Rusti L Lehay

A Six-Pack of Flavours.

For most of her life, Rusti L Lehay walked a fine line between independence and caretaking—between her love of solitude and her desire to serve others. Then, travel came along and changed everything. It shook her out of routine, out of self-doubt, and into a deeper understanding of who she really was.

Author Rusti L Lehay picking avocados in Columbia.

In A Six-Pack of Flavours, Rusti shares how an unexpected opportunity to volunteer on a small fruit farm in Colombia became a journey of self-discovery. What began as a casual “Sure, I’ll help if you feed me” conversation turned into a transformative adventure. On the equator, surrounded by orchards, avocados, and the rhythmic pulse of daily farm life, Rusti reconnected with her body, her purpose, and her love of solitude.

The work was hard—pruning, carrying buckets, tying vines, and protecting crops with makeshift irrigation—but it was the kind of labour that grounded her. In the quiet of the fields, she rediscovered peace; in the pages of her journal at night, she found her voice. When she later travelled to Bogotá to experience the culture and chaos of city life, she realized something profound: it was okay to be both the social adventurer and the contemplative recluse. She didn’t have to choose between them—both were essential parts of her nature.

While exploring Bogotá, Rusti joined tours led by reformed gang members, witnessed art born from tragedy, and experienced humanity’s capacity for resilience. She discovered that even in a world marked by injustice and loss, kindness and creativity persist. It was a revelation that stayed with her long after she returned to Canada.

“Finding keys to myself in all types of books and knowing myself through the words on my journal pages has always been the fastest method to knowing what I really want and need out of life. Words have paved the roads to healing for me on so many fronts. Words and quiet solitary times in nature—walking, hiking, or working hands-on, tying up vines on a Colombia fruit farm, are where I find answers to questions I didn’t even know to ask. From the wordlessness of dreams and earth, written or read, I came to know me.” — Rusti L Lehay

Back home on her sister’s rural Alberta farm, Rusti continues to balance her dual nature—the “reclusive curmudgeon” and the “gregarious adventurer.” Whether walking through snowy fields, listening to birdsong, or planning her next winter escape to Mexico, she embraces both stillness and spontaneity. Her story is a love letter to self-acceptance—a reminder that transformation doesn’t require escaping who you are, but rather embracing every flavour of yourself along the way.

Today, Rusti is a long-time creative writing instructor and heart-centred coach who helps writers find their authentic voice on the page. She believes every lived moment holds a story, and that writing is one of the most powerful tools for healing and self-discovery.

✍️ Discover Rusti’s full story in Wanderlust Chronicles: Transformative Travel Tales, available now on Amazon.