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Nine months, 19 countries and 69,000 kilometres | Elizabeth 'Sunny' McGaw | TEDxCollingwood

2,246 views · Published 5 November 2018 · 15:29 · Indexed 11 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2018 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Nine months, 19 countries and 69,000 kilometres later ....
In This talk, Sunny shares with us a captivating reflection of a travel experience with her family that left her changed forever. In August 2017, Sunny and her husband and their three children left their home, their careers and their family to backpack around the world. Nine months, 19 countries and 69,000 kilometres later they returned, fundamentally changed and with a new perspective on the term Mental Grit. 

Her real name is Elizabeth, but she took on the name of ‘Sunny’ when she taught wind-surfing in the caribbean for three years - Her windsurfing boss didn’t think Elizabeth was a windsurfing name and her subsequent boss in advertising didn’t think Elizabeth was memorable enough.  So Sunny she became.  A name as shiny as her energy and presence, heeeeere’s Sunny. Last year, Sunny and her husband and their three children left their home in King City, Ontario, their secure careers, school, family and friends for the adventure and challenge of backpacking around the world – nine months, five continents, 19 countries, 69,000 kilometers.

As an ardent traveler, Sunny believes that some of the most enriching and important learning occurs on the road. Sunny was educated in Canada and Switzerland, and worked in the Caribbean and Mexico as a windsurfing and archery instructor after University. She has lived in five countries, and visited 35+.

Sunny enjoys using words and pictures to persuade and tell stories, and has designed marketing initiatives for Canadian food and entertainment businesses for much of her career, as well as guest lectures at the Schulich School of Business, at York University.

Someday, Sunny hopes to be a great gardener. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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