There are 195 countries to daydream about but not all of them are as open to receiving as you are to explore. Like a dog jumping at the door excited to see you, welcome you, and shower you with kisses, there are some places that will give the look of pure uncensored disgust. Or worse.

One of my goals was to run a half marathon on the Great Wall of China in late April 2020. It turns out that the Chinese government changed the visa requirements for Canadian citizens in order to set foot on their land. The beginning process would have me personally interview and fingerprint at the consulate an hour and a half drive away from my home in downtown Toronto. Then I would apply for the visa with every detail from dates and length of stay to hotel reservations to an invitation letter and details of the inviting party. All of this need be done from my home country within one month, not exceeding three months from departure. I will be travelling abroad for 10 months before I’d like to enter China. It just doesn’t work.

It was a let down when I discovered I would not be able to run the Great Wall during my GAP year. Nor would I be able to take the Siberian rail from Beijing to Moscow via Mongolia. The beauty, I decided, is that this gives me a reason to travel again to the region another time. When one door closes, persistence and determination will eventually pry it open!

When planning any trip abroad, be sure to check all visa and entry requirements beforehand. My Russian visa is still in the works which will take at least a month to process if there are no mistakes on my application. Fingers crossed!