Hey there!

If you’re here that means you’re curious to learn more about the voice behind the blog. I’m so humbled you want to get to know me better! Let me take the chance to properly introduce myself and some of the other characters you’ll likely meet here. 

MEET LAURA

Hi!

I’m Laura – an aspiring writer, shameless dreamer and the blogger behind An Ordinary Existence.

I have a serious case of adventure-lust (it’s a thing, I promise) and am always on the search for the next bit of excitement.

But, I wasn’t always this way. 

I grew up with the assumption that there are only two options in life:

a boring, simple existence filled with routine and familiarity 

OR

a life of full-time adventure filled with spontaneity, excitement, and extraordinary achievements. 

Since I always felt painfully average, full of insecurity, and not at all capable of the boldness that the latter required, I unquestioningly accepted the idea that I was destined to live the former.

It’s not that I didn’t want an exciting life, it’s that I was under the impression that those are reserved for exceptional people… and exceptional I am not. 

But alas, after graduating high school a growing sense of restlessness nagged at me as I went through the motions of early adulthood. A feeling which was only fueled by the memoirs and blogs of world travelers, professional adventurers, and people living life on their own terms that I was devouring in my spare time. Inspired by their stories, I began to question whether a shy, insecure scaredy cat like me was doomed to a life of normalcy or if I could carve out my own path as well… just maybe not quite to the extreme that some of them were doing. 

I started slowly changing the course of my own life by throwing all semblance of financial responsibility out the window, shoving all my self-doubt and fear into a 40L backpack, and spending the summer of 2010 traveling through Europe while reassessing what it was I really wanted.

I know, I know, does it get anymore CLICHE? 

It turned out that a big old kick in the pants far outside of her comfort zone was exactly what this risk-averse, anxiety-ridden control freak needed.

That trip proved to me that you don’t have to be some fearless, intrepid, full-time explorer in order to live a life full of purpose and meaning. 

I began to let go of that black and white way of thinking. I let go of the idea that ordinary people can’t do things a little differently. And I let go of the idea that average people can’t work a little more adventure and passion into their everyday lives. 

Since then, I’ve made it a priority to do more of what scares me, challenges me, and lights me up. Whether that’s backpacking solo in bear country, starting a new business venture, traveling to the murder capital of the world, embracing life as a dog mom, or starting a blog and putting it all out there. 

Life is meant to be lived. And it’s meant to be lived on your terms. Driven by your own curiosity, passion and and definition of meaning. 

These days, I find most of my adventures in the form of traveling, pursuing outdoor activities, learning about and living close to the land, and making sure my dogs are living their best life. 

I started An Ordinary Existence in the hope that, like those blogs I read all those years ago, my words might just encourage someone to take a step (however tiny it may be!) further from their own comfort zone and closer to the life they were meant to live. 

Want more on what An Ordinary Existence is all about? You can find that here.

To help you get to know me better, here are some fun facts about me:

1. I’m a nature nerd. Not only do I prefer to spend my time outside, I can seriously geek out over good geology textbook or wildlife documentary any day. I find a big part of my life these days is focused on reconnecting with and getting closer to nature.
2. Speaking of geeking out – I majored in International Studies and still love learning about all the various cultures, languages, histories, cuisines, belief systems, and landscapes that make up this amazing planet.
3. I was born and raised in rural Saskatchewan and still live here with my partner, Mark, and our two dogs (more on them in a minute). And yes, for all your foreigners who are like “Saska-what??,” it is a real place. It’s a province. In Canada. Look it up. 
4. I speak a little French and a little Spanish and almost always unintentionally mix them together when trying to use them in the real world. 
5. I’m in the process of falling hard for the North right now. A few years ago, Mark talked me into buying an off-grid cabin in northern Manitoba (that’s right next to Saskatchewan, for those not familiar 😉 ) and the never-ending Boreal forest, crystal-clear lakes, and rugged Canadian Shield landscapes have stolen my heart.  
6. I’m a sucker for a sufferfest. I like getting outside in any capacity, but I especially love a multi-day backcountry trip that involves a lot of swearing and tears. (I mean, I don’t particularly love it in the moment but those always become my favourite trips after the fact.) *I should also mention that it doesn’t take much to elicit swears and tears from me. I’m a little dramatic like that.*
7. Reading and writing are important to me but I don’t do enough of either. 
8. My travel style could be described as “one foot off the beaten path.” I like a good balance of the not-so-usual things + the “must-do” soul-sucking tourist traps.
9. I don’t have much of a maternal instinct but whatever teeny tiny shred of it I do possess is directed at worrying if my dogs are hungry, cold, sick, or fitting in ok at the dog park. 
10. Going back to point 5 – we doubled down on our love for the north and purchased a fly-in fishing lodge in late 2021. Talk about stepping out of your comfort zone! Learning the ins and outs of running Haskins Bay Fly-In has now become a major part of my life and work.

That’s me in a nutshell. Now it’s time to meet the other stars of this shit show…

MEET MARK

The confidence to my insecurity. The encouragement to my self-doubt. The zen to my panic attack. 

Mark and I have been together for more than a decade now and he’s almost always along for the ride when I dream up a new adventure to tackle. He’s not always super stoked about it, but he’s always willing to give it a shot. 

I like to think we balance each other out well.

Since you’ll likely see him mentioned on the blog, here are some fun facts about Mark to help you get to know him better:

1. He’s pretty handy and there isn’t a project on the planet that he isn’t willing to try his hand at. All he needs is a little time and a lot of YouTube videos.
2. The cabin is his favourite place to be. Nothing makes him happier than spending his days cruising the lake and dropping a line in the water. I know this because every time we go, he wakes me up at 4am like a kid on Christmas morning that just. can’t. wait. anymore!
3. He may or may not love his dogs more than he loves me. I can never get a straight answer on that one…
4. He loves any TV show about people living off the land in the middle of nowhere. I’m convinced that one of these days he’s just going to pack all our belongings and move us to the wilderness. The purchase of a remote, off-grid fish camp may or may not be part of this master plan…
5. He’s not usually one to complain. Unless we’re stuck outside in a cold rain… that always makes him a little grumbly. 

 My favourite posts featuring Mark: Lost in the Murder Capital of the World | That Time We Accidentally Broke into a Grocery Store in Honduras | How Not to Plan a Paddling Trip

MEET THE DOGS

I was adamantly against getting a dog.

I grew up with dogs and knew how much work they are and how much they can tie you down. As someone who was yearning for freedom, I wanted no part of that.

But, in 2014, Mark talked me into taking in Juno – a Great Dane who’s family was rehoming her at only 3 months old. I caved and promptly became a full-fledged ridiculous dog mom. A title I wear proudly today.

Here’s a little more about each of the dogs in our lives…

Juno

Juno came into our lives somewhat unexpectedly. Mark spent 8 years trying to convince me to get a dog and I always said no. Until he showed me a post about Juno, a 3-month-old Great Dane who’s family could no longer keep her. 

To this day, I have no idea why I gave in.

Maybe it was the sweet little puppy face in the photos. Maybe it was the fact that the family was struggling and needed to find a home for her quickly. Maybe it was simply a moment of weakness. 

Whatever the reason, I agreed, Mark went and got her, and she immediately established herself as the center of our little family. 

Now, if you google Great Dane you’ll see words like docile, gentle giant, and lazy. I’m here to tell you it’s all LIES!

Juno was anything but docile. She was high-strung, had energy for days, and had a wicked case of separation anxiety. She destroyed half our house and drove me up the walls every. single. day. 

But she also managed to wrap me ever so tightly around her giant paw. She became my constant companion and an always-eager sidekick. She wedged her 140-lb self into our bed and our hearts. 

Unfortunately, we lost Juno to a heart condition just shy of her 5th birthday. She left us just as quickly and as unexpectedly as she had come into our lives and it was one of the most difficult times in my life. 

In the four short years Juno was with us, she gave us enough laughs, stories, and memories for a lifetime. Some of which I have written about here on the blog.

My favourite posts featuring Juno: 5 Life Lessons I’ve Learned from My Dog | Stomach of Steel: 8 Weird Things My Dog Has Eaten | The Adventures of Juno: Road Trip Edition

Izzie

After losing Juno, we both agreed that we should take some time before rushing into getting another dog. 

Two months later I was making the 10 hour drive to go pick up this feisty little pup. (apparently neither one of us is good at impulse control when it comes to dogs)

Izzie is a German Shorthaired Pointer. Bred for bird hunting, these dogs are well-known for their high prey drive and endless amounts of energy.

Izzie is a great representative of the breed as she’s basically a walking ball of chaos. 

Here are a few fun facts about Izzie:

1. She hates her leash and collar. She’d much prefer unhindered freedom thankyouverymuch.
2. Her prey drive is off the charts and she’s always on the look out for the next rabbit, bird, fox, or deer that might dare to enter her line of sight.
3. She has enough energy to run for days, but I have to force her to get out of bed and eat her breakfast in the mornings (ugh, teenagers!)
4. She’ll wade in water but won’t swim. When we play fetch at the lake she waits for Gus to go get the toy and then steals it from him when he gets back to dry land.
5. She treats us like servants who are only there to feed her, tuck her in under the covers, and dole out bum scratches.

Gus

Gus came into our lives after we made the decision to get Izzie a playmate who could match her energy level. 

Gus is a Vizsla – another pointing breed bred for hunting. Gus is the tiniest bit less chaotic than Izzie but a little more cuddly and affectionate (read: he’d like to crawl inside your skin and wear you like a suit. They don’t call them velcro Vizslas for nothing). 

Here are a few fun facts about Gus: 

1. His favourite pastime is waiting for someone to get up and then stealing their spot.
2. He’s an enthusiastic, if not adept, sidekick to Izzie. If she gets worked up about something he’s very quick to get on guard and start barking… he just usually has no clue what he’s getting excited about.
3. He’s a destroyer of all things. Blankets, toys, and furniture don’t stand a chance.
4. He’s the best road tripper and falls asleep within .93 seconds of the vehicle starting to move.
5. He wants all the attention and 24/7 access to his humans. Closing the bathroom door is unacceptable. 

OUR LIFESTYLE

For the most part, our lives are fairly average. We’re not that couple who sold all their belongings to go travel the world or fund some epic once-in-a-lifetime expedition (at least, not yet anyway…).

No, we own a home, drive cars, and go to work just like most garden-variety North Americans. Mark works (a lot) while I work part time at a “real” job (read: one that actually provides a reliable paycheque), part time on my website, and part time on our new fishing camp venture.  

Because of this, we have to prioritize what matters to us. We work hard to craft our own version of ordinary. And that means being intentional about where we spend our time.

On an average day that might mean tackling garden projects around the acreage, making time for a field walk with the dogs, strapping on a pair of snowshoes and heading out somewhere close to home, or checking out publicly-accessible lands that we happened to find on a map.

If we have a few free days strung together that might mean heading to the cabin or the fish camp where we spend our days hiking, fishing, kayaking, and just generally exploring the lake.

If we have a longer stretch of time that might mean traveling abroad, road tripping across Canada, or heading out into the backcountry on an extended backpacking or paddling trip. 

This might make it sound like we’re capable and competent adventurers who effortlessly manage to incorporate exciting exploits into every corner of our lives but, trust me, almost everything we do involves stumbles, fumbles and mishaps. We’re constantly learning, experimenting, challenging ourselves, and occasionally failing miserably. 

But hey, that’s what it’s all about, right? 

---

Thanks for getting to know us better! If you’d like to learn more about this website in general, check out: About An Ordinary Existence.

SEE WHAT WE’RE UP TO ON SOCIAL

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube