In motion

This February marks the start of a new and untold chapter.  I moved out of my apartment last week, a place I called home for nearly two years. That place sits empty now, just the whispers between the walls and the memories collected over a pivotal period of time in my life. What happens next? Well, you will have to keep reading as the story unfolds...

I participated in "Dry January" to kick off the new year - doing this gave me some time and clarity

to hone in on a few things I've been putting off for a while. 

If you always think of things in motion, everything moves, except perhaps your objective's and/or your demons. Do they stay still, always creeping up in the back of your mind? You can change the scenery but not the situation. Those mountains do not move, however once you tackle one of them then you can move on to your next ascent, and appreciate the journey it took to get there.

"Gazing at the mountains in front of me, knowing that I would one day have to climb one.

There I was, looking up, with a vision, a dream and a heightened sense of where I wanted to go".

Something momentous happened for me this January, I hiked to the summit of Sulfur Mountain in Banff National Park. I'd never stood on top of a mountain before, it was an exhilarating experience, especially since a few of the conditions were not in my favour...

Before embarking on my little adventure I inquired about this particular hike and the risks involved in it with the lovely concierge at the hotel I was staying at. I was informed that there had been two cougar sightings in the past week, and there was a watch warning in effect throughout the parks... I was also informed that it's best to hike in groups and carry bear spray.. Well, when I told the receptionist it was just me in my blue jeans and my nike kicks, she said "Ahhhh you should be fine".

With the anxiety of a nervous little school boy at a junior high dance, I trudged my way through the first kilometre or so, repeating things in my head like "you got this" and "don't fucking turn around". It was something I knew I had to conquer. After a little while I allowed myself to relax, and take in the heart - stirring view of my surroundings. I was all alone with mother nature. After 2 hours into the solo journey I could see the summit within my reach. Believe it or not I sprinted up that last leg of the climb (this would have been hilarious to anybody watching). Whether it was the large cat paws in the snow that I swore to be cougar tracks or just my natural adrenaline kicking in, i finished the race in full stride! I met a man at the top of the rock, he congratulated me on the hike, and then we both looked out, parallel with the clouds. We met our gaze.

Now as I sit here, a little bit nomadic, I look forward to the rest of February and what is in store for the next month. I am subletting a friends apartment until I head overseas on my European tour. This leaves me homeless for a little while but that is ok with me. I'm confident the answers will reveal themselves in good time as to where and what my next move will be. Stay tuned!

For now, a little video my friend Nigel and I shot in my vacant apartment on the final day of moving. (I will be releasing one video a week leading up to my tour - from The City Market Sessions on Artists Quarters Boulevard)

1. Rainbow's End