Ever since Mark was 16 years old, he wanted to visit Canada.
He dreamed of skating on the country’s frozen lakes and seeing the vast mountain ranges.
Life would always get in the way, whether it was trying to advance his career or not having enough money to go. There was also his dog, Mya, to think about.
That all changed on Mark’s 30th birthday in 2014, when his father had a massive heart attack and died.
Just a guy and his best friend. (via Contributed)“It really highlighted to me that you have to make the most of now because (the heart attack) was completely unexpected,” the 34-year-old tells KamloopsMatters.
Mark, who did not want to use his last name for privacy and safety reasons connected to his career, says at the time of his father’s passing, his parents had been planning a trip around Australia. It had been on their bucket list for 15 years.
“He went to caravan expos, bought books and he just never got to do it. I just went, ‘Well, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.’”
In November 2017, Mark and his white shepherd jetted off to Canada. The pair flew to Vancouver and spent that winter in Revelstoke, taking trips out to Sun Peaks, Big White, Silver Star, Whistler and other snow-capped mountain locales.
Mark and his four-legged companion also travelled to nearly 40 states in the U.S., with stops in New York City, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and Hollywood. They were even in Mexico for a day. He estimates they’ve covered 50,000 kilometres so far.
The two have done everything together, from skiing and snowshoeing to mountain biking, kayaking and white-water rafting (yes, Mya went on the boat, too).
If you’re wondering how they get around, Mark bought a Jeep when he landed in Canada and it’s been their mode of transportation ever since. They sleep in hotels, Airbnbs, a tent and sometimes in that Jeep. It really depends where they are.
“Our big message to people has always been that having a dog does make you think about things differently and you need to plan things a little more, but it’s really possible (to travel with a dog),” says Mark. “I’ve still been able to go off and do pretty much everything I’ve wanted to do.”
Mark calls his first trip to Kamloops a “stop-over destination.” It wasn’t too long after he realized the hidden gem he stumbled upon.
“It’s so much more than a transit destination. We went back to the B.C. Wildlife Park, we hiked Kenna Cartwright, went mountain biking up there. We went kayaking on Kamloops Lake, and tried to walk to Battle Bluff to watch the sunset,” he explains. “It’s such an amazing area for pet owners."
In the process of checking major sites and attractions off their list, the human-and-pooch combo has also gained a significant social media following. On Instagram and Facebook, they have 36,000 and 4,000 followers, respectively. Mark also regularly blogs about their adventures.
Mark says one of his goals in this journey has been to share tips and tricks for people travelling with pets. Since there wasn’t much information out there when he first set out, he hopes to be a hub for pet-friendly travel advice.
“It’s incredible what some hotels do for their dog guests. We were recently at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver, and they wanted to promote a dog menu. Mya had banana and cinnamon waffles that were made specifically for dogs,” Mark says with a laugh. “Everyone says it’s impossible to travel with your dog. We’re proving it is possible.”
(via Contributed)Mark returned to the Tournament Capital this week to take some more pictures and footage of Kamloops for his social media endeavours.
His future travel plans include another winter in Revelstoke (he was originally planning on heading home in August). After that, he says he’ll either head up to Alaska or fly back to Australia.
“It’s really been a trip of a lifetime. It’s definitely been far more rewarding having Mya with me,” he says. “I hope my dad would be proud.”
