As you all know I love to write. Every time my mother reads one of my posts she tells me I need to write a book. I would love to write a book, but what would it be about? What is my story? How would I put together everything I want to say in a book? It is something I think about every single day actually.

Last night I watched the HBO documentary Everything is Copy. Written and produced by her son, Jacob Bernstein, it chronicles the story of the amazing life and legacy of Nora Ephron. If you don’t know who she is, you will need to google her, but let me drop the names, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Julie and Julia, just to name a few.

Through the documentary we learn how she changed her life from a news journalist to an extremely success screenwriter, essay writer and novelist. Using her own life as the canvas to her artwork. Poignant, funny, personally controversial at times, but genius.

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine, who happens to be a realtor, was telling me about publications that she reads that have columns that are like questions and answers about her industry.

Which was around the same time that my friend Joel passed away. Joel had an alter ego, her name was Demanda Refund. Yes, you read it correctly – Demand-A Refund. I remember when I worked at my first job at The Last Minute Club, there was a newsletter (yes, long before computers, and e-technology) and there was a column with stories written by Demanda and her answers to travel related issues. Like the “Dear Abby” of our travel company.

I haven’t been able to think about anything else but this all week. I think to honour Joel I am going to introduce Demanda to my travel blog. She is hilariously funny, her humour is off colour at times and she is not always PC (that is politically correct, not the political  party) but really does have something to teach you about the world of travel from the inside out.

Please email your travel questions or stories to yyztravelgal@gmail.com. Read and follow my blog – The Stamps in my Passport for Demanda’s column coming soon.

Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing,

Lisa