My Story

Stopping for a beach picnic near Marseille, France.

I was born in Manchester, England but emigrated to Canada with my family when I was four years old. At 17, I left my home town of London, Ontario to study music at McGill University in Montreal. Then, I set off for Europe where I rode my bicycle from London, UK to Crete, Greece.

After living in a tent and youth hostels for almost a year, I bought a van and spent most of the 1990s exploring Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, and Greece.

At 29, I returned to Canada, went back to school, and reinvented myself as a freelance copywriter and journalist.

Today, I split my time between London, Ontario and Paris, France.

Beyond the 519 is where I share my adventures, my travel tips, and my advice about working from anywhere.

Happy travels!

~ Nicole

What’s #the519?

519 is the area code for southwestern Ontario, stretching from Windsor to Kitchener and north to Tobermory. It’s the place I call home, no matter how far I travel.