What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why?
When I hear the question, “What place in the world do you never want to visit?” my spirit resists even the thought of turning away from any part of this Earth. Every place, no matter how remote or tumultuous, holds a story—a heartbeat—that calls to be known and understood. How could I deny myself the chance to experience that?
As a Plains Cree woman from Alberta, my connection to my culture and heritage was something I had to find on my own. Growing up, I didn’t even know my dad was my adoptive father, and I was raised to fear the rez—the very place tied to my bloodline. When I learned about my adoption, I was told to fear my own people, to see them through the lens of someone else’s judgment. It wasn’t until I was 20 that I met my biological father and began to unravel the truth.
Years later, around 2010, I truly began hearing the call to learn. I found out that in my adoption, I was supposed to be made aware of my heritage, given the option to learn and grow with it. But that promise had been left unfulfilled, leaving me to forge my own path toward understanding what had been denied to me. That journey has made me fiercely curious—not just about my own culture, but about the spirit of every place and people on this Earth.
The drum, to me, is the heart of Mother Earth. Its steady rhythm resonates deep within the soul, reminding us of the connection we all share with the land, the waters, and the skies. Each beat is a call to listen, to feel, to understand. It carries the stories of creation, of resilience, of belonging. I want to feel that rhythm everywhere I go—to stand in places where the drum’s essence echoes through mountains, forests, deserts, and oceans. To hear how the Earth speaks through its people and its spirit.
That same love for rhythm draws me to places like the Caribbean, where I long to hear the steel drum, its melodies rising like the sunlight across the sea. That metallic music feels almost ceremonial, like the drumbeat transformed and adapted to a different landscape. I wonder how the steel drum connects the Caribbean people to their lands, their ancestors, and their identities, just as our hand drums connect us Plains Cree to the heart of Mother Earth.
And yet, I’m equally drawn to ancient standing stones, scattered across lands steeped in history. Places like Stonehenge or Callanish, where the stones hold echoes of ceremonies performed under sun and moonlight long ago. I feel an innate connection to these sacred sites, thinking of how my ancestors would have gathered in circles, drums beating as prayers and stories filled the air. What whispers might those stones carry? What truths might they reveal about the people who walked those lands before us?
I don’t seek the bleakness or flaws others might focus on when they speak of certain places—the turmoil, the devastation, the hardships. Instead, I yearn to find the heartbeat beneath it all. To see resilience in the people, beauty in the land, and connection in the spirit of the place itself. What makes it whole? What keeps it alive, even in the face of adversity?
This world has so much to teach us—its landscapes, its people, its history, its soul. How could I ever willingly close myself off to any of it? Even the places scarred by tragedy or conflict carry lessons, and to avoid them would be to miss out on the chance to understand—not just them, but myself. My journey is about more than discovery; it’s about growth, connection, and honoring the shared heart of this Earth.
To me, no place is unworthy of love, exploration, or reverence. Every corner of the world holds a gift, a piece of the human experience waiting to be shared. I don’t want to lose what is there—not the warmth of its people, nor the whispers of its history. I want to walk this Earth with an open heart, embracing it all—the joys, the struggles, the mysteries, the truths. Because, in the end, this journey isn’t just about visiting places; it’s about truly seeing, truly feeling, and truly understanding.
Who am I? 
I would love to hear from you!