Reflection is the second piece in the Wanderloots Genesis Collection: Begin, Again.
The feeling of awe I experienced in the darkest regions of Madagascar stayed with me as I returned home to Canada, resonating in a way that struck at the chord of my past. The half-remembered dream began to form in my mind once again. A flame of wonder and hope that I knew would only survive if I paid it the attention it needed to fan into existence.
The more I reflected on that dream, the more I began to ask myself, why? Why did that moment resonate with me in such a way that when I closed my eyes I still saw the rotation of the Milky Way through the skies of Africa? Silence. I knew that to truly reflect on this experience, I needed to relive that moment of awe in Africa by putting myself back under the stars. Only then could I again reach that depth of emotion.
The next opportunity for dark skies presented itself when I traveled through Western Canada, exactly one year after my trip to Africa. Each day I scoped out opportunities for ideal Milky Way compositions. Each night I endured rain, clouds, cold, and dangerous wildlife. I found myself obsessed with searching for still waters so I could capture a reflection shot of the Milky Way. This proved to be difficult. For a reflection shot to occur, there needs to be perfect conditions. No wind, no light pollution, a clear shot between the reflective water and the Milky Way, and a safe place for me to monitor my camera. There needs to be calm.
After almost three weeks of searching, I was nearing the end of my trip when I finally found still waters. This was it. The moment I had been waiting an entire year to experience. Two Jack Lake glistened under the setting sun, with Mount Rundle breaking the horizon where I knew the Milky Way would soon be. I set up my camera to take a timelapse, hoping that the still waters would provide an opportunity to reflect both the Milky Way and my own thoughts, transcending space and time to remind me of my half-forgotten dream.
I spent time reflecting on my love for the night sky and where it came from. I recalled wanting to be an astronaut as a child, constantly in awe of the space above me. I recalled watching the moon in the sky and comparing its phase to my lunar phase chart I had pinned on my wall. But something was missing. I needed to go back further. I had these memories, but the emotions of these memories did not resonate with me as deeply as the awe I experienced in Madagascar. To begin again, I needed to truly return to the beginning.
About the Collection
Begin, Again is a story of rediscovery that transcends time. A story that ties a half-remembered dream to one of the most incredible moments of my life in a way that has forever changed the exploration of my future.
Begin, Again is a story of hope in a better future, of becoming a better version of ourselves by taking the time to pay attention to our lives in a way that promotes positive mental health and acceptance of who we were, are, and can be.
To begin again, we need only take a deep breath, exhale, and try.
I mean that literally. We have begun to lose the ability to breathe properly. Not just me, almost everyone. Through email apnea, sedentary lifestyles, and an inability to regulate our attention and stop scrolling, we breathe too quickly or not at all. This poor breathing turns into a habit, leading to increased time spent in stress states, making it harder and harder to deliberately pay attention.
I have set the pulse of this story to be tied to the breath, acting as a guide to slow your breathing while focusing on the emotion I have described in each video. By breathing out several times, ideally 5, you may have taken the first true pause of your day. The frequency of pulse is 5.5 breaths per minute (BPM). Each video is 11 seconds long, enough time for one inhale and one exhale. This rate has been shown to help reduce anxiety and relax people. I hope this experience can add a measure of calm to your day, allowing you to begin again on whatever it is you would like to do.