The city where all my memories live. Bashkortostan is beautiful, so are the people I met there. Miss it tremendously, therefore is the map!

This place is special to me because I climbed to the Tiger’s Nest monastery and visited with the monks. It was an arduous, extraordinary journey which will never be forgotten. The town of Paro also features the National Museum of this amazing country, which is filled with friendly people, cows, and dogs everywhere.

This place is special to me because I live here and frequent all these places of the New West Riverfront regularly. New Westminster is the oldest city in Western Canada. Yellow and blue are its colours. I had fun challenging myself to use a limited colour palette for my first ever illustrated map! Some fun facts:
1. The World’s Tallest Tin Soldier stands at 9.75 meters high.
2. The sculpture at Hyack Square is a reproduction of an iconic photo taken 3. at that intersection during war times in 1940.
4. The chair at Hive Cafe is made (by Hive City) completely of cardboard.
5. Pier Park has won several awards for urban design and even includes a small man-made beach.
6. WOW Westminster is a giant sculpture of the letter W using four shipping containers.

I love living here! It’s historic, tight-knit, and has the charms of both a bigger city and a small town.

This place is special to me because I love living and working here, surrounded by the colorful architecture of Downtown Queretaro. I really enjoy going on walks around the beautiful streets and plazas where you can sit and experience the happy atmosphere. Its a place where you find all kinds of activities, from music and film festivals, to museums, theatre and nightlife. 

Welcome to Bienne, a unique Swiss city that is both French and German speaking, and holds the beauty of both water and mountains. Experience a tour of my beloved's city through his 8 year old eyes: all his favourite places in one map! *My first illustrated map, handmade without access to photoshop or any other editing software!*

This place is special to me because I get to live here! I originally came here from the prairies and was meant to stay for only three months. That was over 20 years ago! I love the mountains, trees, ocean, wildlife...I even love the rain! This place is paradise to me and I can't imagine living anywhere else.

This place is special to me because I grew up driving to these places on the weekend. Each places has memories of delicious food like fresh baked bread, oysters and crab. There are beautiful natural landscapes of redwood forests, rolling golden hills, and views of the sea. These places on this map are the places I take people who visit and are the places I love to show off.

Imagine what an ocean of fresh water would be like and this beautiful slice of Ontario comes to mind. Georgian Bay, (part of the (Great) Lake Huron, features more than 30,000 islands and 2,000 kilometres of shoreline. It is world renowned for incredible swimming and boating, boasting endless beaches and long smooth rocks, decorated with majestic pines. It has a rich marine heritage and is home to some of the most impressive waterfront properties in North America. I feel very lucky to have this gorgeous piece of nature an hour’s drive from my home.

This place is special to me because I have wanted to go to California since I was a kid, and I finally got the chance to visit this year. This map represents a few of my favorite places I discovered while there, from the Santa Monica Pier to Disneyland. I also loved seeing the ocean and palm trees along the way!

This place is special to me because I'm in awe that such a little strip of coastline can hold all this abundance of wildlife and wonder. In one stroll you can experience ALL the weather, hike the trails, swim or enjoy the ocean, shop for eclectic local wares, eat home made food, and drink a locally brewed beverage. My children often have their classes on the sand dunes or watching the salmon spawn in the fall. I'm very grateful to live here.

This place is special to me because it holds the perfect harmony of the old and the new, and it’s the place I call home nowadays. I have been living in Madrid for a decade, and this is one of my favourite neighbourhoods. Bubbling with life at any time of the day and night it’s a place where you can find the trendiest people and places. Art exists inside galleries and museums but also in the streets, hip bars, pubs and cafes. My favourite thing are the contrast: the little old grocery shop next to the latest design shop, the bar that has been serving people for a 100 years (true story) packed with the trendiest crowd... If you’re into shopping here you will find the best vintage shops, and the newest design too. I have listed my favourite places in the area so you can have a complete day exploring: you can see art, grab a coffee, go shopping, have a bite, a drink and even dance all night.

Urbino is the place where I spent two years in my illustration master degree course, where I lived my best life.
In this city I met my best friends and I grew up as a new person.
Urbino is my happy place.

This place is special to me because it's like a village within London. I live nearby and regularly walk my dog in Richmond Park and along the river (that's me and him on the map!) The novelty of having deer roaming free so close to central London never wears off. If you walk into Richmond from the park you'll find real cows grazing on Petersham Meadows and stunning views of the River Thames. There is something interesting to see every step of the way, from beautiful buildings, lovely cafés and restaurants, interesting little independent shops in The Lanes, as well as two theatres and a cricket green. You can while away the day watching boats go past on the river. I'd recommend it to anyone visiting London!!

This place is special to me because I have watched it transform yet still maintain strong ties to its history during my 13 years living here.  An historic neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama, Avondale joins the old and the new, with a focus on community.  Avondale has grown from a small settlement clustered around a spring to a thriving entertainment district, spurred by the natural beauty and heritage of Avondale Park.  Local businesses pay tribute to Miss Fancy, the elephant that lived in the park during its brief stint as a zoo. They also celebrate the former occupants of their buildings (post office, firehouse, saloon), while poised to craft memorable stories of their own.  The area fosters a community spirit, from casual eateries, watering holes, shops and live music venues, to church cookouts and outreach programs.  Even the ducks contribute to that sense of community, as they swim and hang out together in the park.  I love my neighborhood!

I've visited Japan many times and I know I will keep going back! There's so much to see and every trip I feel I've discovered something new. One of my favorite places to go is Harajuku. It's so bright and colorful, and you can always find new trends in clothes, art and even food. Yet within the hustle and bustle of crowded streets, you will stumble upon pockets of peace.