Read about my adventures

Something special happens when people come together, sit down, and share a meal (just ask Laura Coatsworth and Nicole Jackson).

In the past, when people would ask me about Calgary I would give the typical response, "It's famous for the Calgary Stampede, as the host of the 1988 Winter Olympics, and is the home of three professional sports teams ... the Calgary Flames (National Hockey League), Calgary Stampeders (Canadian Football League), and Calgary Roughnecks (National Lacrosse League)". I would recite things that people would see here and what made us visibly different from other cities. Two years into the Six Foot Canasian project, with all of my experiences getting reconnected to the city and it's many wonders, my response now is VERY DIFFERENT!

Growing up the youngest of four girls in a small northern town, my life consisted of (what seemed to be) an endless supply of poorly coordinated "hand-me-downs". As creative as I tried to be there was only so much I could do with access to a handful of stores with name brand fashions and a limited teenage budget. With the nearest high end department store a three hour flight south, my fashion craving was satisfied by the Vogue and Cosmopolitan magazines on the shelf at Shopper's Drug Mart.

As I get older, and more candles magically appear on my birthday cake, I am amazed how quickly a year flies by.

For all of you homeowners out there, this sound may be your very worst nightmare! Whether you have a 400 square foot studio or million dollar estate home in Altadore, water can cause thousands of dollars in damage in a matter of minutes. When I bought my brand new Walden townhouse (by Homes by Avi ) in 2014, I did not expect to hear this horrible sound for at least another three or four years ... but it became a reality just a few days ago.

Happy Hour is (without a shadow of a doubt) the best part of any work day!

I openly admit it ... I can't live without my Internet. Being a digital marketing strategist, published author and podcaster, you can only imagine how much time I spend researching, writing, editing, recording, posting and designing content that gets published online. So, when I moved back to Calgary in 2014 (after being in the US for eight years prior) one of the first orders of business was to get Internet and cable services installed in my apartment.

In my four decades on this earth, there are only a handful of women I have come to hold in the highest regard ... women who have changed the lives of many through their words, actions and contributions to their community and beyond. They have each had a direct impact on my life, shown me how to be a better version of myself, and given me a glimpse of the kind of woman I want to become. This shortlist includes my mother, my University Coach, mentors in my field and ... Bonnie MacRae-Kilb. I recently got a chance to sit down with this amazing woman to learn more and share her story.

When I first wandered into the East Village Market Collective, conveniently located under a 12,000 sq ft tent beside the historic Simmons Building, I experienced it from the other side of the artist's table. After spending the last ten years exhibiting at hundreds of trade shows and events around the world, Market Collective was like nothing I had EVER experienced before! I got to wander up and down the aisles as local artists showcased their handmade goods, live bands performed on stage, DJs played their fresh beats, mixologists concocted fresh libations, and local food trucks served up fresh food made with love. I was already impressed with the level of comfort and community I witnessed that first weekend ... but I had no idea how much more was in store for me to uncover!

I have a confession to make. I have been an advocate of the fitness industry for over 20 years but didn't even begin to factor in the importance of good nutrition until ten years ago. I would train several hours a day and then put sub-standard food and low grade fuel into my body. I would generally feel tired, run down and sluggish most days. I thought of food as a chore and would purchase it based on convenience and price, rather than view each meal as an opportunity to do something good for my body.