I did a BA and an MA in Geography. Geography has this quality that allows us to appreciate and understand, in a whole, numbers of problems and issues. But we didn’t do so much field work in university. For a girl who likes to have both feet in the mud, I missed it! So I decided to create my own field work opportunities and started traveling right after my BA. I repeated the experiment for three years: each winter, I went to explore the world and also, unconsciously, myself.

I always loved photography. Younger, I endlessly photographed the sky and its sunsets during our family trips. A friend made me rediscover that passion, just before I turned 20 years old. Since then, I've never let it go (my passion, not the boyfriend)! Morocco, Spain, Paris, Iceland, Stockholm ... all my destinations were incredible playgrounds to learn photography. I just need to take a look at the photos taken 5 years ago to see how much I improved my skills! Each trip was an opportunity to discover a new kind of photography: to the landscape photos have gradually succeeded night shots, portraits and street photography. Hours of infinite fun and topics!

I also always liked people (everyone is beautiful!), writing and arts. I miss this creativity in an environment where scientific rigor outweighed everything else. But all this creativity regained momentum during my travels. All subjects, events or details could be the object of a photo shoot; the Copenhagen canals at night, charming cafes in Paris, the snowy mountains of the Highlands, the burning desert of Morocco, or the powerful waves of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans.

Also, over time, my need to be useful to society has increased. Doubled, tenfold, hundredfold. The first year of travel (solo, always) was the opportunity to get to know myself better. The second one was devoted to work; I could not conceive to travel only to travel, over a long period of time, without being useful to someone. WWOOFing time! I came back from this second winter with my head full of ideas for my master’s degree. But as time passed, I found myself losing my path, my heart and energy. The call of traveling was quickly heard and a bit on a whim, I decided to go back to work on my farm in Hawaii.

Hawaii has the ability to make me believe that anything is possible. Even the wildest dreams seem achievable when I'm there! Perhaps because of the slower pace of life and the thrill of adrenaline? It allows me to refocus on myself and align my ideas.

A few months before returning to Hawaii, I went to see the World Press Photo exhibition. This presents the best pictures of the year in photojournalism. The photographs are striking, emotional, and make you travel while staying where you are. I had an epiphany while watching the exhibition. Like a big shock, a flash of genius. It's THAT I needed to do to share all my interests and passions. And to serve society.

So I tried to do some photojournalism / journalism in Hawaii. Since I had spent several months there, it was easier for me to know the topics in depth. I improvised myself as a photojournalist ... but not anyhow! My travel experiences have shown me that beauty, goodness and beautiful initiatives remained worldwide. Not like that misery and pollution we are used to see in the medias! So I tried to do positive photojournalism in Hawaii. And to my surprise, I’ve been rather successful!

I also had an idea during this third trip. By dint of walking around the world and in my capacity as a geographer, I was able to see things from another angle. So I decided I would build, helped by a few friends, a photojournalism project in my beautiful Quebec City. But not just any project! Inspired by Humans of New York (this viral project led by the photographer Brandon Stanton), we have created Portraits of the Old Capital, which aims to present men and women who contribute to the vitality and the beauty of the city of Quebec.

The moral of this story? Listen to your instincts. Be aware of the small details that appear while traveling. Dare to dare. And remember to follow your path. Because it is much better to discover and follow your passions, than to ignore them!