Joshua Tree National Park, California: Part 1

As soon as my plane landed in Palm Springs I was on the road to Joshua Tree in my rented 4x4 to start my pilgrimage through the desert. I was immediately reminded of my previous visit with my friend Dave, and like I ended up doing throughout my road trip, I snapped a picture of an old photograph to mark the occasion and to kick off this next chapter. 

The desert landscape is so different to what I'm used to that I couldn't help but be fascinated by it all. As the sun began to set, the yellows and oranges of the desert were heightened in bold contrast. I climbed the rocks, wandered among the cacti, and drove the winding roads from one end of the park to other. I was exactly where I wanted to be. 

Snap of an old picture of Dave and I in Joshua Tree in 2010.

Goodbye Student Loans

Seeing as I began this website in film school as an outlet to share my projects, experiences, and student life frustrations, this particular update has been a long time coming. As of the first of this month I have officially repaid 100% of my student loans.

 

It's a great feeling to tackle something that at one time seemed so overwhelming. Although new debt has replaced old debt, financially I'm in a significantly better position than I was after university. In total it took me 6.5 years to pay back my national student loan, although I paid back the provincial portion in just over a year. Was university and the debt worth it? I'm still trying to answer that one. Right now I'm just happy that this chapter has finally come to a close. All things considered, I made it out alright. 

 

University of Regina / Film School (2002-2008)

Hiking to the Hollywood Sign: Part 2

Several hours of hiking through the Hollywood Hills lead me to this incredible view. It really doesn't get much more iconic than this. Downtown L.A. in the distance, views of multi-million dollar homes, landmarks along Hollywood Boulevard, and even glimpses of the ocean made reaching the Hollywood Sign an experience that I won't soon forget. 

The Hollywood Sign is fenced off and monitored by cameras, so this was as close as I could get (legally). However, it felt pretty rewarding (especially after the long hike from the Griffith Observatory) to capture something that not everyone goes out of their way to see up close. 

For a kid who started out making movies in the basement and who fantasized about the mythology of Hollywood all through film school, this was kind of like playing in a daydream. I imagine that from my brief time up there I became an unrecognizable blip in several thousand tourist's pictures. So yeah, I'm pretty famous now.