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The More Lost I Get the More at Home I Really Feel

East or West? Finding Myself on the Cabot Trail

By: Jamie Scott + Save to a List

Heading east finally, to the Cabot Trail. It was always odd to me that I had done so much traveling and yet most of my own country was yet to be explored. Canada to me is everything, it is the perfect balance of all walks of life. Whether you live the urban life, city lights and tall skylines or you prefer to be in the open wilderness amongst nature and natural beauty. Canada has whatever it is you're looking for. I was blessed enough to be born out of this incredible land mass and it's about time I explored more of it. The more lost I get the more at home I really feel. I had been living out of a tent for months and was getting used to the minimalist life. I was back home after being out traveling and itching for something new, something different and something to make me feel free again. 

The West Coast is always considered the 'best coast,' it steals the limelight. Western Canada is home to everything big, from the Rockies to the Ancient Cedars, it is a place you go to live amongst giants, but having just lived out there for the past 9 months I was ready for something with a different feel and sometimes it is easy to overlook what's in your own backyard. Why not go east?... The Maritimes, Trailer Park Boys, Alexander Keiths and the freshest seafood you could possibly eat. I mean, who doesn't want to get drunk as a sailor and gorge on Lobster until you're sick of it for another 20 years? So, I grabbed my camping gear, an obnoxious Aussie travel buddy (requirement) and my trusty Fujifilm X-E2 and set out to the Cabot Trail.


What I found was a fucking gold mine of beautiful rugged coastline, open ocean and a color pallet that would steal your gaze for hours. There's something magical about staring towards the unknown distance of forever that only the open ocean provides. Life today mostly consists of staring at screens 6 inches from your face. I think it gives your soul the time to reflect upon the concept of forever and the concept of the self. The trail circles the most very eastern point of Nova Scotia, giving you endless panoramic views of the Atlantic ocean that go on and on providing you plenty of time to sit and be mindful, to appreciate life and to get back to feeling like yourself again. The east really gave me a certain type of calm I never seemed to capture out west and it was just what I needed after a hectic period of life.


I started on the eastern side of the Cabot Trail and slowly made my way west, eastern trail sunsets give you some buttery pink and purple tones, the sky looks like cotton candy as the light fades behind the landscape. The western side provides an epic view of the sun sinking away to lands and places beyond the ocean. It slowly melts behind the horizon burning the sky to a fiery blaze performing its last spectacle for the day before it fades to darkness. That sort of display leaves you looking pretty stupid. Side effects include a wide gaping mouth, drool on your pants and that lovely hollow blank stare permanently stamped to your face.


With every trip I take, I find there is always something to learn. The east was a great reminder that no matter where you may find yourself, there is always a unique beauty to behold. This can apply to physical places or even points of life. Don’t forget to take a minute to remember who you are, to remember you are complete no matter where you stand physically or mentally. Look around and notice the tiny pockets of wonderful surprises that await. West coast isn't best coast, neither is the east, the best coast is wherever your dumb face happens to be looking at.

 

 

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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