About

Welcome to my travel and lifestyle website!

My name is Desiree Anstey. I’m a multimedia journalist with a master’s degree in Journalism awarded from Lincoln University, England.

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Lincoln, UK.

Before Lincoln, I studied at Keele University for my bachelor’s degree. I was accepted to Keele’s exchange program to study for a semester at Brock University, Ont., Canada. As an exchange student, I was an ambassador representing my home university and country.

Travel has always been a part of my life.

I was born in the tropics of beautiful South Africa, but my family left because of the high crime and moved to the Isle of Man. 

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Exploring Rorke’s Drift,  located near Buffalo (Mzinyathi) River. The Battle of Rorke’s Drift took place here in 1879. Over 150 British and colonial troops defended the station against attacks by 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors.

I grew up in the Isle of Man, called Ellan Vannin in the Manx language. The Island has more runic inscriptions than anywhere else in the British Isles, including the oldest continuous parliament in the world. The Tynwald parliament was founded by Vikings more than 1,000 years ago, and the Island maintains its independent identity (it is not part of the United Kingdom).  

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Isle of Man, Peel Castle.

Fast-forward many moons and travelling experiences later (from working in England, Croatia, and remote to bustling cities in Canada). I live with my family in Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island. The Island is a place where pristine beaches are never too far away. Red dirt roads are lined with lupins in the summer, and locals wait in vehicles to let you walk across the road. 

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Confederation Bridge, the most extended link over ice-covered waters globally, connects P.E.I. to the mainland.

From reading the above, you’ve probably guessed correctly that travel has been a massive part of my life, always discovering faraway lands where emerald bays, unlikely lagoons, and many more surprises were in store.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

My focus shifted. I realized family and friends were more important than planning my next adventure. And that having the “freedom” to celebrate those I love was the top of my priorities. So, this is why I am a freelancer.

There is freedom in what I do, and it doesn’t steal from what truly matters.

My pretty perfect family.

Travel helped pave the way for me to become a writer and work on radio, online media, and now in print, so I owe that to where I am now. And while writing is more than just work for me  – it’s a passion and offers an escape in the true sense of the word from the rest of the world – my family comes first.

My motto is to live nothing short of extraordinary.

My website is a collection of my personal musings, so thank you for reading. Feel free to follow and share your own travel, family, and life experiences with me. – Desiree