2014 in Pictures

Resurrect.


I thought about you, this, often in the last five months. I should write something. So much has happened. I should record it for me, for us, for them. 

At some point, after a couple months and then one more, and another... it becomes much harder to begin again. The images and events seem to take on either very mundane properties, or becomes so huge that I wonder, how can I explain this to anyone?

So I suppose it takes something like the first day of a brand new year to catapult me out into the expansive sky again.

As per tradition, I give you my collection of 2014 photographs. I do it more for me than you. It steadies me to know where I've been; it shows me the history of this year that makes up the skin cells and molecules I have at this moment.

To be sure: know that it has been a bit of a trying year. Pictures don't ever capture this. Sometimes it feels like a falsehood for me, to share images of only the highlights, and not talk about the hardships that come from being complex human beings. I don't want to mislead you, or myself.

So trust that when you see my photos--or anyone's photos, for that matter-- you are seeing the golden moments. The ones that inspire hope or laughter. The ones that remind you that life is good. The ones that are necessary.

Gratitude to the golden moments of this year that got us through all the changes of growing up.

Happy New New.

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We started off 2014 in Juneau, playing Northern Tour Guides to M + J. I realized just how much my soul had settled into this place, as I didn't even really mind that we didn't go back to Vancouver for Christmas.

In February, I went to San Francisco to attend a conference on the brain & the effects of love. Brainlove. In between tearing up at seminars led by really funny (and some really dry) neuroscientists, I took advantage of exploring this hilly city.

We relished in the extended Winter season, knowing that with the upcoming move, we wouldn't have a chance to walk amidst clean snow in March for a while.


 

We cooked. We ate.

We had so many BS conversations over fires, and the weirdest moments with our friends,

And then we stuck with our decision to move away. So three things happened: 

We were thrown a goodbye BJs party,

We went on one last Six-Pack adventure (if we were in high school, I suppose they would be our besties),

And then they came over and fed us and helped us pack up our house. I cried a few times those days.

Then poof. We were gone from 867, Yukon, YT, the North, You Can Do It, forever.

B hauled us down the Alaska Highway for 3000km, with all The Stuff we deemed worthy of keeping bumping along behind us, getting dusty. We saw some beauty.

We arrived in Vancouver. We moved into Kits. I have an essay that I will share about moving, so I will gloss over it here. But in July we were subletting, so still a little homeless, still a little uprooted.

In the midst of this, and reconnecting with old friends, an intense course at UBC, our little marriage turned ONE.

So we went to Willow's Inn on Lummi Island (go! to there!) and Deception Pass campground to celebrate.

Holy Moses. Dining at Willow's Inn was the best meal we've ever had.

Then in August, we hung out with loved ones on Saturna for a week,

And went to all the weddings,

 I turned 30,

In between travelling, celebrations and the business of summer, we moved to East Van and began the (sometimes frustrating, molasses-like venture of turning a house into a home),

In September, we were incredibly honoured to be officiants at M + C's wedding. We flew back to the North and hung out with all these lovely Yukon people at this love-filled, important event,

 (The beautiful, non fuzzy pictures courtesy of GBP Creative in Whitehorse, YT)

Some longer, darker days and nights hit when we got home and we gritted our teeth and put our heads down to deal with adulthood. In and around that, we reconnected with this new-old city of ours, pals, hobbies, routines, questions, fears, acceptance. You know. Life.

Bry set up his shop and continued to make beautiful things with his hands,

I applied for Grad school!

December arrived before we even began to blink, and it was full. Full of love. Full bellies. Full days of scrambling to make gifts, find recipes. Our first Christmas as a married couple living in Vancouver!

That's it. That was our year.
Thank you for participating in it, in all the ways that you always, always do.

More cryptic, written reflections coming up next. It's good to be back in this space.

XO

With love and abundance,
B + J

PS: I wish you the most shiny, healing 2015 that the universe can muster for you. Be well.