finland when I was in high school, it has helped shape the woman I have become.

In a nutshell, I’m a Canadian gal who embraces shenanigans as I explore Ontario, Canada and beyond. In my downtime, I do graphic design and social media marketing while drinking way too much caffeine. Want to know a bit more about me? Keep reading! Looking to work with me via my blog or design/social media work? Visit my contact page!

A Bit About Lindsay

Yes that’s me, I’m the gal with the crazy coloured hair you see plastered across this site. Born and raised in the Niagara Region, I’ve never really been a writer. As I mentioned, I’m a graphic designer by trade but a traveller at heart. I am now trying to balance home and work life as a remote freelancer where the hours just seem to disappear way too quickly.

You’ll find me in my happy place hiking a trail in ridiculously coloured tights (if you want your own, click here) as I chase waterfalls wherever I go. I’ll prep for a hike with a round of caffeine (I can’t resist a London Fog) and then treat myself to some wine, beer or cider afterwards from a local spot. Who am I kidding? Everywhere I go I try to support local establishments as it’s incredibly important to support local businesses. While I may stay in the odd chain hotel or on a rare occasion eat at a chain restaurant, I spend my hard-earned dollars with local businesses whenever I can.

Looking to chat further about my adventures, blogging, or why I’m wearing crazy tights that match my multicoloured hairdo? Or are you looking for someone to help you with your business in regards to graphic design, social media marketing and/or content creation? Shoot me an email via my contact page!

How I’ve Been Bit! Started

After my 3ish month long trip to Europe back in 2012, many of my friends said I should start a blog. In those days I didn’t even know what a blog was, let alone where to begin. I was half-way through my university career with an advanced diploma in Graphic Design already under my belt, working towards a Bachelor of Arts and Business, majoring in fine art at the University of Waterloo. As part of the co-op program, I used this to my advantage to travel as much as I could, taking positions in Vancouver and Miami as well as a self-guided term working from home. You may think that was when I started IBB, but nope. That would have been the smart thing to do.

Fast forward to early 2015. I had a lot of personal changes going on in my life and I was at a point in time where I needed some structure – something to work towards. Finally in February, I buckled down and started getting to work. When IBB first began, it was more like a diary of sorts as I tackled my first big trip since Europe, 6 weeks in The Philippines and 6 weeks in Germany with a stopover in Iceland on the way home. It wasn’t until a year later that I started taking this semi-seriously. At the time I was working a full-time job so the blog was just a hobby, but since that chapter ended mid-2017 (that’s a tale for another day), I’ve been working hard to help my baby grow into what she’s become while working as a freelancer on the side. IBB keeps developing and changing just as I do, and I hope you’ll follow along on the journey!

SIDE NOTE: Have some graphics that need designing, social media that needs scheduling or other similar tasks? Send me an email!

What’s the Point of IBB?

Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? Why should I bother reading your blabber when I have so many things to do? WELL. This blog is meant to share my stories, my adventures and give advice from my experiences as I travel across this beautiful planet. There will be great triumphs. There will be mishaps. There will be events so ridiculous you’ll barely believe me… but that’s what makes life fun, right? If you’ve perused my site a little you’ll see there’s a heavy emphasis on Canada, my home where I was born and raised. While travelling has been a large part of my life, something I’ve realized is that every time I travel to a foreign country, I come home with an insatiable drive to explore more of this country. Canada is vast and with so much to offer from coast to coast to coast, I’m constantly looking to experience more of it.

I have now had the privilege of exploring 9 provinces and 1 territory with my final goal of visiting every province and territory in Canada. On top of that goal, I wish to visit each of the +40 national parks and national park reserves. It’s gonna take me a few years considering I’m only at 12 and I haven’t even visited them all in Ontario yet, but it’s sure to give me incredible adventures and plenty of stories to tell!

More recently however, I’ve been learning about the incredible Indigenous Cultures that span Turtle Island – what we know as North America. We have a turbulent past with our First Nations Peoples, and while I cannot change that past, I can try to change the future. I’m no figurehead, no policymaker nor politician that can make big changes, but I can learn. If more descendants of settlers like myself took the time to learn about our Indigenous Cultures, we would be in a better place in the steps towards reconciliation.

This is going to be a bumpy ride, but it’s a journey I feel I must take. I’ll be sharing what I learn, my failures (as I’m sure there will be many) and the teachings passed onto me by those who I have the honour and privilege of learning from. I feel as though I don’t deserve this opportunity because of the atrocities of my settler-heritage, but at the same time, I must push past these feelings and use my channels to share this knowledge.

These Cultures and Traditions are incredible, beautiful and full of wisdom. I will approach each opportunity with an open mind and heart with the hopes that you, the reader, will do the same. I thank everyone in advance who allows me to learn from them. Mahsi Cho. Chi Miigwetch. Niawen’kó:wa. Marsee. Naqurmiik. Gunalchéesh. Philámayaye. I’ll add the thank yous as I learn them in these Indigenous languages.

As I am currently living in Niagara, I acknowledge that I live on the traditional territory of‎ the Anishnaabe, Attiwonderonk (Neutral), Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Peoples. This land was originally inhabited (and still is) by these First Nations Peoples and is a part of Ontario Treaty 3, The Between-the-Lakes Treaty, which was signed in 1792. Click here to learn more about the land you live on.

Questions?

That’s a rough summary of Lindsay and I’ve Been Bit! Still have some questions? Want to get in touch? Please feel free to email me at lindz[at]ivebeenbit.ca or head over to my contact page. You can also reach out to me via social media! Send me a message or give me a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.