This was the moment I knew I must live here:

Until this day, my British Columbia dreams had always been set in Vancouver. In fact, the only reason I ended up on the island this day was because of a very uncommon layover between Toronto and Vancouver. I’d seen this stop-off as an inconvenience, something that limited my time in the place I loved so much.

Well, the universe does funny things to wake you up sometimes.

Turning to my boyfriend I said “This is one of the most beautiful airports I’ve ever seen”, and something inside me clicked. I was afraid to want it too much, though. If you ever Google how to move somewhere, there are always a large number of people who take great pride in telling you everything that could ever be wrong with anywhere. (Which is funny, because looking back at those articles now I find myself disagreeing with almost all of them, but that’s a post all by itself!)

Maybe it’s a product of the pandemic, but I’ve recently noticed a lot of people moving away from the bigger cities in search of something that perhaps better feeds their soul. In one week I will have lived here for one year, so for those of you are curious or considering the jump over here yourself, I wanted to talk about the best things about living on an island in the Pacific Northwest.

Island Time

The island lifestyle is unlike anything else, and it’s amazing how different seemingly similar places can be when seperated by water. There is a more relaxed atmosphere here; life moves at a slower pace, and people take time to enjoy simple pleasures. Communities seem more aligned with nature than their mainland counterparts, and everyone has a hobby (usually based around the outdoors or creating things with their hands). It took some time to recalibrate after moving from the hustle of Toronto, but over the last few months I’ve found that island time very much matches the true rhythm of my own heart.

Community

Neighbourhoods are small, faces are familiar, and everyone says “Good morning”. Even as a native to the English countryside, I forgot what it felt like to have neighbours who knew your name, and baristas who knew your order. Those kind of things don’t happen in the cities, and it’s a beautiful thing to be in a place that is much smaller, yet feel as though your part of something bigger.

Nature

If I haven’t already said it enough, nature is my driving force and true life love. If there is one thing that pulled my heart to live in British Columbia it would be the beauty of the flora and fauna here. This province’s lifeblood is the abundance of its natural beauty: the mountains, ocean, wild rivers, glacial lakes, and thick rainforests. Being here gives me a feeling of happiness so deep it’s as though it comes from right inside my soul—that’s what it feels like to live here; pure magic.

I hope you enjoyed this post; until the next one, you can find videos and content on both my YouTube channel and Instagram.

♥ Emily

One of the most common questions I get asked is: what apps do I use for editing on the go?!

Although I always opt for Lightroom Classic whenever I can, I have discovered some amazing mobile apps that are awesome for quick or “cheat” editing 😉

Lightleap (formally Quickshot)
This is great for quickly switching out the sky or adding different elements (like the leaves in the photo below). There are loads of amazing effects in this app and it’s still one I often use because I love how easy it is to achieve specific aesthetics.

Retouch
There is nothing more annoying than having unwanted objects or people from your frame. This is an app I’ve used so many times—all you have to do is draw over what you don’t want, and the software does all the hard work for you! When you don’t have access to Photoshop, this really is such an invaluable tool to have when you’re on the go.

Pixaloop
This is one of my all time favourite apps! When I first discovered it, I had next to no Photoshop skills, so to be given the ability to add moving elements to images to achieve my creative vision was such a game changer. Like Lightleap, the app automatically picks out the sky, so you can achieve draw dropping images with just a few clicks.

Also, although I don’t use them anymore, I also want to give a few honourable mentions to: Snapseed, VSCO, and Afterlight. When I first started taking photos they were my go-to programs, and I can wholeheartedly recommend them!

If you’re interested in hearing more about the apps I use for my stories—stay tuned!

♥ Emily

Welcome to fall! Can you believe it? 2020 has just been the weirdest, whirlwind of a year.

I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting recently (as tends to happen this time of year) and I’ve come to realise with all it’s ups and downs, twists and turns, it’s actually been a fairly balanced year. That’s not to say it hasn’t been challenging, and painfully difficult at times; but it’s also been incredibly life-changing in such a wonderful way. And I’m grateful everyday for that fact.

I know this year has been hard on us all, harder on some, easier on others. But, this year has given us the opportunity to show and witness some incredible acts of kindness and remarkable resilience. We’ve seen people change, ourselves included, right in front of our very eyes. Births, deaths, marriages, riots, revolutions, realizations. 2020 has shown us the entire colourwheel of the human consciousness, in all it’s beauty and disgrace.

In regards to Covid cases, here on the island we’ve been incredibly lucky. I’ll put that down to the communities here and the trust they hold in their provincial government. British Columbia is a very different place to Ontario, and I can honestly say there’s nowhere else I’d rather be during this pandemic.

It’s funny, I recently re-read the post I wrote at the start of this year when I got back from Australia. In the early days of the Coronavirus, before it had a name, I was sat on a plane heading for the opposite side of the planet. I wonder if I’d have known that would be the last big trip I’d do in a while, would I have done anything different? Would it have felt any different? The latter, I think so. It’s interesting how different we treat things when we take them for granted; the freedom of travel, of seeing the world. I’d have held onto every minute even more if I knew then what I know now.

I think that’s the biggest lesson this year has taught us though, isn’t it? Among the love and compassion, the helping hand and support we’ve given our neighbours — it’s the notion that nothing is promised, and everything can change in a single moment. One week you’re on a plane to the otherside of the world, the next, you can’t even leave your house.

It might be the pandemic, it might be the beautiful British Columbian nature, or it might just be living on this wonderful little island, but for whatever reason I’ve been waking up everyday full of gratitude just for being alive. As someone riddled with anxiety on the best days, it’s a sensation I’ve never felt before, but I’m glad of it. I’m happy this year came, I’m happy for what it’s taught us, and for all the pain it’s brought, I’m making sure 2020 is a year that I remember for good reasons. Happiness is a choice we make everyday, and I hope you’ll join me in choosing it.

♥ Emily

Being a Brit, I have quite a few members of family who live down under. I’ve grown up seeing photos of Kangaroos and Koalas, the famous Great Ocean Road and the sprawling beaches of white sand that line the Australian coast. It was one of those places I always said I’d get to, at some point, some how.

As anyone in the Northern Hemisphere knows though, Australia is not a stones throw away! From Toronto it takes a minimum of two days to get there thanks to the time change and inevitable layover, so making concrete plans proved to be more difficult than trying to navigate public transport at rush hour. Alas, an e-invite dropped into my inbox last May that my heart just couldn’t say no to: a wedding in Byron Bay!

From the moment I read that email, I knew I was going. It was a sign, from the universe (in the form of our friend’s betrothal) that I would finally visit this magical land of strange animals and sunburn. In less than a week I had the sign off from work for almost 3 weeks of travel, and I was ecstatic!

One big spanner in the works, though: my boyfriend is a high school teacher, meaning he couldn’t get the time off in the middle of term. This meant I was travelling alone, which surprisingly would be the first time I had gone so far without a travel buddy. Although it was quite daunting, it didn’t falter my plans and I carefully decided on my flight route and hotels with this in mind.

I chose Cathay Pacific as my flight carrier, my Aunt was a flight attendant for British Airways and she has always famed Cathay for its stellar reputation. Flying with CP meant the layover would be in Hong Kong, another place I hadn’t been before but had always been curious about, so for the way home I planned an extra-long 36 hour layover so I could have some time to explore.

As I would be alone I was naturally anxious about the journey. YYZ (Toronto) to HKG (Hong Kong) is a hefty 15 hours in the air, which would be followed by a 6.5 hour layover and another 8 hours of flying time to Brisbane. I was smart in my pre-trip research though, and gained tips from other seasoned travelers which literally SAVED ME. The best ones I’ll share with you:

• Noise-Cancelling Air Pods with an adapter for the the seat’s TV
• Infinity travel pillow
• An empty large insulated water bottle to fill up after security
• An extra legroom seat (and using a carry-on as a foot stool)
• Shower & change at the layover location

I’m telling you – these things will make your journey 110% more comfortable, especially if you’re a lone traveler. At the airport my boyfriend actually made fun of how prepared I was, but the laugh was on him, the flight and layover was going to be a breeze!

Cue: COVID-19 (aka Novel Coronavirus). This was something I had not planned for and although it didn’t affect my outbound journey too much, the inbound was going to be another story (more on that later).

When I FINALLY reached Brisbane, my happiness could not be contained. I arrived late at night so stayed at the Ibis airport hotel for a well deserved sleep. The following morning, thanks to jet lag working in my favour, I was up early and out on the bus to Byron Bay.

One of the biggest shocks I faced in Queensland and New South Wales was just how green it was. Everywhere I looked was lush with trees and foliage, there were parrots everywhere, its beauty really did blow me away. Before I knew it we had reached Byron in little under 3 hours (with a one hour time change – which I still think was weird) and it was everything I had hoped for. It really reminded me of a warmer Whistler, where in the place of skiing and mountains was surfing and the ocean.

I discovered many things in Byron, like when it rains it storms, but the greatest was the coffee! It’s true when they say Aussie coffee is the best, I don’t know what they do to it, but I do know I was a little too upset when I had to leave it behind.

After the wedding I headed back to Brisbane to spend time with my family there. It was amazing to finally see them on their side of the world, and so great to have native tour guides. Really, I can’t believe it took me so long to get over and visit them, but at least I know I’ll be back. Brisbane is a fantastic metropolitan city with one of the best river banks I’ve ever seen – it literally has a beach right in the middle of the city! It’s safe to say I fell in love with Queensland, with Mooloolaba Beach and the Sunshine Coast, the way of life there and the people who live there.

My next stop after Brisbane was Perth, Western Australia to visit my long time friend from back home in her new home. Living in Canada I understand how big a country can be, but if I didn’t I think I would have been notably shocked when I saw the 5 hour flight time from BNE to PER! I felt like a pro-traveler by then though, this was basically short haul in comparison to what I was used to.

Touching down in Perth I realised this was the Australia I recognised. It was flatter, dryer and more desert-like in landscape; un-apologetically itself and beautiful because of it. I can confirm the rumours about the Western Australia beaches are true, they are jaw dropping.

My two weeks down under unsurprisingly were up before my English skin had even thought about a tan. As I reflected back I couldn’t believe how smoothly this solo trip had gone, I mentally patted myself on the back for creating such a seamless travel itinerary… that’s when COVID-19 steps back in.

Obviously, I had been watching the stories unfold during my trip, knowing I’d be transiting through Asia en route home, so when my flight was delayed 12 hours I wasn’t really surprised. Prior to booking my accommodation for Hong Kong late in 2019, because of the ongoing protests I decided to stay at Disneyland (partly because it’s closer to the airport and I figured nobody would protest there, partly because I’m a huge kid and really wanted to go). However, COVID-19 shut it down, quite literally. The park closed to visitors a few days before my arrival, so I had to quickly make new plans, and I booked a room at an airport hotel instead.

Armed with my newly acquired face mask, I felt prepared as I stepped onto the plane out of Perth. Every single person on the plane wore a mask, and although uncomfortable, was entirely necessary. I wasn’t afraid of catching the disease, but it was definitely an experience being at the heart and seeing the effects first hand of something that was capturing global attention.

Because of the delay, I didn’t really end up with very long in Hong Kong. It was quite eerie to see how quiet the airport was in comparison to my previous visit, as well as being constantly temperature checked by the hotel and restaurants. I wasn’t happy to leave though, and Hong Kong is definitely on my list of places to return to.

When we touched down in Canada and I flew through security with my Permanent Resident card, I realised it was the first time it had felt like home. I felt a relief and comfort being here, seeing the maple leaf and hearing the Canadian accents. Before this trip I had been so desperate to leave the cold winter, but if anything, being away had made me realise just how much I love this country I now call home.

❤ Emily

When I first decided to move to Canada, there was only one place I wanted to live: British Columbia. The idea that you could ski and surf in the same day blew my mind, I just knew that the laid back outdoorsy life of British Columbia was for me…

Well, as you know I ended up in Toronto instead, the complete opposite to BC! As much as I have enjoyed by time here, this was the year I’d finally get over to the west coast (for 5 days at least anyway).

I was very lucky to win an Instagram competition with Air Canada Rouge which gave me a pair of round trip tickets to anywhere they fly. This was definitely the best thing I’d ever won, so it took some time to decide where to go. Flying to Vancouver meant connecting in Victoria first, as Air Canada Rouge don’t fly direct from Toronto. We looked at other places because of this, both Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California made the short list, but my heart kept leaping back to British Columbia, so we booked our tickets!

The flight was amazing, we managed to get Premium Economy seats (the best class on Rouge) and it was such a great experience. With our tickets we were able to hang out in the Air Canada lounge at the airports first, which were great. I actually always tend to pay into an airport lounge when I’m flying as I find them to be much nicer environments than a crowded airport, so getting lounge access as part of our ticket was a huge bonus.

With Premium Economy you can also pre-book your seat, so I selected the first row of the airplane for all legs of our journey and wow, I didn’t realise what a difference this would make! I’m usually a back of the plane person, but being able to board and disembark first was great, especially with the connections.

To my surprise, the food was very good too. I don’t usually eat the meals served on planes as they’re too salty and usually not great, but I was intrigued by the Premium Rouge food and wasn’t let down. There were two options for all Premium Rouge passengers, however I ordered a vegan meal (huge flying tip: pre-order a special meal, you always get served first!) and I really enjoyed it.

Once we landed in Vancouver, we took the SkyTrain downtown and checked into the boutique Blue Horizon Hotel. Obviously I did a lot of research beforehand and luckily it paid off – the hotel was perfect for us; large rooms with a great view and most importantly in a prime location.

From the hotel we could walk just about anywhere in the city. I was enamored with Vancouver from the moment we got there, with its tree lined streets and mountain backdrop, it was a world away from what I knew in Toronto.

We ventured to Coal Harbor first, which boasted some amazing views of the bay. It was so lovely to just walk around and smell the sea air (something I always miss from home). Even though you’re in the middle of a city, it’s so peaceful and we spent most of our time walking around here, ending up at the Stanely Park seawall.

The best place we found for drinks and dinner was the infamous Gastown. This cobblestone neighborhood is full of great little bars and restaurants, which made for a nice contrast to our day spent wandering the park.

The following day we rented a car and headed up through the Sea to Sky district to Whistler. Being a skier since I was young, Whistler has always been on my list of places to go. Unfortunately there was no skiing when we arrived as it was late summer, but the village itself is still buzzing with people. You can also still take the cable car to the top of the Whistler Backcomb mountains to catch some of the amazing views.

Whilst in Whistler we stayed at Summit Lodge, another boutique hotel and one of the best I’ve been to. It’s full of thoughtful little touches, the rooms are super cosy and even come with their own kitchen, the location to the village was also perfect for us too. There were so many shops and eateries around; I can highly recommend checking out purebred if you’re ever visiting, I promise you won’t regret it!

As we were in the area for only a short amount of time, we decided to visit Squamish and take a float plane trip with Sea to Sky Air to Phantom Lake. This was honestly one of the best experiences of my life and I would say wholeheartedly if you get the opportunity to do this you should. There were only three of us in the plane; my boyfriend, David the pilot and myself, and flying through the incredible British Columbia mountains was something I’ll never forget. To top it all off we landed in the lake and was able to explore it completely alone (the only way you can get there is by plane or very long hike) which was surreal to experience the pure untouched beauty of nature.

En route back to Vancouver we stopped off at the Capilano Suspension Bridge park. It was a nice way to spend a few hours but even midweek was incredibly busy which kind of ruined it a little for me – I’m sure the BC residents must feel the same way about the bridge as us Ontario residents do about Niagara Falls!

For our final day in the city we stayed at the Blue Horizon Hotel again and did another bucket list item for me: whale watching! My favourite animals are Orcas and even though we didn’t get to see any that time around, we did see a tonne of Humpback whales. Considering these were almost wiped out a few years back it was incredible to see them in their natural habitat in such large numbers.

After we docked from the boat, our last evening was spent on Granville Island and at the market that lives there. I really enjoyed our time at Granville, with all the cute little shops and market stalls. We were also blessed with some beautiful weather, which made the walk back to our hotel the perfect way to say goodbye to BC.

So it turn out that my initial gut feeling of British Columbia was spot on: I loved it! So much so I’d say it was my favourite place in Canada and definitely on my top 5 places I’ve ever been to (Sorry Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal). If you’re like me and love the great outdoors surrounded by some awesome nature and super friendly people, I would absolutely recommend you check it out for yourself.

❤ Emily

I might be a little biased when I say Rome is a magical place. It was the first place I ever visited in Italy and it quickly became one of my favourite cities in the world.

If you have a whole week, or only a few days, it can be a challenge to prioritize what you want to see and do when there’s so much! I feel you, and I’m here to help with a list you can do in less than 24 hours…

Firstly, the Colosseum is an ABSOLUTE MUST, even if you don’t go in (which I wouldn’t recommend unless you are visiting in low season or love hot and sticky crowds) it really is something to marvel over. I’d recommend doing a little research before your trip if you’re not familiar with the history, it will blow you away.

Another place (albeit very touristy but amazing all the same) that I would recommend seeing are the Spanish Steps and the Fontana di Trevi, which are conveniently only a 5-10 minute walk away from each other. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the fountain not busy, but it’s worth a visit all the same. Make sure you throw a coin in – which means, according the legend, you’ll return to Rome!

The Vatican city is the final stop on my list of must-do’s. Just standing outside the cathedral is something, but if you get the chance, make sure to climb up the winding staircase to the top of the Basilica. The sight from the top is breathtaking and Michelangelo’s work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling is like nothing you’ve seen before.

Once you’ve had your fill of the above, just go and get lost! Some of the best places I found in Rome were the ones on the cobblestone backstreets, which I never would have found if I were following a map. Almost every corner you turn in the city is full of beauty and culture, so take advantage of some of the best museums and restaurants (and pizza, pasta and gelato) right on your doorstep.

❤ Emily

The airport is an interesting place; people from all over the world coming and going, waiting and arriving. It’s a place in between. I used to HATE airports, they drove me crazy. They’re always so busy and I couldn’t shake feeling rushed or anxious (regardless of how early I got there).

Over the years however I’ve gathered a few vital hacks for making your airport experience much more pleasant, starting with my number 1…

LUGGAGE SCALES

If you’re worried about overweight bags, get yourself some luggage scales like this one and weigh your bags at home. This has saved me on multiple occasions and eliminates the stress at the bag drop off counter. They’re also pretty compact, so you can pack it to use again on your return home.

BRING AN EMPTY BOTTLE OF WATER

Pack a big (empty) water bottle in your carry on and refill it once you get through security. This way you can avoid the extortionate airport prices and you’ll stay hydrated throughout your flight.

PACK A PORTABLE CHARGER

This is a LIFESAVER when you’re on the go – never go scrambling for an outlet in the airport again! It’s also great for charging on the plane, a lot of airlines have USB chargers now, but you can never be sure. I use this one from Amazon and really like it.

GLASSES vs CONTACTS

I used to exclusively wear contacts, until I realised how much they dry my eyes out. This is especially true when you’re travelling by plane because the air is incredibly dry in the cabin. Make sure to wear your glasses especially if you’re prone to dry eyes and you’ll be a whole lot more comfortable.

SNACKS

Let’s face it, airport food is usually expensive and their aren’t usually great options, especially if you like to eat on the healthier side of things. Flying dehydrates you so make sure to stay away from the salty stuff and bring your own healthy snacks (granola bars, fruit, unsalted nuts, etc.). Make sure to check the TSA rules beforehand though so you know what you can take through security.

CHECK IN EARLY

Airlines usually let you check in 24-48 hours in advance, so be one of the first to snag your favourite spot (if you haven’t already pre-booked your seat). This will also save you ample time at the airport and you’ll be laughing at all those poor souls in the check in queue!

STAY SANITIZED

I don’t have to tell you why this is an essential all too many people forget to pack. Airports and planes are some of the most contaminated places you can be, so stay clean friends! There’s nothing worse than being sick during a trip.

BLANKET SCARF

I used to just bring my coat, but I always found it so bulky and heavy. When someone told me to just use a blanket scarf it was one of those “genius, why didn’t I think of that?” moments! A wool scarf like this one from Wilfred is perfect it’s lightweight, warm and stylish – perfect for chilly airports and planes.

LOOK TO THE LEFT

This is an interesting one I was told about – if you stuck for time or don’t want to spend ages waiting in the security or immigration queue, stick to the left hand lanes. Research says that most people go towards the side of their dominant hand, and since there are a lot less left-handers, it makes sense those lines as less popular!

AIRPORT LOUNGES

This final hack is one of my favourites and probably one of the most overlooked: book an airport lounge. If, like me, travelling can make you anxious, paying a little extra $$ to get yourself into an airport lounge makes the world of difference. This is such a game changer especially for long layovers – there’s usually food, drinks, fast wifi and sometimes even showers available, making the waiting so much more pleasant.

❤ Emily