My Backpack

was My Home:

One Woman’s Wild Adventure Guided by Insight

The journey that started it all.

Looking back now, I can see that this book is not really about travelling the world.

It is about becoming.

Leaving behind the expectations of others gave me the space to discover who I truly was. What began as a young woman’s desire to explore the world became a journey of trusting my own inner guidance, embracing uncertainty, and allowing life itself to shape me.

For more than twenty-five years, my backpack was my home as I lived, worked, and travelled across five continents. Along the way, I experienced breathtaking adventures, deep loss, remarkable kindness, and countless moments that quietly changed me from the inside out.

When I returned to Canada in 2013, I brought home far more than memories. I brought home a different way of seeing life. That journey became the foundation of Living Life in Joy.

This book is the beginning of that story.

My hope is not that you follow in my footsteps, but that my story encourages you to trust your own inner wisdom and discover the path waiting to unfold before you.

“I loved reading about all of the journeys Carolynne went on over the years. By trusting and listening to her insight, she was led to so many places, saw so many beautiful things, and met beautiful people. It inspired me to listen to my own insight and wonder where it might lead me. Thank you, Carolynne!”

— Joanne B.