It's funny how things turn out, we can go over in our minds a hundred times how we think a situation will play out, but in reality there are far to many variables for us to accurately predict an outcome. Before I left Australia I had plans of what I was going to accomplish during my time in Vancouver. Where I would to travel to, what I would be photographing and the sorts of people I would be meeting. Then reality hit, and not in a bad way, just in a way that I hadn't predicted. I was faced with either trying to hang onto the plans I had predetermined in my head or just to go with the flow and see where it led me. I chose the latter, either out of laziness or perhaps I was just looking for excitement in the fact that I didn't know where I would end up. Whatever the case I occasionally ended up questioning myself on the decision. I wondered if I had wasted opportunities. Opportunities that would take me months of saving up capital to get back again. But I know that sort of thinking only leads to negative ends, and ultimately regrets.
I think when we are faced with that uncertainty all we have to do is look at ourselves and ask a simple question. Am I happy?
Who knows, what if back in the day you had taken a different path to the one your on now, you might have ended up in a better financial situation, by chance became famous or even found a new love. What you should really think is who gives a shit. That path could have just as easily led you down a road where you got hit by a bus. Over the top perhaps, but life is unpredictable. Just be happy for what you have right now, if your alive, if you have friends and family who care for you, if you have enough money for a roof over your head and some food on the table then life is good.
For me, even though I am not on my chartered course right now, I know I have always been sailing in the right direction. These last 5 months... this incredible summer... has been unforgettable and simply beautiful. I want to thank every person that played a part, you made it special. From the homeless guy that collected empty beer bottles from my bedroom window when I was hungover and cheered me up, to my mate who dragged me across the Atlantic to photograph a wedding in Italy and everyone in between. You made it magical. So am I happy? A resounding fuck yes would be the answer.
With Van City's sun shining bright, I've been living the dream life.
Here's to the people:
The homeless guy who collected empty bottles from my bedroom window
The mate who dragged me to Italy
A beautiful girl who showed us around Siena
A guy whose about to have a baby at a friends Bucks Party in Montreal
A group of friends camping at a lake in BC
Two nice guys I met at the beach
A good looking dude
Two kids playing rock and roll
A Granville Street local
The Main Street Possy
Broadway Street - Fairview Pub Local
A Main Street Local
Ray.
The Alaskan's Tofino escape
A man writing in Venice
And here's to the place:
Granville St. Sunset
Some drinks at a backyard barbecue
Shoes hanging on the wire
Kits Beach
The sun setting into the ocean
Solitude on a busy beach
Absolute bliss
Cheers and thank you
No regrets
