4. Some time ago you also went to Cuba and taught ESL classes in exchange for room and board. Please tell us about that experience.

A few years ago, I went to Cuba with no plans, and very little understanding of the sociopolitical situation in Cuba. To me, it was just another island in the Caribbean. I knew I didn't want to do anything typically tourist-oriented, so I ended up at the University of Habana in the summer months, where I worked out deal with someone working there to give me room and meal tickets in exchange for teaching English a few hours a day. I had $500 dollars in the bank, and a return ticket, and I managed to last a few months this way. It was an incredibly humbling experience, because I saw for the first time how people outside North America live, and I was able to meet and learn from Cuban people. I learned a little Spanish, and fell in love with Afro-Cuban and Latin music. I had been a musician my whole life, but this trip showed me how music could be used to connect with people across language and cultural barriers.

5. Through your studies in social work at Ryerson University you spent some time in Peru, completing the placement for your degree requirements. Where did you go and what did you do there? What places did you travel to in Peru and what did you learn about the culture?

As my third year placement, I decided I wanted another international travel experience, and made plans to travel with a close friend. I knew that the experience of doing social work in South America was going to be challenging and emotionally trying, so I was glad my friend agreed to do this together. We spent the first part of our time in Peru travelling, along with my partner Josh. The three of us were amazed by the diversity of the country.

We started in Lima, a city of over 11 million people, with distinct neighbourhoods and cultural practices, then traveled to Arequipa and Cusco, Macchu Picchu, Puno, and Lake Titicaca, which each had completely different cultural groups, languages and food. Many of the people we met were Indigenous Peruvians who spoke various dialects of Quechua. Many of them spoke no Spanish at all. The more we traveled, the more I felt in awe of the strength, resilience and resourcefulness of the people we met, who had been struggling for many hundreds of years, but who are also rich in cultural traditions, food, music, art, history and languages.