My Watermark is Shuswap Lake, British Columbia.

I don't believe there is anyone in this world who can honestly claim that their life has unfolded exactly how they had envisioned it. Our journey is rife with uncertainties and unexpected detours; people lose jobs, families fracture, and our picture perfect reality can be compromised on a nearly whimsical basis. There is so much that we all experience that is frenetically out of our control, and we must accept that. It is, therefore, important that we embrace every opportunity to bring ourselves closer to that which matters most: our family and loved ones.

For the past 24 years, I have been fortunate enough to call the waters of Salmon Arm on Shuswap Lake a summer home. This is where, despite our wildly hectic schedules, my family has gathered every year, without fail, to reconnect. If I were forced to name my one true happy place, Devyn's Cove would be it. The experiences here each summer have been the most vivid and impactful of my life. The gambit of emotions run from euphoric (completing our first sibling waterski pyramid) to downright devastating (season-ending waterski injury). The experience has evolved through the years from birthday pinatas and cutthroat games of "kick the can" to bartending seminars and fixing broken down boats...though not in that order, of course.

The experiences shared when bringing together 10+ of your most cherished loved ones are magnified 100 fold. There is always someone to start your next adventure with or put you in your place when the time calls for it. And there is certainly always someone ready to have a late-night, fireside, wine-induced existential life discussion with. Time, as with food, drink, travel, music, success, failure, and really every facet of life, is best shared with those close to us. To me, the unifying theme of my most cherished experiences has always been our ability to gather around swimmable, drinkable, and fishable water.