The Pacific Northwest is one of my favourite places on earth.

Lush forests, peaceful lakes, wide beaches and rocky shorelines – there is so much to explore!

Ashton and Charlie WERE strangers.

I mean, I had heard a lot about them from our mutual friends, but when we boarded the ferry to Saturna, we had never actually met face to face (I actually texted Ashton a selfie so that she would recognize me). But really, I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. These two have such an obvious love for one another, and are absolutely FILLED with positivity. And as entrepreneurs and owners of their own businesses, these two have their sh*t together too.

Even better, do it with strangers.

Joshua Tree is the perfect place for wandering.

One of my best pals and I found an amazing Airbnb just outside of the town of Joshua Tree called Cactus Mountain. After the pavement ended, we made a few twists and turns, and there it was: perfectly situated on-top of a hill, complete with views of purple mountains and dusty backroads. The property made a great home base and the crazy wind made for amazing photo ops.

As I mentioned in my Palm Springs post, this trip was all about giving ourselves a chance to be creative: to get away from our usual routines and play. For me this meant photography, and luckily Meg was game to be in front of my camera almost every day.

Now, this is where I give a massive shout out and THANK YOU to Meg!

Thank you for being a great travel partner, playlist creator, Queer Eye afficiando and a heck of a photo subject! Meg also happens to be the genius behind THIS very website. Be sure to check out more of her design work here.

As a kid, I was scared of the water.

Growing up on the prairies, I was never around lakes or oceans. They were intimidating.

Sea monsters, slimy weeds, and certain death were my main concerns.

Luckily, after 6 years of living in BC, I’ve grown to understand – and appreciate – what lies beneath the waves. I’m learning to time the tides, ride the waves, and most recently – identify the sound an orca makes as it breathes.

The photos below are from a kayak trip Mike and I took with Spirit of The West Adventures. Our basecamp on West Cracroft Island is what dreams are made of. Tents on platforms with views of the ocean, an outdoor dining hall with a steady flow of coffee, and a wood-fired hot tub perched on the rocks.
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From this base, we kayaked, hiked and swam. We learned about the sea monsters that lived below the surface, and how to cook and eat the slimy weeds. We were even blessed with the appearance of the Northern Resident Killer Whales – complete with a newborn female calf in the A1 Pod!

We lived in the fresh air, and travelled by water. We watched the fog rise off of the Strait every morning and witnessed the sun set behind the mountains every night.

And aside from the 8-degree polar dips (and the odd Lion’s Mane jellyfish), I wasn’t scared at all.

MOUNT TRICOUNI

Up and over and around and through! Boulder fields, meadows and 3 alpine lakes make this a great day hike. We didn’t reach the summit on this particular day, but can’t wait to head back to push further.

THANKS TO JENNA FRANZE, WE ARE SQUAMISH HOMEOWNERS.

While canoeing across a glacial lake in the Squamish backcountry, Jenna and I struck up a conversation about Squamish real estate. On that fateful canoe, I lazily stated that our goal would be to “move to Squamish in like, 3 to 5 years.”

Jenna fast-tracked that plan and had us the owners of our first condo within 6 months. #mindblown.

Our experience with Jenna was incredible. There was no bullsh*t. She told it to us straight, but didn’t force anything. We felt completely taken care of, and are so thankful to finally be living in our dream hometown – 4 years ahead of schedule!

If you’re looking for someone to help you get into the Sea to Sky market, I can’t recommend her enough: www.jennafranze.com

Being in nature – and taking photos of people in nature – are my two favourite things.

Here’s a collection of beautiful people in beautiful places.

The folks at Northland Properties are great! Our team at Georgia Street Media has been producing videos and photos for the Sandman Hotel chain for several years. From Calgary and Langley, to Sherwood Park and Vancouver – it’s been such a pleasure to create bright and friendly content for the chain.

Producer, Director, Photographer: Amanda Palmer / Video: Jordan Lee / Lighting & Camera Assist: Jeremy Wong / Hair and Makeup: Calgary – Caitlyn Dixon / Sherwood Park – Joline Lemke

Jenna Maye will kick your butt.

I started going to bootcamp in January 2017, and Jenna is the fitness guru. I’ve seen this woman once or twice a week for the last year and a half, and dammit it’s been great.

Bootcamp nights aren’t easy (and there is often yelling and swearing AND Disney sing-a-longs), but I’ve always felt like a million bucks afterwards, and by the end of this year, I’ve felt stronger than I have in a long time.
There’s always more to do, but I feel pretty lucky to have found someone like Jenna to guide me through it all.

A series of images from the 2021 collections of Northbound Supply Co.

A Canadian brand, Northbound states: “Our heritage is rich and diverse. Our lifestyle as Canadians is simple, hard working and adventurous.”