I think I more than doubled my Canadian Olympics attire in the past week and I have NO idea how I’m going to pack it all to Sochi! Not only am I bringing stuff to wear, but I’m also bringing some things to trade with other fans and photograph around the Olympic venues.
Additions to my collection this year include a reversible down jacket from the Bay, a couple of hoodies from the Sport Chek Olympics collection, and of course this year’s mittens and toque from the Bay. It’s so easy to get carried away when shopping for this stuff! Seriously, I could have bought one of everything but I was able to restrain myself. I was seriously coveting the wool sweater, but had to hold back for budget reasons.
Of course the entire Quatchi family in this photo will not be making the trip to Sochi. Only one of the small ones… Quatchi will be my “travel Sasquatch” for this adventure. He has accompanied me on a few trips now, including Thailand, Bali, and Costa Rica. Quatchi will be posting to his own Twitter account: @QuatchiTravels, so please follow to see what he’s up to!
Only one more sleep until I board a plane and start my journey to Russia! I can’t wait to get to Sochi to capture and share the Olympic Spirit with you all! I’m pretty sure I’m all set… Am I missing anything?
The last 25 days have been one heck of a ride! WOW!
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Kickstarter campaign, the Olympic Spirit Project went from a dream to becoming a reality!
Thanks to a few last minute contributions and pledge increases, final total on the campaign came to $7290 from 94 project backers!
So I am sending all my backers giant cosmic hugs today, as I say…
“Thank you!” and express my #Gratitude to all of you who backed the project! I’m blown away by your generosity, and would like to reiterate that #PeopleAreAwesome!”
Thanks you you all I’m headed to the #Sochi2014 Winter #Olympics in Russia!!
To seek out and document Olympic Spirit and cheer on Team Canada! #GoCanadaGO!!!!!
Back in October, I took the leap of becoming a Digital Nomad and 2014 is the year this becomes a reality.
I watched this video made by oDesk today and it has inspired me once again to believing that it’s all possible.
Digital Nomads: Goodbye commute, hello world
My nomadic adventure began with a month-long trip to Costa Rica at the end of 2013. I had sold and donated all of my things and Costa Rica was the perfect place to unwind and leave my old life behind to be inspired by what life has to offer outside of an office.
I spent the month traveling around the country, exploring, photographing, learning Spanish, eating well and working out. It was truly an amazing five weeks that I often go back to in my mind when I start to have doubts about the path I’ve chosen and it brings renewed confidence.
After my return from Costa Rica, I began work on a new project and after MUCH hard work on the Olympic Spirit Kickstarter campaign, the adventure and travels will continue, thanks to my many generous supporters. In less than a week I fly to Europe, spend a few days with family and then 10 days from today I land in Sochi, Russia to capture the Olympic Spirit as the world celebrates their athletes! I can hardly believe it!
Through this project I will share the Olympic experience with my amazing Kickstarter backers and others through social media and this blog. Once the Games are over, the stories and images will be compiled into a book documenting the Olympic spirit and will be available for sale. I invite you to join me and share in the experience from wherever you are!
Throughout the Olympic Spirit Project I’ve seen generosity that I never knew existed. People are AWESOME! People I never expected to take an interest in what I’m doing have come out of nowhere and contributed to the project. People I haven’t seen or spoken to in years are supporting me beyond what I would have ever expected. And people I don’t even know are inspired by what I’m doing and have pledged their support and it has blown me away!
Whichever group you fall into, I say to you:
Some Examples of Awesomeness:
A corporate sponsor pledged a completely unexpected contribution to the project. Thank you Brandy’s Whistler!
An associate producer from CBC heard about my story and set up an interview with CBC Toronto’s Heather Hiscox for their CBC’s Road to the Olympics segment.
A group of Canadian volunteers offered me accommodations with their group in Adler, Russia at a cost that was far more reasonable than I was finding on my own.
A friend recommended an amazing travel agent who found me the perfect flights! Coincidentally, she booked all the flights for the Canadian Alpine and Snowboard teams, so I totally lucked out with someone who knows her stuff! (Contact me for her contact info, if you are looking for great service!)
I posted a message in a Facebook photography group this week that I was looking to borrow or rent some gear for the project and within 10 minutes I had a response from someone and had a lens in my hands within an hour!
And what has and continues to be the most amazing, are the people who are sharing the project on their Facebook pages, Twitter feeds and in their conversations with words of encouragement. Thank you all for sharing in this ambitious dream which is allowing me to live a life that inspires me! And THANK YOU for sharing the Olympic Spirit and making it a reality for me!
To everyone who has joined me on this adventure: You are amazing and I am so grateful to have every one of you in my life!
I opened my Olympics memory box this week and am now even more excited and inspired for the Olympic Spirit Project at the Sochi 2014 Olymipc Winter Games!
Here are a few of the item that I found:
The 2010 Olympics section from the Vancouver Sun from March 2, 2010.
My 2014 Olympics uniform for Sochi 2014 in Russia.
My BCMC media accreditation badge, official IPC (International Paralympic Committee) media accreditation badge, and my IPC photographer sleeve from Vancouver 2010.
Sochi 2014 media badge from Sochi House at Vancouver 2010, My True North Media House badge, House of Switzerland media badge, Holland House Press card, and Samsung media badge. All from Vancouver 2010.
Vancouver 2010 Ice Hockey and Speed Skating tickets, and London 2012 Athletics ticket.
My pin and memorabilia collection from Vancouver 2010, and a single pin from London 2012.
My Canada t-shirt that I wore at London 2012, and an awesome “eh!” t-shirt given to me to wear at Sochi 2014.
A mix of Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 clothing to wear as my Sochi 2014 fan uniform.
The Vancouver 2010 mascots! Quatchi, Miga, Mukmuk, and Sumi.
With the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games just a few weeks away, many are scrambling to get their Russian tourist visa organized. The application process is not easy, cheap, or quick.
In Canada, you need to use an independent company to submit visa application. You cannot apply with the Russian consulate or embassy directly. In Vancouver, I used Any Visa Corporation, which is conveniently located in the same office as the Russian consulate.
Before applying for a Russian visa, there are a few things you need to arrange:
1. You need to have an invitation arranged with the hotel you will be staying at in Russia. If you are staying in a private home with friends or family, your host can also provide you with this invitation. If you don’t know where you will be staying when you apply for your visa, you can have the visa company arrange one for you at an additional fee.
2. If your purpose for visiting Russia is to attend the 2014 Olympic Games next month, you will need a copy of your Spectator Pass to submit with your visa application. In order to obtain a Spectator Pass, you must purchase official Olympics event tickets and provide the confirmation number found on your receipt. I purchased my Olympic event tickets in Canada through Co-Sport. Visit www.pass.sochi2014.com to apply for your Spectator Pass.
3. Next you will need to fill in the online Russian visa application, then print and sign it. Depending on your nationality, you could have a 1-page application or a 3-page application. My application was a 1-pager, because I have a Dutch passport, but Canadian friends who applied had a 3-page application and apparently they had to provide 10 years worth or work history, home address history and travel history.
4. You will need to provide a passport photo with your application. The required size is 35mm x 45mm. I had mine taken at London Drugs.
6. You are also required to write a letter explaining your travel plans while in Russia. Mine stated my intended dates of entry and exit from Russia, the list of cities I plan to visit, and that I’m there to attend the Olympic Games.
7. Finally, you will need to leave your passport (make sure you have at least 2 blank pages in it, and that it is valid for at least 6 months from the date of departure to Russia) with the third party visa company, so they can send it to Ottawa with your application for processing.
8. If you are not Canadian and you are a permanent resident, like me, you will also need to provide a copy of your PR Card with the application.
The normal turnaround time for a Russian visa is 20 business days (so about a month). I’m not comfortable being without my passport for that long, so I paid the rush fee, which is supposed to have it back with a 5-day turnaround. Because I applied over the Christmas break, it took about 10 days.
The total cost for my visa with an EU passport, rush fee, and invitation was $386. The Canadian visa cost is a bit more than this. Contact Any Visa Corporation for an accurate quote at 604.559.8472.
When your visa is ready, you will get a call to come pick up your passport and supporting paperwork from your third party visa company.
As most of you know, I am working to get to Sochi in February to photograph the fan and cultural side of the 2014 Olympics. I launched a fundraising campaign a few weeks back, and have received a lot of feedback that this campaign did not really encompass my passions. I appreciate all of your honest feedback and have as a result created a new project that encompasses my passions for photography and the Olympics and is way more ME!
I feel that with all the controversy surrounding the 2014 Olympic Games, the Olympic spirit has been somewhat lost. This is unfair to our Canadian athletes as well as their international competitors who have worked HARD to qualify for the biggest competition of their lives. They need our support! This project is geared at reviving the Olympic spirit and putting the attention back where it belongs: On the Athletes!
The goal of the Olympic Spirit Project is to capture images illustrating the Olympic Spirit through the eyes of different cultures from around the globe, in Sochi during the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. I will share some of the images and stories with you from Russia on my blog, and after the Games are over the images will be edited and compiled into a book, which will then be available for sale. The targeted publishing date is September 2014.
Vancouver 2010 – Men’s Team Pursuit Speed Skating Gold Medal Team
Vancouver 2010 – Paralympic Alpine Skiing
Vancouver 2010 – Paralympic Medal Ceremony
What’s in it for you?
In return for your support, I am offering rewards from a hand written postcard from Russia to the opportunity to experience an official Olympic event with me at the Games. All backers will be acknowledged in the final printed book.
All Levels: Thank-You Postcard from Russia – All backers pledging $10 or more will receive a hand-written Postcard sent from Russia during the Olympic Games.
All Levels: Your Name Featured in the Book – All backers pledging to the project will acknowledged on the Project Contributors page in the final printed book.
$25 Level: 5-pack of postcards featuring images from the project, and a digital copy of the finished book.
$85 Level: A digital copy of the finished book, a signed 5×7 print featuring an image from the project, and a 5-pack of postcards featuring images from the project.
$150 Level: A digital copy of the finished book, 2 signed 8×10 prints featuring images from the project, and a 5-pack of postcards featuring images from the project.
$350 Level: A hard cover copy of the finished book, 10 prints of photos taken of your personal pocket-sized mascot (provided by you) at 10 Russian Olympic landmarks.
$1000 Level: 2 signed hard cover copies if the finished book, a signed 11×14 print featuring an image from the project, 10 prints of photos taken of your personal pocket-sized mascot (provided by you) at 10 Russian Olympic landmarks.
$1500 Level (9 available): 2 signed hard cover copies of the finished book, a (used) official 2014 Olympic event ticket, a signed 11×14 print of an images from the project, 10 prints of photos taken of your personal pocket-sized mascot (provided by you) at 10 Russian Olympic landmarks. (there are
$2000 Level (1 available): A ticket to join me at the 2014 Olympic Men’s and Ladies’ Team Pursuit Speed Skating event on February 21st, 2014 in Sochi Russia (flight, accommodations and related travel expenses not included). You will also receive 2 signed hard cover copies of the finished book, and a signed 11×14 print of an image from the project.
$2000 Level (1 available): A ticket to join me at the 2014 Olympic Women’s Hockey Play-off Semi-FinalGame on February 17th, 2014 in Sochi Russia (flight, accommodations and related travel expenses not included). You will also receive 2 signed hard cover copies of the finished book, and a signed 11×14 print of an image from the project.
$2000 Level (1 available): A ticket to join me at the 2014 Olympic Men’s Hockey Play-off Quarter-Final Game on February 19th, 2014 in Sochi Russia (flight, accommodations and related travel expenses not included). You will also receive 2 hard cover copies of the finished book, and a signed 11×14 print of an image from the project.
$2500 Level (1 available): A ticket to join me at the 2014 Olympic Bronze Medal Men’s Hockey Game on February 22nd, 2014 in Sochi Russia (flight, accommodations and related travel expenses not included). You will also receive 2 hard cover copies of the finished book, and a signed 11×14 print of an image from the project.
All Levels: Karma points and huge gratitude from me! : )
How You Can Help
With your support this project will come to life. Click the Kickstarter button below for full project details and for an opportunity to contribute to rebuilding the Olympic Spirit for our athletes in Sochi this coming February.
With the new year quickly approaching, I’ve spent some time in the past few days reflecting on 2013:
I welcomed 2013 with good friends and a fun night out.
In February, I purchased my #Sochi2014 Olympics tickets and committed to a crazy adventure.
In March I fell in love (again) as our family welcomed my niece into the world. She is adorably beautiful and the love I feel every moment I spend with her fills me with joy.
I had a bad fall in the spring, and spent the time while I recovered rediscovering myself and my strength. There were some rough days, but I appreciate every moment of that challenging time.
In July we celebrated my dad’s 70th birthday(any my nephew’s 5th) with a family reunion, including some family who came from Holland.
I spent the summer discovering new places and new experiences. I made a commitment to try something new or go somewhere new at least once a week. It was a great way to discover this beautiful place we live in!
In late summer I regained a friend I thought I had lost, and let go of someone else I had hopes of repairing things with. It was an interesting and freeing breakthrough to realize that some things just aren’t meant to be, and holding on to them only taxes your well-being and emotions.
In November, I got on that plane to Costa Rica to begin a new life adventure focused on freedom and living my life for me, living a life I love!
I returned from Costa Rica in December with a new outlook of what I want life to look like. (It does not include a daily commute to a 9-5 job in a cubicle.)
I joined a gym in 2013, and worked my butt off to get into the best shape of my life. I had a few injuries throughout the year, which set me back, and stopped me from achieving my one fitness goal of the year (to run a half marathon), but it felt amazing to feel what my body is capable of with a little push and determination.
I launched afundraising campaign with a team of journalists, to help us get to Russia to report on the fan and cultural experience of the Sochi 2014 Olympics. See the campaign at bit.ly/TheRealSochi.
It has been an incredible year with tons of personal growth and life changes. I’m so excited to see what 2014 will bring in the months ahead! I look forward sharing my photos and experiences with you along the way and hope to inspire more of you to live a life that you truly love!
What are some of the great things that you experienced in 2013? And what are your aspirations for 2014?
The past has brought me great things, it has made me who I am. And the future is a clean slate and can bring me anything I want! Step one is to visualize it, and step two is to take the actions to make it happen!
Much love to you all for the year ahead! Live a Life You LOVE!
I’m always looking for new items to make my travels and more convenient, so I thought I would share some of the more convenient things that I take on my trips. If you’re looking for a gift for the traveler on your list, there may be a few items in this list that you want to consider.
I bought one of these for my trip to Costa Rica and found it invaluable. It’s small enough that you can hide it under your clothes without it looking bulky, and it’s big enough to carry your iPhone, credit cards, some cash, and even your passport if you don’t want to carry a bag with you when venturing out for the day. I also found it great for my beach workouts, to hold my iPod so I could listen to music during my workout.
I use my money belt while in transit to keep my travel documents, passport credit cards and extra cash on my person. I’m always extra cautious when in airports, bus stations and train stations of the people around me, and you can never be too careful with your personal documents.
If you know someone who travels a LOT, this would be a perfect gift! For frequent travellers, their passports get handled a lot and are therefore also at risk of being damaged when putting them in and pulling them out of bags and pockets. A passport cover will help avoid this type of damage.
This is the perfect travel water bottle! I never travel without mine. It’s folds up to be small and compact when empty and comes with a convenient clip so you can connect it to the outside of any backpack or day bag for easy access while on the go.
I don’t have one of these yet, but it’s on my wishlist for my next trip. It’s always nice to have good tasting water while traveling, and never a bad idea to filter out any micro particles that may be floating around in any water source. I drank the water almost everywhere in Costa Rice, but I did wish I had one of these for extra filtration. If you buy one as a gift for someone, you may want to also consider including some extra filters.
Sometimes when traveling, you can’t avoid ending up in a hostel or hotel that isn’t always the cleanest. For these instances I carry a travel sheet so I can put a barrier between me and any potential germs. It folds up really small, is light weight and easy to pack around. I highly recommend this if you have a backpacker or new traveler on your list who is traveling on a budget. It’s always a score to find a $10 hostel, but sometimes you get what you pay for… Travel sheets are available in single and double size.
A great gift for the Mac user on your list. This kit will elimiate the need for any other power adapter for any Apple products you might be traveling with. It’s designed to work with iPod, iPhone, Apple MagSafe Power Adapters, Portable Power Adapters, and AirPort Express.
It’s not too common that I travel to places that don’t have wifi, but occasionally you end up at hotels that have only a wired connection available. In these cases, I take an Airport Express with me. It’s small and light to pack and very convenient when you don’t want to be limited by a cable. The Airport Express also has the removable plug so you can use your Apple World Travel Adapter Kit with it as well.
This is still a wishlist item for me. I’d like to add one to my travel kit for reading e-books, to save space and weight in my pack currently taken up by books. If you don’t have a need to take a laptop with you on your travels, an iPad is a convenient tool for writing emails and doing online research during your trip, as well as uploading photos to Instagram and more. And of course, there are countless useful travel apps you can download on your trip.
If there’s one point and shoot camera I would recommend for great photos, it’s this one. I’ve taken this camera with me on a couple of trips now, as an alternative, compact option to my DSLR for day trips that involve adventures like zip lining or waterfall hiking. You can either have full control over the camera settings, or you can pop it on automatic and let it do everything for you. Either way, I’ve always come out with amazing images.
I LOVE my Timbuk2 bag! I can fit my DSLR and an extra lens, a sarong for the beach or temple visit, and there are inside zipper pockets for my wallet, phone and personal items. AND, my Vapur water bottle clips to the strap no problem. Another thing I love about this bag is that the liner is waterproof, so if I happen to end up in tropical rain, as long as the bag is closed up, my stuff stays dry! This is a great all-purpose bag for life in general, I use mine all the time, not just for travel.
These are all items that I use, love and recommend. If you have any questions about anything, feel free to drop me an email or comment below. If you have other suggestions to add to the list, I’d love to hear about them as well; I’m always looking for ways to make my travels easier and more convenient.
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
I’ve had a few questions regarding what’s in my camera bag when I travel, so here it is! I try to pack as lightly as possible and take only things that I know I will use, to avoid carrying around too many “just in case” items.
I always carry my unlocked iPhone with me when I travel. Depending on the trip, I may get a local SIM card at my destination, or I’ll just rely on local wifi. I use my phone on to check reviews for restaurants, hotels and attractions online or on Trip Advisor. And of course for the more fun stuff like quick happy snaps to post to Instagram or Facebook during the trip.
Because I do a lot of photography when I travel, I need to download my images on the go. Although I’m drooling over the new MacBook Air, at the moment I’m traveling with my 13″ MacBook Pro. I use an InCase neoprene sleeve, as well as an InCase hardshell casing to protect it from scratches and other potential surface damage. I also use an iSkin ProTouch Keyboard Protector to avoid any unwanted dust or sand (or tiny tropical bugs?) to get in between the keys. And of course I carry the power supply and depending where I’m traveling to, I will also carry the required Apple Travel Adaptors.
If you use your smartphone camera and social media apps as much as I do, your battery probably isn’t going to last as long as you like. So I carry a portable battery charger to recharge my phone on the go, no outlet required.
I recently upgraded from my Nikon D90 to the D7000. Costa Rica was my first trip with this camera and I loved shooting with it. The biggest improvement over the D90 is the low light photography, with the capability to go to 6400 iso, while the D90 was limited to 3200 iso. It shoots amazing HD video as well.
The 35mm lens is just wide enough to capture environmental shots like landscapes, and have the depth of field needed for portraits and close ups. For travel photography, the fixed focal length forces you to get close to the action, which helps you get over your shyness of shooting in new places. The 1.8 aperture is perfect for catching sharp images in low light conditions. I’ve found that using a prime lens has been great for crafting my photography skills and image framing. I also found, during my travels in Costa Rica, that the 35mm lens was excellent for shooting video.
A perfect all-purpose lens. I’ve taken many trips with a downsized kit and carried only this lens, and have always been happy with its’ versatility. You have the wide angle at 18mm for those landscape shots and then decent zoom ability up to 105mm for those more intimate shots. I love this lens and don’t see it leaving my kit any time soon.
This is a good lens to have with you if you’re doing nature or sports photography. I used this lens quite a bit while in Costa Rica to shoot wildlife that you either cannot or should not get to close to (eg. crocodiles). I also used this lens a lot during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver to shoot the sporting events and caught some amazing images! If you travel with this lens, I recommend also carrying a tripod or monopod, as the more you zoom, the more camera shake becomes an issue.
I always take a point and shoot camera with me when I travel for those crazy adventures (like zipling) that make it difficult to carry a DLSR. I chose the Canon G12. This camera gives you to shoot on full automatic mode, while also allowing you the option to fully control everything manually. It’s a great camera to have for scuba diving as well, in which case you would need to buy an underwater housing for it.
It’s always a good idea to back up your images and other data while traveling. For this reason I carry a portable external hard drive with me when I travel. I shoot in RAW format, so storing them in the cloud is not always ideal with such large files and unreliable internet connections. An external drive is always a good alternative.
I use this to transfer files and images from people I meet along the way. These days most people travel with a small laptop or an iPad and when you have fun experiences with people, it’s always fun to share the images. A USB stick makes that quick, easy and instant, instead of relying on people to send you the images via email later.
Polarizing filters increase color saturation and decrease reflections. This is one of the only lens filters that (so far) cannot be replicated using digital photo editing. This filter is an indispensable tool that I always keep in my camera bag. They can get fairly expensive, but they are worth every penny!
This is a great alternative to carrying around a big bulky tripod. The legs are designed to wrap around and bend, allowing you to attach the tripod securely to almost any surface. It’s small and compact and will fit into your daypack or shoulder bag.
You can never have too many memory cards. Conveniently, both my DSLR and my G12 use the same type of memory cards. I currently have one 32gb card, two 16gb cards and four 8gb cards. I switch them out and download the images to my external hard drive right away, but then I avoid formatting the cards until I need more space, and then I start with the oldest images first. I mark each memory card with a sticker, so I know which order to use them in. This allows for an additional backup, just in case.
This goes without saying, but you should always have a clean lens! Carrying a lens cleaning cloth is always a good idea to avoid wiping your lens with your potentially sunscreen or sweat contaminated clothing, which may leave greasy streaks on your lens.
I carry a few of these as an alternative to the lens cleaning cloth. They are moist cloths that help remove any oils you may get on your lens. It’s not a bad idea to keep a few around, they’re small and don’t take up much space. I generally use these after any big day trips to ensure my lenses are clean for the next adventure. If you have any questions, please comment below, or feel free to email me.
What must-haves to you carry in your camera bag when you travel?
I welcomed 2013 with good friends and a fun night out.
1. 
