2021: A Year of Abundance

Walking towards Mount Assiniboine on the summit ridge of Mount Gloria. Photo by Paul Zizka.

With a brand new year unravelling, I’ve finally made some time to reflect on the year behind us. 2021 was a year of uncertainty in countless ways, but it also turned out to be a year of growth and clarity. Maybe it’s a silver lining of the pandemic, but I look back on the year with a fresh sense of gratitude for each new connection and opportunity that life presented.

I spent the year working with a wonderful roster of social media clients including Paul Zizka Photography, Radiate Wellness, Simply Kimberley, Beyond Story Media, and Wildsight Kimberley Cranbrook. I had the pleasure of working on various screenplays and Dil Rakh, a feature-length screenplay that’s been in the works for years, finally filmed in Vancouver this summer. I also started co-producing Congratulations, Amy, a “heart-wrenching dark comedy” about high school friend dynamics set on the stunning Sunshine Coast.

Looking back, I was passionate about every challenge and opportunity I took on last year. I’d like to share some of the experiences and projects that made 2021 so special.

Photography at Kimberley Alpine Resort

Travel photography has been a hobby for over a decade but between the state of the world, moving to Kimberley, and connecting with talented local photographers, I’ve had the opportunity to explore landscape, adventure, and ski photography. Last winter, it became routine to head up the mountain with a camera in tow. Looking at things through a lens, I began to appreciate about the mountain landscape and the way we move through it in new ways. In the process, I also became a slightly better skier!

Banff Centre Adventure Filmmakers’ Workshop

The majority of my film experience is in script development, screen writing, and producing but shooting behind-the-scenes on film sets made me curious about getting more hands on with a camera. Stars aligned and I found myself in the online cohort of the Banff Centre Adventure Filmmakers’ Workshop.

Between all of the lectures, films, discussions, and a group project that month, I learned enough to book short film projects for clients and events like Lowepro and BC Culture Days. I also made my first short film, Winter Harvest, with the talented Camille Martel and Katee Pederson (whose blog post gave me the nudge I needed to finish this). The film is an ode to the spirit of cross-country skiing.

Directing Life Begins @ 40

This year, my mom celebrated the 40th anniversary of he music career and I had the privilege of directing her 40th anniversary virtual concert. We filmed at the stunning Armoury Studios in Kitsilano, Vancouver with a tight-knit crew of people I love working with. I remembered how much I love being on set and realized that I could step into a director role quite naturally. Most importantly, I had the opportunity to work with my mom in a professional capacity and connect with her creatively.

Check out the highlight reel and crew credits on Vimeo.

Summiting Howse Peak

This year was full of outdoor adventures—from scrambling the peaks of Marvel Pass and Assiniboine Provincial Park and sipping glacier-iced-coffees on the Iceline Trail to completing the 55-km golden larch-lined Rockwall Trail—but it was summiting Howse Peak (3,295 m) that stands out for me.

Day one involved a river crossing, an endless approach past Epaulette Lake and over Epaulette Col (1,200 m gain), followed by dropping 600 m to our bivy site. Day two kicked off the second day which included the ascent to the summit at 3,295 m, returning to camp (2,200 m of gain and loss before lunch), packing up, and climbing 600 m to Epaulette Col before facing the endless walk down the glacier to the river crossing and car.

I learned so much from Paul Zizka on this journey like how to tie in for alpine routes, how to walk on a glacier in crampons, and how to self-arrest a fall. I had my first alpine start, saw my first gaping crevasses, survived the dust storm of the century, and loved every minute of it. It’s safe to say that I’m hooked and hope 2022 comes with a lot more mountaineering.

RUNNING THE LONDON MARATHON

I ran the London Marathon virtually to support my sister-in-law Ayla, raise funds for Volunteers Foundation in Kenya, and see if I could do it. In exchange for the effort I put in, I gained precious time spent in the woods in a state of flow. I enjoyed challenging myself in a completely new way and learned to appreciate running for the sake of running.

My first marathon took me 5 hours and 5 minutes all in (4 hours 45 minutes of running and 20 minutes of snacking). Everyone on our team finished the 42.2-km run and together, we raised over £11,000. Donations have gone directly to providing education opportunities to children in Kenya.

Photo Jury Duty at the Banff Mountain Film + Book Festival

What an honour it was to sit on the photo jury at this year’s Banff Mountain Film + Book Festival! In exchange for judging the annual photo essay competition took place via Zoom over the summer, I was invited to attend the festival in Banff in November. I stayed at the Banff Centre to present the award, network, and watch films. I also got the chance to meet Adventure Filmmaker Workshop instructors Michael Brown and Keith Partridge, as well as a handful of fellow participants!

Though the festival was a much smaller festival than usual due to Covid, it created a more intimate experience. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to experience Banff and make connections over buffet breakfasts, hazy pale ales at the Maclab, hikes up Sleeping Buffalo Mountain, and climbs at the Sally Borden gym.

2021 was a year of abundance. In addition to the highlights above, I’m grateful for our second (slightly larger) Kimberley home and all the time spent with family enjoying the small things. I’m also grateful for all the creative, adventurous, and spirited folks in my life; there simply isn’t enough room to list all the moments and people I’m thankful for.

The pandemic may have led me to settling in a small mountain town in the Canadian Rockies, but I’ve found myself in a place that inspires me to explore and observe; to imagine and create; to listen and share. Spending the last year here, I’ve discovered the value of slowing down and creating space to be creative.

I’ll close this off with a quote from Lands of Lost Borders, a book by Kate Harris that I devoured to cope with nostalgia for my life as a nomad.

“There are places you can get to by road, and places you can only get to by being on the road.”

Choose the scenic route. Lean into the journey. And have a 2022 full of good books and strong coffee.