Robbie keeps bugging me about never posting, so I figure it's time for my obligatory once a year post.

2010. Where to start? It was pretty amazing. I quit my job right before it happened, then brought in the new year by working freelance jobs in tv and photography until I flew my way over to Europe for what was supposed to be two months.

One of my good friends was going to school in Nice, France, and we started to make plans for me to go over and travel a bit. We had made plans for me to be there for 2 months, doing a lot of travelling around France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Amsterdam, and a couple more places. The majority time we were in France, I was staying with her at her place in Nice over getting my own place for two months. The rest of the time, staying at hostels around Europe. We were excited to meet someone we had both met online from a website called DailyBooth, a daily blogging-with-pictures site. His name was Chris, and he was an ecstatic outgoing Brit. It goes without saying, he made half our trip worth it.

Before I left for Europe, I had been talking to a girl in San Francisco since about September in '09. One thing led to another and we talked almost every day. So before I took off for my adventure, I told her that when I got back I would fly out to see her. The feeling of excitement and nervousness was mutual, which was very welcoming.

So with that, February 28th I took off over the ocean to eventually land in Nice, France.

The quick version - Landed, met my two friends, met Chris, spent about 3 weeks in France travelling around Nice and Monaco. Late night pubs, champagne on beaches, best friends travelling together. We went to London for 4 days, I was there for 5. Until I went back to Nice. The following trip was supposed to be to Ireland, but family called back home and I was summoned to return. Cancelling the rest of my plans and close to abandoning my friends wasn't easy, kind of hard. But before I had even left, I had made up for it by booking my flight to San Francisco.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrvmedia/sets/72157623668635164/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrvmedia/sets/72157623697495082/

I was supposed to return in the spring to Europe, but plans had fallen and nothing could be done to take me back there. I was more than ecstatic about going to SF, though, to meet Ashley.

When I landed in SF on the last days of March, it was a cold rainy night, typical of the City by the Bay. I landed and waited for my ride to get there. Ashley and her friends Mary and Meghan. When they finally got there, I was greeted with a big hug from Ashley, pretty much the best hug ever. We then spent the rest of the week, sightseeing around San Francisco and the Bay, seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, the Pier, downtown, Golden Gate Park, SFMOMA, and so much more, all thrown in with hanging out with her friends as well. I felt so at home there, it was amazing.

The time came when I had to leave, but when I left we weren't just friends anymore, we told each other that we were more than that, which was so nice to finally say to each other out in the open.

I flew back to Toronto with such happiness, but an emptiness as well for having to leave such a beautiful person and city alike.

When I got back, the next while was filled with packing up my life, working some freelance jobs and straightening up everything for my move from Toronto to British Columbia.

May 18th we moved out of our house, but still had some things left to do in Toronto, so we stayed at a cottage just outside of the city. I was there for 3 weeks until flying to L.A. for 3 weeks to spend with Ashley while my parents moved across the country.

I got there on a hot, sunny L.A. day, picked up at the airport by my wonderful girlfriend. I had a live-in hotel for the weeks I was there. I had such a great 3 weeks, touring around L.A., seeing all there was to see, going to shows, meeting her family and friends and loving the culture and vibe down there. That time, it was so hard to leave. Having been together every day, all the time for 3 weeks with a person, and then just leaving one day is one of the hardest things I've ever done. Leaving was horrible.

This time however, I didn't fly back to Toronto. I endured 4 airports, 3 flights, and 14 hours of travel time to British Columbia. Why it took that long is beyond me. Never let anyone else book your flights for you, but you.

I landed here and it was totally different from what I was used to. I was used to landing beside one of the best cities in Canada, now I was touching down in a lightly populated city in B.C. There's only about 200k people here.

From the first day I got here, I started job hunting, needing to pay off my evil visa card. It took me close to a month and a half to actually find a job. I got one at Lids, the hat store. Exciting, I know. For those of you that don't know, I came from a background of Film and Television and have a diploma in Professional Photography. Now I sell hats to wannabe 'gangster' white kids. Fun times.

Thankfully I had a break in October, when I went back to L.A. for a week for Ashley's birthday. I landed the day before her birthday, and we went to Disneyland the day after. It was my first time ever going there, and it was amaaaazing! I had such a great time with her there, catching almost all the rides, seeing all the stuff. One day definitely wasn't enough for me. Next time, it's two days for sure. We spent the week hanging with friends, going downtown, having a wine and cheese night and just relaxing. It was super nice. I loved it.

When I came back from that trip, it was back to the grind, selling my hats, looking for work. I hadn't found a job until the beginning of December at an Urban Behaviour. It's like Urban Planet, or Urban Outfitters, except Canadian. It's all the same stuff. I like working there because it's a change from the usual hats, hats, hats. And all the girls there are pretty fun. It's also nice to get away from all of the testosterone of the 3 of us guys that work together.

For Christmas, I don't have any family out here aside from my mom, so her and I and the step-dad spent Christmas going out for dinner on Christmas Day.

Boxing day in the mall was murderous, it was insane. Never want to be in a mall for Boxing day every again. EVER!

New years eve was average. I was sick so I stayed at home talking to Robbie and playing Black Ops. I know, I'm super exciting.

This year, my goals are to have a stellar job again, my own place in Vancouver or Toronto, possibly open my own studio for photography and film, and the ultimate is to move down to California.

This was my year, in words and images. I saw the world, fell in love and started fresh.

2011. Bring it.