This post is super sentimental to me… let me give you a bit of history.

Jackie and I met back in 2009 in Tanzania.  We were staying in the same hostel but I was with a group from my school doing medical work, and she was with her university from the U.S teaching in local schools about HIV/AIDS.  It was an unlikely friendship.  We were both so busy with each of our programs. We also travelled around a lot, and were not in the same place all of the time. We had these tiny little cell phones. These things worked sometimes, but usually didn’t.  We sometimes got texts from each other, especially during the tough times… and there were tough times.

She was this shining light in my life during a trip filled with growth and perspective.  When we were together, we went out to night clubs, explored, got lost, laughed and chatted for hours on end.  One day, I overheard one of the girls in her group say “I don’t know why you are making friends with that Canadian… it isn’t like you are ever going to see her again after this trip.” No word of a lie… lol.

At the end of our trip, our group had planned to climb Kilimanjaro, and Jackie was planning to meet a friend somewhere else in the world.  One night, I said, “Hey, why don’t you stay, and come climb Kilimanjaro with me?”  She was like, yea, let’s do it.  You see, that is the kind of person Jackie is, haha… After some support from home, and hilarious gear shopping, she was on board with us!  That week changed our lives.  We spent every minute together on that trip. We talked about anything and everything.  There was NO way we were going to go home after this trip and not see each other again.

After that life-changing epic trip of a lifetime, Jackie surprised me in Toronto (in February… her Arizona blood was not ready for that…). We then went on a road trip up the California coast after graduation and lived off of Chipotle… another life changing trip and what sparked my photography career.  We have had adventure after adventure together, faced fears and shared dreams.  We have met in Arizona, California, Zion, NYC, Hawaii, Bali, and now Banff.  You see, Jackie isn’t just any friend. She has been with me through SO many of the most defining moments in my life. The good, the bad and the ugly.  She has literally been right there through it all. We have experienced things together that the greatest storytellers wouldn’t be able to do justice. Even though she is in California, and I am in Toronto, it is just easy to be friends with her.

And then there was Patrick.  I heard so much about him, and was dying to meet him.  All I could think was, this guy has to be amazing to be dating Jackie.  I hope he knows how lucky he is!!  Then I got to meet Patrick on a double date trip to NYC.  After spending four awesome days together, I realized just how lucky Jackie was to have found Patrick as well 🙂 I think it was the all you can eat sushi and saki bombs where he won me over haha!

Now, I get to stand up with this woman as she marries her best friend next year.  Gah, my eyes are welling up with tears as I write this.  From the bottom of my heart, I am so happy for you. I am so happy that you have found this great love, who makes you laugh,  supports your crazy dreams and who matches your level of adventure.  You two are so perfect together, and it makes my heart so happy that you wanted me to photograph your engagement photos.  It was the most fun… it always is with you guys.

Cheers to all the future adventures friends… and your biggest adventure yet – getting married!!!

We have a a jump shot every place we have gone… it only seemed appropriate to include this here, haha!

Thinking warm thoughts here!!

I didn’t look nearly as cute after all our hiking and adventuring, but this is so us and also had to be included haha.

Okay, but this light!!!!  I was dying… so grateful for a break in the clouds to get these epic colours. I was giddy!

I *think* these two are my favs… it is just too hard to pick!!

 

<3 <3 <3

We kind of cheated… these were taken the next day 😉  Just on the side of the road somewhere in Banff… because in Banff, every place is beautiful!!!

Outtake/Light test. But I love it haha.

“Darling, let’s be adventurers…”

We didn’t want it to end, so it only made sense from there (after a 14 km hike that day), to run up the mountain to get to this beautiful viewpoint.  But due to our lack of preparedness, we were coming down at dusk screaming/singing loudly to scare away the bears.  #amateurs #worthit

These colours!!! <3

Only love for you two…. thanks for letting me make these memories with you… I had the best time ever!!!