And that’s a wrap for another 365 Project.
It both felt like an endlessly long year, and a year that disappeared in a blink.
I took up a new role and am working through the challenges associated with learning how to be something that I’ve never sought; time will tell if it was a good choice. We lost Gizmo after 32 years of cohabitating and that was devastating. My typical fall field season was largely a bust because of federal austerity measures and associated work travel restrictions, only one site visit that wasn’t within my home area. However, we did put an insane number of kilometres on the motorcycles, despite a breakdown in Montana and the need to truck my motorcycle home to Vancouver for repair. Undeterred, we did it again so that we could ride out the half of the road trip that we missed. We visited family in the Kootenays not once, but twice, and went to Seattle, for the first time since 2016, where we saw Trans Siberian Orchestra 15+ years after seeing them the last time their tour included Vancouver. I didn’t run as much as I have the past few years, and I feel worse for it. I hiked when I could, and I feel better for it.
The weather was mild, though a couple of trees sheared off and came down on the property, narrowly missing our roof but not our neighbours. I still always want snow for Christmas, but acknowledge that Vancouver has mild and rainy weather more often than the white stuff. The misty weather is quintessentially West Coast and I can still enjoy it if I go out in it rather than stare at it out the window. Besides, there are already things coming up in the garden; some of them right on time (Lenten Rose), some of them a little early (Sweetbox and Snowdrops).
Some photos I liked, some I hated, some were well thought out, some were just random.
Some days were difficult, a few photos were from other years because I couldn’t overcome grief enough to pick up the camera on those days.
But it’s another year journaled in images.
I don’t make resolutions because when they are broken it feels like failure. I don’t have any traditions because those feel like peer pressure from people no longer around. I do typically find myself in a mood to clear things out, tidy things up, and generally purge excess “stuff”.
I hope to run a little more consistently, hike a little more often, and be a little kinder to myself.
That last one is the biggest challenge.
I probably won’t do another 365 in 2024, but I do want to spend a little more time being creative with the cameras and lenses that I have, without the pressure of having to post “something” if I hate everything I’ve shot.
Thanks for reading (if you did), thanks for looking at my sometimes awful photos (if you did), and have a very Happy New Year.
I hope 2024 brings happiness and fulfilment to you, whatever that entails.
Cheers,
Paige
