Seven of my Favourite Pictures from Seven of my Favourite Places

The stories behind the beauty

This world is a place of pure wonder. There is beauty everywhere, but beauty can also be subjective. It is often linked to emotion, to the feelings we have towards a place, a person, or an animal.

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Have you ever looked at a picture that you love and wondered why it touches you so? I would wager that it is the story that it tells. Here are seven of my stories.

London, Canada

As the Great White North descends into fall, glorious blankets of green turn into multicoloured vistas, as if they are offering up a last feast for the eyes before the landscape becomes stark.

This hidden gem is only a few minutes’ walk from my home in Southern Ontario, and is located in a large conservation area. I have wandered down to this small lake to bask in the summer foliage and marvel at the winter wonderland as the water freezes over, but it is this offering that I look forward to the most.

For me, the beauty of Canada can be summed up in this picture, and for me, it represents home.

San Antonio, USA

This is The Sugar Posse. When I was living on a small Quarter Horse ranch in San Antonio, Texas, this sight greeted me most mornings. They were owned by a grumpy old cowboy who refused to give them treats, so each morning (and with permission of course), I would amble to the gates of the pastures offering apples and carrots to my waiting posse. If I was a little late, as I was on this particular morning, I would get a little attitude and a few complaints at the tardiness of their morning sugar hit.

My Sugar Posse will remain in my heart forever.

Cappadocia, Turkey

A few months ago I managed to check off a bucket list item, hot air ballooning over Cappadocia, Turkey. Personally, I believe that hot air ballooning should be on everyone’s bucket list, and if it’s on yours, I would suggest this location.

The uniqueness of the stone terrain is truly breathtaking, and as it is a popular tourist attraction in the spring and summer months, the fifty or so balloons that float around you adds more to the experience than you could imagine.

Turkey means a lot to me and this adventure just put the cherry on the top!

Perth, Australia

Perth, Western Australia, was my home for ten wonderful years, six of which I spent studying at the University of Western Australia. The campus became my home away from home and provided me with some stability when I came up against some life challenges.

I loved nothing more than wandering through and past the old buildings that stood firm amongst the trees. With so many universities modernizing their campuses, I feel immensely grateful that I was able to earn my degrees in one so steeped in history.

Studying over coffee in the campus cafés, staring at the clock in the midst of exams, pouring over textbooks in the library, listening intently to the information dripping from professors’ tongues, this simple picture doesn’t do justice to the memories.

It is here that I discovered my love of learning.

Bali, Indonesia

Tegenungan Waterfall is located in Ubud in Indonesia. To be honest, there is nothing particularly spectacular about this waterfall, I have stood in the presence of far more magnificent natural wonders. It wasn’t the waterfall or even the stones that made this place special for me, it was Ubud that spoke to my soul.

I was only in Indonesia for a few days to attend a friend’s wedding before relocating to the US in late 2017. Never did I imagine that my few days in Ubud would turn into such a transformative journey. I was on the precipice of upending my life (little did I know exactly how upended it would become), and something remarkable and calm descended on me during my time in this beautiful place.

I think there is a little magic in Ubud, Indonesia.

Nashville, USA

Oh Nashville, Tennessee, you can have the best of me. My love for country music rages strongly in my soul, but my love for Dolly is one that has stood the test of time. When I hear people talk about her, it astounds me how one human being can be loved by so many who stand on opposite sides of almost every dividing line that exists: gay-straight, liberal-conservative, immigrant-native, blue-collar-white-collar, it doesn’t matter your gender, orientation, political views, colour, or creed, Dolly is Dolly, and Dolly is loved by all.

I mean, how can you not love someone who says, “it costs a lot of money to look this cheap!”

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

I have a lot of pictures of the beaches in Playa Del Carmen in Mexico, some far superior to this one, but for me, the beauty of this photo is represented by what I experienced in the tourist town: hurricane Grace, early morning beach walks, workers shovelling sargasso (seaweed), and fishermen bringing in hauls.

Hurricane Grace was my first, and although she was only a Cat 1, she greeted Quintana Roo in the wee small hours of a Thursday morning by huffing and puffing and trying to blow our houses down. She didn’t succeed though, and my rented studio apartment, along with others’, stood strong in the storm. I sat with a morning cup of coffee brewed over gas due to the power outage, watching members of the community cleaning the streets, knowing full well that it would take the city days to do what they could in a few hours.

Viva la Mexico!

I hope that you have enjoyed my stories and that some of these pictures hold a little meaning for you too. Thank you for coming along with me.