Feels like a lifetime ago.

This picture pretty much sums up our recent trip to Edmonton. It was full on winter: cold, windy and dark. And the city itself wasn’t all too beautiful.

Speaking of cold. As we got there, Cole and I took a walk from our hotel to a nearby grocery store. A walk of 700 meters or so. During that walk, we had to stop twice – at a liquor store and a bank – to make it. And we actually took a cab back to the hotel. A 700 meter cab ride, most likely the shortest cab ride of all time.

We’re both born and raised in winter climates, so we know cold. But this was something else.

Despite the weather, we really enjoyed the wedding and Ashley and Andrew – the bride and groom who also happen to be wedding photographers – were awesome. As were their families.

So all in all, a nice trip, and I can cross Edmonton off the bucket list. And I got to see mall.

Tomorrow we fly to Edmonton (brr) for a wedding. I’ll try to take a picture or two. Back with updates on that in a few.

I’ve been off work for almost two months now. Have barely taken any photos, almost no editing, almost no album design, almost no nothing. It’s been nice, although I look forward to going back to reality again, and the life I’ve gotten used to living and loving.

Tomorrow I fly to Stockholm, and a couple of days later to Vancouver with a short stop in London.

So, farewell, mighty clouds. See you again in May.

(iPhone snap.)

Four years. That’s a fairly big chunk of my young adulthood.

Four years of classes to get a fancy title on a piece of paper (Masters Degree in Business and Entrepreneurship), but pretty much not one single communication with businesses in the real world. Four years theory and so called real life examples, written by some old dusty professor in some old dusty office.

(I have a feeling my choice of words is giving away where this is going…)

Looking back at business school, I can’t really say I remember much. If anything, really. Sure, what we read and discussed is there somewhere, but off the top of my head, I pretty only remember the basics. The four P’s and such.

And – of course – how to write as many words as possible, with as little meaning as possible, to reach to those 80 pages (or whatever) that the thesis had to be.

But that’s it. That’s pretty much all I have from those four years.

Don’t get me wrong though, they were four great years. Lots of new acquaintances and many, many good times. I don’t regret them.

And yes, I know university is also about learning to think in a certain way. To analyze and evaluate knowledge.

But as far as knowledge of business goes, I’ve learnt 500 % more from running one for two years than I did from those four years of school. And from books I’ve read post-school.

If that’s because I’m not the best learner (to my defence, I did have straight A’s throughout the Masters year) or because the school system could be improved is for someone else to decide.

But I’m starting to think those college drop-outs (like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, to name a few) were on to something.

http://nordicaphotography.com/2011-year-two/

I worked pretty much every day – including many 15+ hour Saturdays – yet it feels like I had another year of holiday.

The days in my life look nothing like they did a couple years ago. No going to the office, no cursing cause I have to go to work again tomorrow, no hating Monday mornings. I don’t even care if it’s Monday, Friday or Sunday anymore.

But running your own company isn’t all sunshine. There were times throughout the year when I felt a bit exhausted, and wasn’t looking forward to the next weekend’s wedding as much. But that always changed as the next one came, and now, after being off weddings for a few weeks, I miss them. Can’t wait to get started again.

If I’d win the lottery today, I’d still keep shooting weddings. No doubt about it.

We started 2011 with a wedding in Vancouver in January, and ended it with one in Cancun, Mexico, in November (to be blogged soon). In between there were another 40-ish weddings, all over. 2012 is booked up with twice as many weddings as 2011 was in December last year. Which would lead one to think that 2012 will be even more exciting.

Good times ahead.

It may sound like a cliché, but I literally can’t wait to see what 2012 will bring.

In a few days, Cole and I will have a post with all our favourite 2011 photos on the Nordica blog. So stay tuned for that.

In the meantime, here’s one of my personal favourites of the year. A photo of Sabrina and James on a warm night in Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

One of my favourites of the year.

Daisy & Mali.