For Judy and Blair Foote, the turning point in their travel experience happened while they were navigating their way through Italy.
After spending so much time deciphering transit schedules and vetting restaurants, the Manitoba couple realized their independent travels had become more exhausting than refreshing.
They were looking for a change, and what they found – through G Adventures – immediately appealed to them. Drawn by the promise of small-group travel that still offered the freedom of independent exploration, the Footes embarked on their first tour to Costa Rica in 2011.
Since then, the Footes have been exploring the world with G Adventures, clocking in 19 tours across 21 different countries.
“We’re still traveling as long as we can. We’ve travelled – so far – 255 days around the world with G,” said Judy.
Chasing local experiences
What began as a search for an easier alternative to a self-planned trip, evolved into the Foote’s finding their go-to style of travel: small groups, local connections, and community impact.
“I think what we love with G is that they take you to smaller venues, more local, you’re not seeing what those big buses are seeing. We don’t want to be there. We want to meet the people in different countries,” said Judy.
“We can find restaurants but to find quality, localized restaurants that have the local flavor. That’s the part we’re looking for, the genuine experience,” added Blair.
The Foote’s specifically highlight their admiration for being able to see the real, local impact of their travel when visiting Planeterra projects around the world.
In Costa Rica, they visited a restaurant where local women were undergoing training to be chefs. In India, they rode with Pink City Rickshaw, directly supporting women who drive e-rickshaws.
“I must say, when I’m looking at a tour, I’m looking to see what our Planeterra project is going to be. Our highlight is the Planeterra projects we get to go to that otherwise people have no idea of,” said Judy.
The Foote’s say that these projects are tangible ways of giving back, not just money disappearing into a big company.
“Local little restaurants, too, where the owner comes up and thanks you, because you’re making a difference in their lives, because they are such a small restaurant. I think that’s true meaning as well,” said Blair.
For them, these experiences turn a trip into something deeper: not just seeing a place, but immersing themselves into the communities they’re visiting.
“It’s the best way, we have friends all over the world now that we keep in touch with us, so I think that’s a big part of G and why we enjoy it,” said Blair.
From strangers to travel family
The Footes – who have been together for 44 years – are adamant on “living young” and continuing to see the world together.
But they admit the real magic of travelling has always been the people they meet along the way, from 19‑year‑old solo adventurers to widows in their 60s who don’t want to travel alone.
“We have friends all over the world now that keep in touch with us, so I think that’s a big part of G and why we enjoy it. We have friends all over the world, and some have come to Canada and visited with us, and we’ve gone to their homes and other countries as well,” said Blair.
Over time, the connections they’ve made while travelling have also surprised them by resurfacing, from bumping into a former Cambodia trip‑mate at Iguazu Falls, to catching up with someone they met in India along the Dead Sea.
Judy recalled one interaction that she holds close to heart: when a traveller they met in China reached out to her via Facebook to meet up after seeing online that the Foote’s were in New Zealand at the same time.
“I posted pictures. He said he hadn’t been on Facebook for a couple years, and he contacted us. When that young kid drove into where we were staying, I had tears in my eyes,” said Judy.
To have someone reach out to you while you are halfway around the world, she says, demonstrates the beauty of connection while travelling.
“When they say it’s a small world, it truly is a small world, and when we tell our stories to people, they kind of look at us as though, like, ‘Seriously, you guys met people?’ But that’s all part of being open to travel,” said Judy.
For the Foote’s, it’s those human connections that make every journey unforgettable.
“Like-minded people just keep traveling, and a lot of them keep traveling with G Adventures, so sometimes your paths may cross, and we never know where anybody’s travelling, but just by luck, how we’ve run into people,” said Blair.
The two also hope that their four adult children — now travelling with their own kids — will carry on the tradition, using their stories and journals as a roadmap to keep saying yes to exploring the world.
“Everybody always says, ‘Someday, I’m going to do this.’ You know, that someday never comes for a lot of people,” said Blair.
“So we just think you should just appreciate every day and just travel, do whatever you can, even if it’s small trips.”
Read more stories like this:
How a solo trip to Mexico led to a lifelong friendship
Why I decided to take a ‘gap year’ with G Adventures in my 30s
Why this traveller finally embarked on a solo trip in her 50s
