The 2010s have been the most influential decade of my life. I’ve grown up a lot over the past 10 years and have the following experiences to thank for that. It hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies, but looking back through all of these moments that I’ve documented over the years, I know this decade has been good to me.
2010
The decade started off well. I was finishing up Grade 9, getting ready to travel with my class to France. We spent about 10 days there over spring break, the longest I had ever been away from my family. I spent my 15th birthday going up the Eiffel Tower with some of my best friends from school. In the summer I travelled to Brandon with the suzuki music group for their institute. I got to spend a week there playing violin in masterclasses, orchestra, and quartet. As well, I got to see my Mom’s family who lives there (and I took my first ever motorbike ride with my cousin, Baron).
2011
The summer after Grade 10 I worked with my friend Nicole at my Dad’s conference in Vienna. We met up with Abby halfway through the trip after she’d spent some time in Germany. Nicole and I would spend the mornings working for my Dad, then we would get to use our afternoons for exploring the city.
2012
This year my Dad’s conference was in California. I got to go to Disneyland for the first time which was so fun as a teenager! For Thanksgiving my family went to Nova Scotia to visit my brother while he was in school. I fell in love with Hall’s Harbour where we stayed, and still dream of going back to our seaside cottage.
2013
2013 was a BIG year! I started the year with my friend Sarah on my first ever cruise. We left from Florida and cruised the Caribbean for a week over Spring Break. This was also the year I graduated High School! In the summer I worked on my Dad’s conference in Berlin, then spent some time in London afterwards. When we got home, we went house boating in the Shuswaps with my Mom’s family for a week. September came pretty quick after that, and I started school in the Music Program at the U of A.
2014
This was my first year really focused on music. It started off with a lot of playing with my friend Eva. She really pushed me into the music scene and I never looked back. I was then hired to play at the Canmore and Edmonton Folk Fests with Rebecca Lappa and the School of Song. As soon as the festival ended, I hit the road with my Dad and sister en route to P.E.I. I headed back to school that fall and started playing violin with Nature Of shortly after.
2015
More shows with Nature Of to kick off 2015! We recorded with Sofar Edmonton in the Spring before going on the road to play a couple shows around Western Canada. This summer my Dad’s conference was in Dublin. Ireland is arguably one of the most breathtaking countries I have ever been to. The summer ended with a stop at the Canmore Folk Festival, this year playing with Eva!
2016
The summer of 2016 was a dream come true when I got to play at the Edmonton Folk Fest with my best friend. Eva and I have been playing music together on her front porch since before the 2010s even started! When she told me she’d been selected to play, I couldn’t have been happier. Another big moment in my family was my sister’s wedding. It was a perfect day and I’m so glad I was able to be a part of it. After the wedding, I got to go to Phoenix with a group of my best friends for a trip that I will never forget.
2017
2017 was the biggest travel year of my life at this point. After coming out with a new album with Nature Of, we toured Canada promoting our music. We camped a lot of the way with a few hotels here and there. Our road trip lasted 5 weeks with shows from Vancouver Island to Montreal. Right after returning home, my sister and I headed to Iceland together for a week. Again, one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to and the number 1 place I recommend to any traveller. A few weeks after this trip I loaded back into a car with my Dad and took another trip across Canada to P.E.I. This trip ended the summer before I started up school again. This semester I did my second teaching practicum in Guadalajara. I spent 10 weeks there before finishing my time in Mexico with a trip to Puerto Vallarta with my Mom and Dad.
2018
This year started with a bang, and by bang I mean a nice sunny trip to Maui. In the spring I went to Montreal to see Eva graduate before returning home for my own graduation from the Music and Education programs at the U of A. This summer was also the last show I played with Nature Of, and the decision to move to Scotland to teach primary school for a year.
2019
The final year of this decade has been all about change. I made new friends who I got to travel to so many amazing places with. I went to the Canary Islands, saw the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin, and travelled to England and Wales. I finished my year abroad and went to Switzerland with my family who got to meet Marvin for the first time. I began my teaching career in Edmonton with a small class of Gr. 5s. The most wonderful change this year was meeting my brand new Nephew who I’ve absolutely fallen in love with, and the biggest change for me has been officially moving out of my parents’ house and into a new apartment with Marvin.
This decade has been good to me, and I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had and for all of the people I’ve met. I’ve made some of my best friends over the past 10 years who have made me who I am today. I hope that the 2020s bring me as much joy and happiness as I have felt over the past 10 years.