Over these years, we (my mum, dad, and I) were going to the US more often for hikes (which means great photo opportunities for me of course). We're blessed to live so close to a section of Minnesota that is famous for it's gorgeous hiking trails, including the Superior Hiking Trail.
In addition to that, more of the same as far as subject matter goes, but with constant improvement. I also upgraded my camera, this time to a Canon Powershot SX10, starting with the 092710 Centennial Park series, and then to the Canon Powershot SX40 starting with the 110811 Centennial Park series. In late 2011, I also got a Canon 60D, which was used in a couple of the series during these years.
Near the end of 2011, and beginning of 2012, my grandparents on my mother's side passed away within a couple months of each other. They lived in Chino Valley, which is a small, rural town just under 2 hours north of Phoenix, Arizona. With the cost of travel being what it is, we didn't get to visit them as much as we would have liked, only getting to do it roughly every 15-ish years or so. The rare times that I did get to see them, we always got to see the most awe inspiring sights! So when we needed to go in 2012 (0512-052612 Chino Valley, Prescott, AZ), it obviously was not under the best circumstances (we went down to settle their affairs). But on the first morning waking up after arriving, I felt 'something' that I had never felt before, either in my life in general, or in any previous visit to Arizona (as far as I can remember). That 'something' was PEACE. Even though I had never felt it before, somehow I instantly knew what it was. My mind, body, and soul were quiet, and I didn't want it to go away! When I got back home, unfortunately of course, that feeling did go away, but I never forgot that it happened, or the impact that it had on me. From then on, I had (and still have) a burning desire to return, to see if it was a fluke, or if this magnificent state truly held a magical power that could transform me from the inside out. It would be incredible if I could go down there regularly in the future, and take pictures often, all while keeping that feeling of PEACE within me! Hopefully one day...
In the summer of 2013, I got a full-time job at Koodo Mobile, which meant a little less time to take photos than what I had before, only 2 days off a week now versus the 1-4 days off I would have working part-time at Sears. Koodo sent me down to Mississauga, Ontario for my training, and it was a truly wonderful experience for me! It was exciting because this was my first time being alone for that length of time, in a new city for the first time, at a job that was different from what I had been doing for the previous 21 years of my life. I knew going down that 90% of my time there would be spent training, so I didn't bother taking my camera with me, figuring that I would have a negligible amount of time to actually explore around my hotel and take photos. I should have brought it for the heck of it, as I was able to maximise the tiny amount of time I had not training, and took some wonderful photos with my cell phone(s). The photos from the 0805-081513 Mississauga Koodo Training series, were taken with either a Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant), or a Samsung Galaxy S4.