Pas-sion // noun: strong and barely controllable emotion.

Earlier this year, I lost passion. Call it stress. Call it burnout. I hit a wall. A big wall that required change. A step back. A reassessment. A personal rediscovery and fresh vision ahead.

I knew I had to press pause and get a proper gauge on why I was feeling off track. Thinking deeply about what inspires and drives my own passion. I’m a traveler, an explorer, an adventure hound, a photographer, a storyteller who thrives on discovery. That. I needed to reconnect with more of that passion in my life.

It was time to take action.

Photography has always been a backbone to my creative heart and soul. I love discovering new places, people, light, patterns, contrast, shapes, sizes — the constant chase to craft great composition. I thrive on the challenge of nailing a great shot that captures my envisioned emotional hook. Putting words and context to photos to share an experience that may motivate others to go explore for themselves.

Alberta had been calling my name for some time. A photographer’s ultimate playground. Stories from my parents recounting a road trip through the Canadian Rockies a few years back had left me salivating at the opportunity to see this seemingly blissful land with camera in hand. With some freedom of time and summer temps on my side, I set off to trek around Banff and Jasper national parks with exactly one goal in mind…reconnect with my passion for photography.

I arrived armed with a stuffed backpack, my Moment wide lens and my dusted off Nikon DSLR. It was time to start exploring and snapping…

250 snaps, 1,700 km, three national parks, six mountain summits and one grand adventure later, something clicked. It’s easy to lose passion. Life is busy. Time is never enough. Work, family, friends, relationships and a whole host of other factors can quickly take priority over our personal passion.

The good news? Reconnecting with your passion does not have to be an overwhelming feat. Some of my best moments in Alberta were spent with the camera tucked away in my bag. Off alone hiking a trail. Taking a run by a rushing river. Reading a book. Studying the sky for a few minutes. Detouring away from the summer crowds and just sitting. Staring. Breathing. It was a clear reminder that on a broader scale, I simply love spending time outdoors being active.

Reconnecting with your passion does require intention. It requires that you regularly find time to reward yourself and connect with the activities that immediately bring about strong and barely controllable emotion. That’s the good stuff. And while you may not need a passport or camera in hand to rediscover your own passion, I can assure you that Alberta is a wonderful starting point for inspiration.