all about perspectives

Life is all about perspectives. It's about understanding that there are as many valid viewpoints as there are viewers.

That's one of the most important lessons travel teaches.

When I began my accidental career as a travel journalist – which came about thanks to pure luck and virtually no planning – I believed firmly that we in North America knew, and did it all better than anyone else in the world.

Wrong.

It didn't take me long to realize that our way of life is no more 'right' or 'wrong' than any other, and that we have everything to learn from the world around us. In the six years that have taken me from Reykjavik to Machu Picchu, and from Marrakesh to Huahine, I've learned that while Canada will always be my home and the place I love best, every country, every culture and every individual's view of the world has value – it's all a matter of perspective.

In this issue, as part of a special travel focus, you'll gain a very personal perspective on Portugal, thanks to our foodie friend Lynn Ogryzlo's tale of her family's holiday there.

We're also hoping you'll enjoy the variety of perspectives offered on the world of golf, our theme for this issue. To ensure that as many of our readers as possible find something to capture their interest, we've covered everything from Niagara's famous signature holes, to the mini version our kids love so much, to yoga positions to enhance your game, to Bill Thomas' love/hate relationship with sticks and balls. It's a collection of very different viewpoints from some very talented writers.

And there's one further perspective I'd like to share with you for this issue – the view from the editor's chair. Putting together a magazine of the size and scope of Niagara Life requires the combined efforts of many creative writers, photographers and designers. Without them, NLM simply wouldn't exist. Two of the most important people in that mix are our layout artists, Priscilla LaPlante and Jessica Martin. We think their work is fabulous and so do the powers-that-be in the Metroland world. Recently Jessica was awarded the Metroland Media Group Ltd., 2008 President's Award, Creative Recipient, its highest honour, not only for her work on Niagara Life Magazine but also for her many contributions to all the publications produced by Niagara This Week.

Congratulations Jess!