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| Us at the top of the CN tower. |
April 14th, 2010
Once every few millenia, the planets align in our solar system, cats and dogs befriend one another and the seasons are precisely the length they should be so each and every one of us enjoys them to their full extent. It seems these events lined up for our daring duo when the annual Digital Imaging Convention was held in Toronto for Future Shop employees who excel in what they do (or in Mitch's case, he begs management to send him).
Future Shop employees all over the country were sent from their respective camera departments to the hussle and bussle of Toronto where anything can happen and numerous things are given out, including new cameras. Mitch was excited to see all the latest and greatest gizmos and after all the stress of applying to teach English in Japan, he wanted to have a fun weekend downtown. The first time they met was nothing out of the ordinary, two employees from two different sides of Canada sat down to enjoy a slice of pizza on the first day of the convention. They exchanged smiles and niceties and this is where Mitch and Nicole's worlds collided and their paths were forever intertwined with one another's.
They danced, they sang (winning cameras while Nicole was at it), they ate Chinese food at 2am, they smiled, laughed and lived. They found themselves quickly drawn to one another, sharing many common interests, they found that they got along swimmingly, two peas in a pod as they say.
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| On the Maid of the Mist during our trip to Niagara Falls |
~Long Distance
April - June 2010
After the conference Nicole returned to Edmonton and they stayed in touch. It was difficult but they made it work with lots of skype and texting. Nicole came to visit Mitch in May and they visited Niagara Falls and went camping in Fenelon Falls. Nicole returned to Edmonton but only had to wait a few weeks before Mitch joined her.
~Together At Last
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| Exploring Edmonton |
June 2010 - October 2010
When Mitch arrived in Edmonton they could finally breathe a sigh of relief, no more distance, no more Skyping, they could finally just be together. During their short time in Edmonton together they had a lot of adventures, concerts, festivals, the fair and walks along the River Valley. They lived in a modest but quite spacious apartment with her dog, Varus, a very loyal buddy that Mitch grew to love. Mitch was able to arrange a transfer to the downtown Future Shop and he made a reasonable living in the camera department. Nicole continued to do very well at her West Edmonton Future Shop, continuing to top the sales charts against other camera associates.
As October fast approached certain decisions had to be made, serious decisions and Nicole decided to drop everything and move to Japan with Mitch to teach English, leaving everything she knew and loved behind, including her beloved dog, Varus. It wasn't an easy transition and after a few yard sales and Kijiji Ads everything Mitch and Nicole owned could be worn on their backs or stuffed in suitcases. They spent a few weeks in Marsden with Nicole's family, shot a wedding and made their way to the airport, Japan ahoy!
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| Great buddha in Kyoto |
October 2010 - October 2011
Japan was an experience to say the least, a more accurate way of describing it would involve a trip to a theme park with various roller coaster analogies. The East is a very different place, particularly Japan, it is a country of incredibly proud people who have a very particular way of doing things. Most people we met were very kind and respectful, intelligent and hard working. Their positions required a lot of them but were also incredibly rewarding, they met fantastic people who had incredible stories to tell and we were happy to help them communicate those stories in English.
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| At the top of Mount Fuji at Sunrise |
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| In front of the Tokyo Tower |
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| In front of the famous Tori Gate in Miyajima |
It was not without it's tribulations, they experienced the worst earthquake in Japanese history, Mitch lost a close friend at work and there were challenges to trying to live a Western life in Japan. These tougher situations allowed them to look to eachother for support and it showed them what they were really made of and it was these moments that brought them closer together.
~Banff
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| Horseback riding in Lake Louise |
April 2012 - Present
When they returned from Japan they visited Nicole's family over Christmas and then went on a cruise with Mitch's family and had a blast. Shortly after they decided to start their next adventure and Banff came to mind.
Everything fell in to place, they were hired and comfortably sleeping in staff accomodations on the same day they arrived. After a few short weeks they learned the ropes of Banff Photography where they are still happily employed doing what they love day in and day out.
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| Goofy Christmas photo shoot at the Banff Springs Hotel |
~Proposal
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| Propsal at Bankhead |
Mitch had been biding his time for a little while, he had several plans on how to proceed but all paths led to Nicole hopefully saying yes and spending the rest of their lives together. They packed their bags for a nice late summer hike of Bankhead, specifically the C Level Cirque hike that had a very rewarding view of the Rockies at its finish. Mitch placed the ring in his camera bag, subtly under his zoom lens and had Nicole carry the small camera bag while he hiked with the larger technical pack.
They passed abandoned mines that had turned into sink holes over time. They took pictures of what was left of the mining town, a few buildings and tunnels and soldiered on up the trail. Upon reaching the beautiful view of the Rockies he asked Nicole to marry him and she said yes.
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