How a simple morning by Banff's largest lake transformed my perspective on travel and the importance of quiet moments in nature.
The pre-dawn air was crisp, holding the last remnants of night's chill. As I walked to the shore of Lake Minnewanka, the only sound was the gentle lapping of water against stone. Our guide, a local photographer named Chloe, didn't start with camera settings. Instead, she asked us to just sit. To watch the light slowly crest over Mount Inglismaldie, painting the sky in hues of rose and gold. It was in that stillness, a world away from the usual tourist rush, that I truly saw Banff for the first time...