Dusty Haayema

Dusty Haayema is a Canadian mother, creative entrepreneur, writer, and full-time traveler with a passion for photography, blogging, and faith-inspired storytelling. Overcoming early life challenges and embarking on a transformative spiritual journey, she has become a mentor and inspiration to other homeschooling families, building an adventurous life with her husband and four children. Her entrepreneurial spirit, love for adventure, and deep commitment to family and faith have shaped a unique and multifaceted path.

Dusty Haayema was born in Calgary, Canada. She grew up in a modest household with her mother, stepfather, and two younger brothers. Reflecting on her early years, Dusty describes a childhood marked by financial hardship but also colored with vivid, meaningful moments. She recalls both joyous and difficult times, which have deeply shaped her perspective on resilience and family bonds.

A pivotal memory in Dusty’s early life was a family camping trip to Vancouver Island at the age of 12 or 13. This experience awakened her lifelong love of the ocean and sparked her first interests in photography and videography. Watching dolphins from a ferry and swimming in the ocean were transformative events that made a lasting impression, planting seeds for her future creative pursuits and love of travel. She remembers returning home from that trip with a newfound fascination for both the world’s wonders and the storytelling power of images.

Dusty attended school in Lethbridge, Alberta, until the tenth grade, when she faced the life-changing event of becoming pregnant as a teenager. Prioritizing her new responsibilities as a mother, she made the difficult decision to leave school. Nearly a decade later, in 2019, Dusty demonstrated her commitment to personal growth and education by returning to complete her General Educational Development (GED) diploma.

This dedication to lifelong learning continued as she began homeschooling her children. Dusty became actively involved in creating educational opportunities, not just for her own family but also for the broader homeschooling community wherever she lived—organizing groups, activities, and sharing knowledge through her blogging and social platforms.

Motherhood has been a central focus and driving force in Dusty’s life. She is the devoted mother of four children, whom she has homeschooled from an early age, placing their well-being and development at the heart of her daily life. Unable to separate her personal ambitions from family, every pursuit—creative or professional—has served her mission to provide for and support her family’s growth.

Dusty has channeled her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit into various projects. She launched a handmade candle business, assuming all roles from production and branding to marketing and sales at local markets. She also served as the director of The Mom Market, a small business market, and played a key role in growing its digital presence to 10,000 followers. Blogging about family, education, and faith became an additional outlet for her storytelling. On social media, she has not only promoted her ventures but also built micro-communities around her interests.

From 2019 through 2022, Dusty and her family volunteered with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), further reflecting her devotion to service and community. Embracing minimalism and adaptability, they transitioned to full-time travel, exploring the USA (including Hawaii), Mexico, Panama, Thailand, and Malaysia, with plans for many more destinations. She is recognized within her circles for her honesty, openness, and willingness to help others navigate similar paths.

Quirks & Personal Traits

• Dusty is open about her ADHD, which manifests in hyperfixation and sometimes missing social cues.
• She’s known for always wearing her hair in a bun.
• She has a deep, oft-proclaimed love for coffee.

Dusty’s love story is rooted in a lifetime of friendship and mutual support. She met her future husband when she was just 15 years old, through a mutual friend—her boyfriend at the time. After the birth of her first child, her husband remained a steadfast friend, and over time, their bond deepened into a romantic relationship. They married in 2012 and have since built a life together amid both joy and adversity.

Their relationship reflects the complexity of growing and evolving together, facing financial difficulties while dreaming big for their family. Milestones like a road trip to Seattle’s Warped Tour showcase their shared spirit of adventure, while their commitment to self-improvement and understanding underscores their ongoing partnership. Dusty lovingly describes their journey as one of learning how to better love, support, and collaborate as parents and partners.

Dusty is a dreamer by nature. Her grandest ambition is to travel to every country in the world, capturing its diverse beauty and stories through photographs and documentary-style videos. Inspired by her faith, she hopes to one day create Christian-focused documentaries that highlight the work of missionaries and the many faces of humanity around the globe.

At the heart of her big dreams is the desire to build generational wealth—breaking cycles of hardship and creating lasting opportunities, security, and adventure for her children. These ambitions fuel her drive to experiment with businesses, share her voice online, and live a life of purpose and testimony.