Wands, Spoons and Dragons, eh?

I found myself in Whistler, Canada, amid beautiful mountains and trees, hiking trails and lakes, and playing with my young cousins. We went hiking on the trails in pursuit of cinnamon pinecones, because little girls have held them and smelled the aromatic cinnamon fragrance during cherished holiday seasons, and they could barely contain their excitement searching for their treasures. We waded in the lakes of shining waters where we endeavored to make contact with mythical changelings(tadpoles), magically turned sticks into wands and spoons, acquired amulets that resembled quartz or lava rocks, and swam, on a quest, seeking out mermaids and sea dragons.

I allowed myself to bask in a bit of my own fantasy.I kept one eye open for famous Canadians. I heard that Nathan Fillion was recently seen boating in beautiful British Columbia with Alan Tudyk and Morena Baccarin, and we can only hope for a Firefly reboot! I would love to see Ryan Gosling, and of course Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as they might possibly be celebrating their home country’s 150th birthday in this beautiful province. I love the way Canadians say about (a-boat) and been (be-in), and Ilove eating their incredibly delicious maple cookies. I’ve been working on memorizing Canada’s 10 provinces and I bought a baseball cap embroidered with “Canada 150” under a colorful maple leaf.

When I’m home, “in the States,” I always check my phone for messages concerning work and school and stay connected to friends and fellow filmmakers. Whenever I am in Canada, I am forced to turn off my phone to avoid international data roaming charges. Armed with just my DSLR camera and my imagination, I get to unplug and spend my time with my family. Time for connecting with nature and those I love. There’s so much that’s new to me, and we always explore new territory!

As an actor, my job is to create and live in imaginary circumstances. With my cousins, I was jettisoned back in time to when I was five or six, entering into fantasy with three intelligent, creative and beautiful little girls. We searched for those fantastical cinnamon pinecones,I transformed into a magical unicorn giving a queen a ride back to the castle, and we fanaticized we were characters from Dora the Explorer (I’m the Map, if you were wondering). Joining hands with my darling cousins and forging ahead on great adventures! What a wondrous way to spend precious moments in time. Exploring, playing, and loving.

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