I’ve always been a dreamer.

I remember at the age of seven dreaming of becoming a doctor. I had a little toy medical kit that I played with endlessly and I loved wearing the plastic stethoscope around my neck. My baby sister, Joy, was always my patient :)

I remember at the age of twelve dreaming of becoming a model. I proclaimed this fact to my god-sister and she just laughed at me because I pronounced ‘model’ like ‘yodel’.

I remember at the age of thirteen dreaming of becoming a photographer. I poured over countless fashion *and* bridal magazines. I wanted to take apart my mom’s Polaroid camera just out of sheer curiosity about it’s inner workings.

I remember at the age of fourteen dreaming of becoming a volleyball superstar. I watched the University of Winnipeg’s Women’s Varsity volleyball team play a match (while I attended the university for a week!). The women were smart, athletic and looked cool in their uniforms and I wanted to be just like them.

I remember at the age of fifteen dreaming of becoming a jazz musician. I played piano in my schools’ jazz band and practiced and practiced and practiced like my life depended on it.

I remember at the age of sixteen dreaming of becoming a musical actress on Broadway. I bought the Miss Saigon soundtrack on a Monday, fell in love with it, played it over and over again, and learned all the words to all the songs by Friday.

I remember at the age of seventeen that I still dreamed of becoming a doctor.

I remember at the age of twenty that I still dreamed of becoming a musical actress on Broadway.

I remember at the age of twenty three dreaming of becoming an Ebola researcher.

I remember at the age of twenty seven dreaming of becoming a scientific forensic investigator.

Today…I’m still a dreamer. Little did I know that I would be here today doing one of the things I love and feel passionate about. I’m a photographer, but still very much a scientist at heart, a jazz music lover, an avid fan of Broadway musicals, and a pretty decent volleyball player after all these years. That aspiration of becoming a model was a very minute blip on my radar, but I do like to indulge in ANTM every now and then if that counts :)

I’ve had quite the year…inspiring, exciting, tiring, heart-breaking, frustrating, full of doubt, full of hope, full of joy, full of love. But looking forward, I simply aspire to keep dreaming, to keep doing all those things that I love, to keep being true to myself, and to continue sharing a part of me with you.

To dream is to live.

~ cjs