I started using the handle vagabondhearts when working in corporate Canada, a way to lead a little bit of a secret double life. Business attire by day hiking boots by night. The name comes from a poem written for me by a friend, it is titled Andrea and reads:

When you are my age
When your life is rich in life
When you live your parents' lives
tending to a joyous brood
brimming with heartfelt love
universal love
I will be there
In some fleeting memory
culled from the deep currents of your unconscious
a moment, given due pause and reflection
a moment, ending as it begins
a memory of the vagabond heart you once knew in me
In this instant, I will be alive again, in you

I do edit all of the images and videos on my social media and website but currently do not have any presets for sale. Maybe one day!

I have some incredibly talented friends. Most of the images on my website and social media are taken by Michael Sugianto, Mitchel Jones, Kelsey Williamson, Jess Dales, Michael Matti and be me, my camera and my handy-dandy tripod! Check out this blog post as well!

I left my corporate job in 2017 and have been working as a freelance photographer, digital creator, and blogger ever since. My job includes visiting incredible places, capturing those moments and sharing them online.

I have a handful of packing lists that you can find here. It varies a little bit based on the duration of the trip, what the weather looks like, and what activities I will be doing. But you will notice a lot of the same items every trip!

My go-to for finding somewhere unique to hike in areas close to home is by scouring google earth and then cross referencing the places that look potentially interesting with a google image search, Pinterest search and/or dig into a local guide book. When traveling further away in places that I am less familiar with I will reach out to my extended social circle and phone local tourism boards and visitor centres. I wrote a blog with a dozen free or extremely intensive ways to find cool places to hike and camp that goes into more detail! Check that out here!

I preface this with the fact that I grew up with Moraine Lake in Banff National Park as my go-to Saturday afternoon family activity. And although I believe Social Media has done many great things - it connects, inspires and empowers so many people. Social Media can also be attributed to the destruction and over-tourism of places that can not handle it.

My rule of thumb is that if a location has the infrastructure to handle more people, I will share it. It should be staffed, with parking lots, garbage bins, food storage (for camping) and toilets. Where campgrounds can be booked and reservations enforced. I will 100% share it on my website with any tips, tricks and links that I think will help.

However, in many of the more remote wild places, where emergency services cannot easily access, where grizzly bears roam freely and where having a firm grasp on Leave No Trace is mandatory; for those I think that it is unethical for me to promote them. I feel that it is in spending the time and energy sitting down and finding these places that people will learn about the precautions they need to take. And then - that hard work is rewarded with (if you’re lucky) pristine outdoor spaces without another human or trace of garbage in sight. And that is pretty special.

Sir David Attenborough once said, “no one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced.”

I do not currently offer any guided hikes, camping or trips but will keep you posted if that changes! And if you are looking to make a new hiking buddy check out my blog here.

I shoot with two Fujifilm Cameras, the X100V for lightweight on the go and the XT-30 when I want more variety. Check out this blog post.

In June 2022, I was invited to be a part of the Largest All-Female Rope Team to summit a 4,000m peak alongside 79 other amazing women from 25 nations in the Swiss Alps. You can read all about it here.