Alison Karlene Adventures

Alison Karlene Adventures

Tales of a Broken-back Backpacker

Menu Skip to content
  • Home
  • About this Blog
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
August 10, 2019August 21, 2019 Alison Karlene

How to Plan the Perfect Weekend in Kelowna, British Columbia

July 28, 2019July 25, 2019 Alison Karlene

My First Experience Abroad: Travelling to Europe as an 11-year-old

June 30, 2019June 4, 2019 Alison Karlene

How to Travel Ireland by Rail and Bus

May 3, 2019 Alison Karlene

Summer Reading List: 6 Books that will take you on a journey

April 4, 2019 Alison Karlene

Travelling is…

March 2, 2019February 28, 2019 Alison Karlene

Mexico City: A Photo Journey

February 1, 2019February 8, 2019 Alison Karlene

5 Places to write your manuscript or screenplay in New York City

January 4, 2019April 4, 2019 Alison Karlene

A layover in London taught me more about myself than I expected

December 1, 2018December 1, 2018 Alison Karlene

Christmas around the world

November 24, 2018November 25, 2018 Alison Karlene

Is ‘slum tourism’ okay? My experience in Soweto, South Africa

Posts navigation

Older posts
Alison Karlene

Alison Karlene

Hello! My name is Alison. I have a serious case of the travel bug. I write for Canadian Traveller and Explore, but this travel blog is for my personal adventures.

View Full Profile →

Featured on BC Mag
Featured in Explore magazine

Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Search the Site

Latest Content

  • How to Plan the Perfect Weekend in Kelowna, British Columbia
  • My First Experience Abroad: Travelling to Europe as an 11-year-old
  • How to Travel Ireland by Rail and Bus
  • Summer Reading List: 6 Books that will take you on a journey
  • Travelling is…

Popular Posts

  • My Top Twelve Most Exotic Eats
  • Stirring up the Cafe Culture
  • My Friend Roy: World Poetry Day
  • Montreal Must-do's
  • My Top Five Winter Travel Spots
Advertisements

Connect with me on Facebook!

Connect with me on Facebook!

Enter your email address to follow!

Twiiter Life

  • RT @nsdrc: Disabilities are not always visible! "Living with an invisible injury is something I’m going to have to deal with for the rest o… 2 days ago
  • RT @Tourism_Kelowna: Looking for budget-friendly ideas for your next girls' trip? @AlisonKarlene has some itinerary suggestions for you: ht… 5 days ago
  • Stoked for this feature about #MammothLakes & #Yosemite that I wrote to be published in @cantravelmag 👏 Here’s a sn… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 6 days ago
Follow @AlisonKarlene

Instagram

✨When life gives you grapes, drink merlot🍷 . . . . #kelownawine #vineyard #okanaganvalley #quailsgate #kelownabc #explorebc #okanaganlifestyle #glt #girlslovetravel #travelblog #travelgram #gypsetstyle
Picture proof of the one time I actually did my lipstick perfectly 👄 . Side note, how is summer almost over?! It’s been an amazing one, and I want more! Next up: Long weekend girls trip to the Sunshine Coast 😍🎉
BRB just out buying every issue I can find of today’s @globeandmail that has my byline on a FULL PAGE ARTICLE 😭❤️😭❤️😭❤️ . Thank you so much to the friends, family and complete strangers that have already reached out about my article. It’s absolutely TERRIFYING to have something this personal published in a national newspaper 📰 . To every person who’s told me they relate/have been inspired/feel a little less alone – you’re why I write. Thank you for reading 💕
Before seven scars laced my spine. . Listen. I don’t always want to talk about my back injury. But I can understand the curiosity. So, if you don’t know, here’s something you should: I wish I was doing something epic when I broke my back. I wish I was taking a double backflip in the board park. But I wasn’t. Life isn’t that explicable. . I’d just begun to learn how to take jumps on my snowboard. They were humps, really; little mounds of snows marked by a green line for “beginner.” . One small hump. One freak fall. My spine shattered, and my life fractured forever into “before” and “after.” . This photo was taken four months “before,” in Nice. My skin is smooth and flawless; free of surgery scars. I’m confident and young; not prepared for how easily we can break. . I’m twenty years old. I don’t yet know that I’ll be nearly paralyzed from the tiniest hiccup in the snow. I have no idea I’ll cut my year working in Europe short and be rushed home to confront a much greater tragedy. . None of us do. I understand the proclivity to explain my injury, to say “oh, well I would never do that,” and make yourself feel better because that means it can’t happen to you. . I’m sorry; it can. . Every day, every moment, every breath is a risk. That’s kind of the point. Choose which ones you want to take, but don’t for a second think you’re invincible because you abstain. . I wasn’t doing anything difficult or overly risky when I broke my back. I wasn’t doing anything I hadn’t done before. . I’ve got a lot more to say, but I’ll leave that for my book 😉
Necklace: @glowdess Dress: @bootleggerjeans Car: @buickcanada Hair & Makeup: me, ya’ll think I’m rich now or something 😂 (Although I did use the @tartecosmetics palette by @whitneyysimmons 😍) . Go peep my new blog post on How to Plan a Perfect Weekend in Kelowna! 💦 Featuring @samesunhostel @kraftykitbar & more ☀️ aroundtheworldwithalison.com . Link in bio ➡️ @alison_abroad 🥰
Just one more sangria? 🍷😂 After going an entire summer without booze last year, you’ll likely find me on a sunny patio at Happy Hour this season 🤷🏻‍♀️ . 📷: @elr_53 (thanks for being my long weekend photographer 😅) . . . . #sangriapatiobar #kelownabc #kelownawine #glt #happyhour #canadiangirls #patioseason #longweekendvibes #summer19

Blog Stats

  • 137,901 hits
Create a website or blog at WordPress.com
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Cancel