About

Have you ever tried to write an “about” page for yourself? It’s hard. How do you capture the years of your life and all your experiences in one page? I’m not a fan of surface-level relationships, in fact, it’s my pet peeve when someone asks “what do you do for work” within the first few minutes of meeting me. I am so much more than my job. So here’s my attempt at telling you who I am, concisely. Notice there’s not one mention of work. :)

The roots

Spending time outdoors has been a common thread throughout my entire life, beginning in my childhood in Huntsville, Ontario, where I was surrounded by lakes, forests and rocks. Being outside was part of daily life – whether it was playing soccer, hiking, canoeing, exploring the neighbourhood forest, skiing, or biking around with friends. But it was more than being outside; it was exploring and interacting with nature, getting your hands dirty and coming home with scrapes and bruises.

I’m lucky to have grown up in an environment like this and this early exposure has resulted in a lifelong love of nature.

The valley

I temporarily (and reluctantly) left this behind throughout my university years in Ottawa, Paris and Montreal. When I graduated and hopped on the career treadmill in Ottawa, I quickly became burnt out and realized that the previous four years had deprived me of my connection to nature. I was looking for ways back to that lifestyle right around the time that the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced us all into isolation.

I moved back to Huntsville to live with my parents, hunkered down, and really leaned into my introverted ways. I didn’t mind not being able to socialize in bars or at friends’ houses. I thrived on being able to throw around a ball for my dog in the backyard at lunchtime or go for a quick swim in the lake. I gardened with my mom, snowmobiled with my dad and re-explored the forest I spent so much time in as a kid. In short, I slowed down and reconnected.

As the world re-opened following the pandemic, I felt scared of losing this access to nature. Would I have to go back to the office in the city? Would we all start socializing at restaurants and gyms again? Where can I live that nature and outside activities will always be at my doorstep?

I landed on Squamish, British Columbia and moved there in Fall 2022.

The mountains

Squamish intensified all the things I already loved to do. Hikes went from 5 kilometers to 15 kilometers, then I discovered scrambling and climbing. Skiing went from a five-day trip once per year to standing in line at 6 AM for fresh powder and skiing 60 days per season. Then this grew into learning how to backcountry ski and alpine climb. The neighbourhood bike rides of my childhood and jumps built by my brother became world-class downhill trails and a season pass at Whistler Bikepark. And let me just say, I am nowhere close to being as intensely into these things as some others in Squamish. But that’s what is so great about living here: there is always the opportunity to push yourself, take your passions to the next level or try something new. The sky really is the limit here.

Along the way, I met and fell in love with my partner, Marcus. He was an apprentice alpine guide and I credit him with truly deepening my love for the mountains. Marcus wasn’t about the Strava activities or ticking off the hardest climbs. He simply loved long days, getting away from crowds, going on an adventure and connecting with friends in the mountains. He passed his joy for these things on to me and changed the way I experience the mountains. Marcus became, and always will be, my favourite adventure partner.

In 2023, life was great. I loved where I lived, my partner, my friends, my dog, my hobbies. And then it all came crashing down in the form of an avalanche that claimed Marcus’s life and nearly mine.

The other side

The years since have been about trying to survive grief and trauma, relearning who I am and coming back to life. They’ve been the hardest years of my life. Only recently have I started to become curious again, to seek out knowledge and new experiences. I’ve only begun to see myself as more than a griever, and I have a long way to go.

I’m a completely different person now than I was before Marcus died, but I still haven’t figured out exactly who I am. I don’t think we ever truly do, because to be alive is to evolve.

This website is a reflection of what matters to me and what I spend time thinking about. It’s also an exploration of who I am and who I want to become. It’ll continue to evolve, just as I will.

- Laura, September 1, 2026.

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