About Me

Hailing from the truck stop town of Grande Prairie, Alberta, my name is Taylor Ball. Like many, I had a difficult high school experience. Following graduation, I coped by running away from my problems, traveling first through Europe, then Southeast Asia, Ottawa, and beyond. I soon learned that problems, like shadows, have a way of following you. But through those travels, I also discovered a deep-seated love for exploration.

In the past few years, my focus has shifted from running away to rebuilding myself. I’ve been asking hard questions: Who do I want to be? What do I truly want to do, and how can I make a living from it? Through trial and error, a few false starts, and some hard-won reality checks, I can confidently say I know who I am on most days.

After high school, I took a few years off from post-secondary education to work, travel, and avoid commitment. I eventually returned for a Power Engineering program but quickly realized after starting a job in the field that it wasn't for me. I've tried many different jobs from construction worker, operations, a 9-to-5 desk job, and more. The one I always gravitate back to is waitressing. While it can be one of the toughest jobs, I love that no two days are the same, that I get to move around, and am encouraged to have conversations.

I am in a three-year relationship with my best friend, Tristan. We share our home with our beloved dog, Bella, whom we adopted from a local shelter. We call her our daughter and talk to her in a baby voice, a habit we have given up trying to defend. They are my family.

Over the years, many different bucket lists have been created. There is a drive to write down the next goal, fuelled by a deep need for a new challenge. This project is a way to maintain accountability and a promise not to give up on dreams. The motivation is not materialistic; it is driven by adventure.

Life is hard, and answers are not always readily available, but there is confidence in being able to navigate it. The focus is now on starting to work through the "100 Journeys." While it may never be completed, the good news is, the goals will continue to provide motivation.