“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on.”
— Robert Frost
Welcome! For many of us, 2020 will be a year that we recall with a certain unease. As it draws to a close, though, we learn to adapt our lifestyles to the “new normal.” We may transition to working more from home, find ways to innovate in our businesses to continue to be successful, and genuinely appreciate what we have, but perhaps had underappreciated. I’m sure we are all looking forward to a brighter 2021.
As I pause to reflect on what I have learned this year and how those changes and experiences may influence our lives in the future, I share with you some snippets of my journey.
If you, like us, were essentially locked down for the spring and needed to stay close to home for the summer, you may have also found a new appreciation for your neighbourhood and community — one that you had perhaps inadvertently overlooked and may have even taken for granted. I know that we genuinely cherished the beauty and nature surrounding our unique community of Whistler and valued our convenient access to the Valley Trail, just steps from our front door.
Even though we have lived here for 25 years, we may have grossly undervalued those surroundings until recently. Work, family schedules and other “more important” tasks and commitments can sometimes take priority over the therapeutic value of what’s around us. However, it’s important to allow your mind to escape the daily stress and uncertainty, and instead, capture the intricacies that the change of seasons brings — admiring the lake reflections, quietly observing wildlife, watching the trees sway as the wind catches their branches, and actually hear the delicate flutter of the leaves as they fall.
If, in working from home more, you too found some new hobbies or finally had the time to reignite some long-lost passions, I hope you found joy in the “little things.” I enjoyed spending more time cooking for my family and trying out new recipes that I had seldom taken the time to attempt previously. I even became an @isolatedfoodies Facebook follower to see what others were making and share my culinary triumphs. And I, too, became a novice sourdough bread baker.
In this issue, we welcome you to Sea to Sky Country (p. 20); invite you to take in a re-imagined museum experience at the Audain Art Museum (p. 26); adventure differently with some socially distanced experiences (p. 32): take in stunning
First Nations art on a self-guided, outdoor tour of Whistler (p. 75); get off the beaten path to explore our unparalleled access to nature (p. 40); learn how downhill biking started in Whistler (p. 46); dine on sustainable seafood dishes by some of Whistler’s top chefs (p. 54) and sip on zesty zero-proof cocktail creations (p. 58); check out some new and unique food experiences in What We Love Now (p. 64); see what our local sommeliers and brewmasters are enjoying this season (p. 66 – 69); get an insight into how light, colour and shapes in nature influence art created by Whistler gallery artists (p. 70) and much, much more!
Whether you are looking for new experiences for your “bubble” this fall or planning to visit Whistler next year, we hope that we have provided insight into some new ways to adventure differently and inspiration to look a bit closer at the little things, as we move forward with a more intuitive and appreciative outlook on life.
We look forward to seeing you in Whistler soon and thank you for sharing this issue with us.
Stay healthy and happy!