PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION The influence of place on adventure identity: A personal reflection using photograph elicitation By Nora M. Hughes A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standards: _________________________________________ Terry Palechuk (MBA.), Thesis Supervisor, Adventure Studies _________________________________________ Charles Hays (Ph.D.), Journalism Communication and New Media __________________________________________ Colleen Foucault, Journalism Communication and New Media __________________________________________ Annette Dominik (Ph.D.), Coordinator, Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Dated this 20th day of April 2021, in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 2 Abstract In an attempt to gain a clearer view of adventure culture, the nature of this research is an autoethnographic analysis of my adventure experiences through visual depictions of places of importance to me. My reflections as the primary participant in a qualitative analysis on reflection and place as a vessel for identity formation serve as the subject for the application of social science research methods. This research paper explores the use of visual reflection using photoelicitation in an autoethnographic context. Results suggest that reflecting on place through photo elicitation enables a deeper reflection and easier interpretation with a visual aid to elicit emotions, memories, and learnings from past adventure experiences. Both the images and the reflection serve as data contributions to adventure culture and identity. My reflection shows that place attachments and meanings can be social, nature-based, activity-dependent, and interrelated and participation in adventure tourism activities creates place meaning through social, activity and nature-based interactions that define my adventure identity. Additionally, accomplishments and challenging experiences elicited through the visuals prove the most significant to the formation of my adventure identity. When combined, a holistic understanding of this research emerges in which I use photographs to reflect on and analyze the contribution place has made to my adventure identity. Keywords: Adventure Identity, Place, Place meaning, Photo elicitation, Personal reflection, Adventure tourism. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 3 Table of Contents The influence of place on adventure identity: A personal reflection using photograph elicitation ...... 5 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Researcher's Perspective ............................................................................................................................... 6 Research Statement ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Objectives .................................................................................................................................................... 8 Literature Review .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Adventure .................................................................................................................................................. 10 Adventure Culture ................................................................................................................................ 11 Lifestyle Sports .................................................................................................................................... 11 Adventure Sports .................................................................................................................................. 12 Adventure Identity................................................................................................................................ 14 Place Meaning .......................................................................................................................................... 18 Place in Leisure and Tourism ............................................................................................................... 21 Personal Reflection and Story Telling ...................................................................................................... 23 Autoethnography .................................................................................................................................. 23 Reflective practice ................................................................................................................................ 28 Photo elicitation.................................................................................................................................... 29 Analysis Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 30 Methodology.............................................................................................................................................. 31 Reflection – Image #1 ............................................................................................................................... 33 Discussion – Image #1 ......................................................................................................................... 35 Reflection – Image #2 ............................................................................................................................... 37 PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 4 Discussion - Image #2 .......................................................................................................................... 38 Reflection – Image #3 ............................................................................................................................... 40 Discussion – Image #3 ......................................................................................................................... 42 Reflection – Image #4 ............................................................................................................................... 44 Discussion – Image #4 ......................................................................................................................... 45 Reflection – Image #5 ............................................................................................................................... 47 Discussion – Image #5 ......................................................................................................................... 48 Reflection – Image #6 ............................................................................................................................... 50 Discussion – Image #6 ......................................................................................................................... 51 Analysis of Photographs ........................................................................................................................... 52 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................... 52 Limitations .................................................................................................................................................... 53 Suggestions for Future Research ................................................................................................................ 54 PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 5 The influence of place on adventure identity: A personal reflection using photograph elicitation Introduction The notion of adventure is a vast field of academic discourse with a multitude of topics. Adventure vis-à-vis place relationships and identity offers a window into how we connect with places via adventure and how that might shape one's identity. To grasp the complexity of the relationship of adventure, place and resultant place-identity, I need to first understand and reflect on my own experiences as contributions to my own adventure identity. This study will serve as a contribution to existing research in the culture of adventure but also as a self-reflection guide to understanding adventure identity vis-à-vis place. The concepts of place and place identity will serve as the theoretical framework to explore the relationship between how place and adventure inform one's identity. This study will utilize an autoethnographic approach. I will use the notion of place as a subject to analyze the components of identity and identity formation in adventure experiences. Additionally, I will use photo-elicitation as a reflection method. I will analyze photographs taken over my time in university to ascribe meaning to the place depicted as it relates to my adventure identity. Drawing from secondary research, I will create an analysis of the components of place meaning and identity formation present in my autoethnographic reflection and attribute each analysis to the construction of my adventure identity. Although theories of place are present in this study, it is just one theme of many present in adventure culture used to embody the formation of identity. Norman Denzin reflects on the meaning of autoethnography and the power of reflection in society by simply summarizing that performance studies must start with a person, a body, and a historical moment (2017). He suggests that performances create space for a merger of praxis PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 6 and a raw critique of culture (Denzin, 2017). To understand a culture is to first understand yourself, your role, and your experiences within that space. Through my research, I intend to give credit to my role as an individual in adventure culture by examining my adventure identity. Interactions with adventure experiences enable individuals such as myself to construct identities, which in turn dictate what we think and do (Beames et al., 2019). This research is significant in demonstrating qualitative research that adds to existing fields of study but also examines communications methods in a unique way. The research is a way for me to explore the role visual communication methods play in the adventure industry, identity formation, and reflection. Ideally, this research will assist me in understanding the significance of place in adventure identity formation within myself, and in turn, how I can enter the post-graduate industry of adventure with the intent of understanding this perception in others. Researcher's Perspective Growing up in Northeastern Massachusetts, I would never have expected to be involved in adventure sports, never mind big mountain sports. My family consisted of weekend warriors skiing northeastern conditions in Vermont since 2003. My siblings and I grew up skiing, then dabbled in ski racing, and when that got boring, we taught ourselves how to snowboard and telemark ski. Skiing the east made us tough skiers, always in search of ways to entertain ourselves. My Mom signed the two of us up for a rock-climbing course in the White Mountains in my early teens, which unknowingly kindled a wildfire between me and the mountains. My relationship with the adventure experiences has rapidly changed since my time in the White and Green Mountains. Adventure sport served as a vessel that motivated me to seek out new places for adventure. Consequently, my relationship with place was also modified. From the ages of 17 to 20, I embarked on a whirlwind of adventure experiences that I seldom had time to PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 7 reflect on. Adventure culture has provided me with skills, knowledge, and experiences that have made major contributions to who I am (Beedie, 2010). The role photography plays in my life constitutes the sentimental nature I attribute to my adventure experiences. I received my first camera when I was 14. I took the Nikon D5200 on a lot of my adventures and oversaturated the seemingly minute happenings in my life with photographs. Picture taking of my mom rock climbing in Rumney, New Hampshire, quickly turned into ski photoshoots with friends in Karlsáldalur, Iceland. Photography is a method of connection to my companions in adventure and a way of communication to people who relate to adventure differently than I. Place and photography are essential components to my adventure experiences. When I think about the places I have been in pursuit of for adventure experiences, I am overwhelmingly grateful. I recognize the value of my experiences, reflection, and placing myself within the world and my communities. As an artist, an athlete, and a student, I know that my experiences have developed my identity and can be attributed to the formation of my thinking and skills. As I prepare to move into the working world and the broad adventure industry to test my learnings, I want to develop a clear concept of what my adventure identity constitutes. In a world where like-minded practitioners make up a sliding scale of adventure identity (Beedie, 2010), I feel it is important to identify my place on that scale and the meanings that I ascribe to adventure in order to better understand the culture as a whole. Research Statement The purpose of this research is to combine the interdisciplinary topics of adventure studies, journalism, and communications to create a conceptual model of adventure identity through reflective methods. The study will attempt to expand on existing research on place PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION meaning and identity formation through adventure experience. Autoethnography is a form of reflection I will use to narrate my experiences to be explored vis-à-vis place identity. The study is also an analysis of a communications research method, photo-elicitation, and its effectiveness in an autoethnographic reflection. Through this autoethnographic process, questions explored include: 1. Using reflection practices, how has place influenced my adventure identity? 2. Does the method of photo-elicitation allow the researcher to analyze components of identity and identity formation that are not made clear by other methods? Objectives The objectives of this research include contributing to existing work on place meaning and adventure identity formation as well as analyze the effectiveness of a communications research method. Additionally, the following objectives of this research include: • Analysis of photographs using photo-elicitation in regard to research questions. • Creation of an adventure identity reflection to build on existing research and inform adventure and place connection. Literature Review The intent of the literature review is to discuss the concepts and methodologies of place meaning, adventure culture and identity, photo-elicitation and autoethnography. The literature review explores the interdisciplinary topics of place, adventure identity, and reflection and demonstrates their connection to one another. The literature review will describe how these topics relate to this study's research questions and objectives. Ultimately, the literature review 8 PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 9 will inform the framework for how I will review and assess my own place identity meaning in my autoethnographic practice. The first section of the literature review explores identity and the notion of adventure identity. I highlight the components that make up this complex culture and discuss the fluidity of adventure identity. This topic will be repetitive throughout the subsequent segments of the literature review, so it is essential to conclude the segment with a clear understanding of what adventure identity constitutes. The literature review then explores place and place meaning with our natural environment. This includes a discussion of sense of place, place dependence, place attachment. These terms will provide the basis for understanding how place contributes to identity formation and why this is unique to adventure identity development. Additionally, the notion of wilderness will be discussed with emphasis on the socially ascribed meaning of the outdoors. This research will be the subject for my personal reflection conducted in the analysis of this essay. Finally, a review of personal reflection and autoethnography is explored as it relates to this study. The inherent connection that personal reflection has with place meaning and adventure identity is highlighted. The use of storytelling as an effective model of reflection is also explored. The use of photo-elicitation is discussed, including common practices of the method. Photo elicitation in the context of personal reflection is explored as a tool for developing adventure identity. The goals of photo-elicitation are to emphasize and display interconnectedness to adventure identity and place meaning. Upon completion of the literature review, the reader will have a broad understanding of these interdisciplinary topics and the current research regarding adventure culture and identity, place meaning, personal reflection strategies, and photo-elicitation. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 10 Adventure The meaning of adventure has a long and developed history. Early suggestions of adventure experiences consisted of aspects of uncertainty, reluctance, and fear that ultimately was a necessary evil for success, such as the Knight's quest that was necessary for fulfilling his role in society (Beames et al., 2019). For the discussion of adventure and society, Beames et al. (2019) describe adventure as "planned challenging experiences that feature a degree of unpredictability and which demand certain physical and mental skills to undertake." (p. 6). Adventure experiences can constitute a multitude of activities, including going to a big city for the first time, going rock climbing for the first time, and even having your car break down in the middle of nowhere. The distinguishing factor in the modern definition of adventure is the degree to which circumstances were planned, expected, and desired (Beames et al., 2019). However, with this distinguishing factor in mind, we must also consider the other part of Beames's (2019) definition which mentions a degree of unpredictability in the adventure that requires "certain physical and mental skills to undertake" (Beames et al., 2019, p. 6). Adventure experiences are subjective and open to personal meaning; what one person deems adventurous, another may not (Beames et al., 2019; Plummer, 2009). While experiences may be subjective, the degree to which adventure circumstances are planned, expected and desired can only be controlled so much. The setting of many adventure experiences is the natural environment which humans cannot possibly have one hundred percent control over. With the natural world as a medium for adventure experiences, one cannot possibly know, with absolute certainty, the outcome. As a result, this suggestion raises an important question: is it really an adventure if the outcome is already known? PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 11 Adventure Culture The culture of adventure involves voluntary risk with a degree of uncertainty in the outcome. This uncertainty often comes from the unpredictability of natural landscapes that most adventure sports are set in. Different cultures of adventure exist within differing recreational adventure activities. Bryan (1977) suggests that "all or even most of given recreational groups are not members of its social world segment" (p. 175). He also notes that the weakness of past research efforts has been the assumption of sportsmen group homogeneity. Other research suggests an all-encompassing assumption that at the heart of outdoor adventure is the appeal of personal challenge and connection to nature in the "suffering body" (Ray, 2009, p. 259). For the purpose of this study, adventure culture is the attitudes and personal and moral values one associate with themself and adventure activities originating from all aspects of outdoor culture; environmental stewardship all the way to social habits of adventure communities. Adventure culture is also exemplified in Bryan's (1977) following statement; "What may well be significant about these [adventure social] groups is that they not only serve as standards of reference for leisure behaviour but may revolve around and influence central life interests and most other areas of life activity" (p. 175). Bryan is inferring that the adventure social groups are a basis for leisure behaviour and also an influence on most other areas of the individual's life because of this adventure culture. Lifestyle Sports Lifestyle sports are essentially any activity that does not fit under the Western 'achievement sport' rubric (Wheaton, 2004). Examples include skateboarding, snowboarding, climbing, mountain biking, and mountaineering, among other activities. The relationship between identity and consumption in modern society plays an essential role in examining the PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 12 trends of lifestyle sports because consumer culture presents an array of lifestyles to aspire to (Wheaton, 2004). Lifestyle sports signify self-expression and individuality, making them a pivotal activity in identity formation. The culture with which one associate themselves is an essential piece of the identity formation puzzle. Adventure Sports Adventure sports are the vessel for adventure experiences and can include elements of recreation, leisure, and sport. Moreover, adventure sports are not controlled by organizational frameworks, strict rules, and regulated competitions in clearly defined environments in the same way as a mainstream sport (Breivik, 2010). Of greater importance than the terms surrounding adventure sports is the meaning ascribed to them in adventure culture and by an individual, which is what makes adventure sports so advantageous in developing identity (Beames et al., 2019; Wheaton, 2004). There are no clear boundaries between the broad field of sports and physical activities that constitute adventure sport and other labelling terms such as "alternative," "extreme," "X," "lifestyle," and "action" sport (Breivik, 2010). Depictions of adventure sports in the media can warrant the title "extreme sport" for many of the activities discussed in the analysis of this study. However, the perception of participants engaged in these activities could argue against this term depending on the extent to which they engage and expose themselves to risk. Adventure sports often involve elements of leisure and recreation in addition to sport. Leisure is defined as free time, activity, state of mind and state of existence (Plummer, 2009). Additionally, leisure involves the luxury of choice and is "pleasurable, purposeful and undertaken voluntarily" (Plummer, 2009, p.14). Recreation is characterized by "voluntary nonwork activity that is organized for attainment of person and social benefit including restoration PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 13 and social cohesion" (Kelly, 1996, p. 27). The element of sport observed in adventure sports excludes the structure and rules that define traditional sports but does include physical activity (strength, agility, speed) (Plummer, 2009). Plummer (2009) proposes five objectives of outdoor recreation, which is defined as "voluntary participation in free-time activity that occurs in the outdoors and embraces the interaction of people with the natural environment" (p. 18). The five objectives include (Plummer, 2009, p. 18-19): 1. Appreciation of nature 2. Personal satisfaction and enjoyment 3. Phycological fitness 4. Positive behaviour patterns 5. Stewardship In addition, Breivik (2010), as summarized by Beams et al. (2019), suggests that all adventure sports share certain defining features (p.262): 1. Have elements of challenge, excitement, and (in most activities) risk; 2. Take place in demanding natural or artificially constructed environments; 3. Are more loosely organized than mainstream sports; 4. Represent a freedom from or opposition to the dominant sport culture; 5. Are individualistic pursuits but tend to build groups and subcultures around the activity. (Beames et al., 2019; Breivik, 2010) Many labels are assigned to the kinds of adventure experiences that will be discussed in this research, and while some terms will be used interchangeably, the aforementioned definitions and characteristics of adventure sports will be used as a foundation for further discussion around identity formation and adventure experiences. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 14 Adventure Identity The ambivalence of adventure sports can encompass more than one group within one activity. For example, mountaineering can accommodate the 'mountaineer,' a term used to identify people who have knowledge, skills, and experience that facilitate freedom through climbing and walking in mountainous terrain, often solo or in partnered scenarios (Beedie, 2010). Mountaineering can also include the 'client,' a term that is used to define people who buy adventure experiences in the form of mountainous excursions and let others (guides) decide how they will achieve the freedom they seek through their adventure experience (Beedie, 2010). These definitions are not used to constrain how an individual might associate with an adventure culture but rather are outlines for the fluidity of adventure sports and their participants. Beedie (2010) aims to illuminate the relationship between identity and social distinction in mountaineering and argues that while mountains provide an opportunity to explore the natural environment, one's identity with the mountain is socially constructed. What Beedie (2010) means by this is that there is a set of unspoken rules in many outdoor sports that deem what is a safe practice and what is not, what is professional and what is amateur practice. The populations of these communities grow and change with time, thus, changing the set of socially constructed rules the members must adhere to in order to be deemed a part of the mountain culture. Beedie (2010) suggests that there is potential tension between the 'mountaineer' and the 'client,' which has provided a new context for 'being a mountaineer.' When discussing the notions of adventure and identity, it might be suggested that, when combined, adventure identity could be how one assigns the meaning of adventure in one's life. Adventure identity, it might be suggested, could be how people perceive themselves in reference to their connection to adventure and adventure experiences. This term is inspired by the notion PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 15 created by Mitchell Thomashow's ecological identity (Thomashow, 1995). Ecological identity personal development "involves a reconstruction of personal identity, so that people begin to consider how their actions, values, and ideas are framed according to their perceptions of nature" (Thomashow, 1995). By extension, it might be suggested the term adventure identity as a way for individuals to assess and reflect on their actions, values, and ideas according to their perceptions of adventure in an effort to define how adventure has made a contribution to a person's being and contributes to an overall culture. Thomashow's (1995) perspective is that a person learns to reflect on, discuss, and ultimately internalize the personal impact of environmental experiences. By adopting this perspective, the focus of this study is around the personal impact of adventure experiences using place as a vessel to reflect. Identity is a complex idea referring to the ways people construe themselves in social contexts, values, actions, and sense of self (Thomashow, 1995). Reflecting on adventure identity to reinterpret the memories, events, and circumstances of personal development can give insight into the broader culture of adventure and adventure industry. Analysis of adventure identity can also be insightful to the development of professional careers in adventure. Thomashow (1995) demonstrates his experience with environmental professionals' motivations behind their career, which may be equally applicable with adventure professionals as applied to the adventure industry: "It is clear that when they enter the environmental profession, they are making a profound life choice. Somewhere in the career decision-making process, these people have been attracted to a livelihood in which they will be working, as they often say themselves, "to protect the environment." There is something within them that yearns for a more fulfilling relationship to the natural world and they PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 16 seek to incorporate various aspects of their lives in the natural world in order to achieve that goal. In some cases, this is an image or an idea; it is a romantic and intangible based perhaps on a recent life circumstance, awakened by dissatisfaction or the intense desire to get something more out of life. For others, it is the obvious continuation of a lifelong pursuit. Most aspiring environmentalists perceive themselves as choosing more than a profession; they are searching to link their ecological worldview to their personal identity." (Thomashow, 1995, pg. 6) Building on Thomashow's ideas, it might be suggested that adventure identity is assessed through a reflective process of experiences that helps an individual identify their relationship with adventure. As mentioned earlier, the meaning of adventure varies from person to person (Beames et al., 2019; Plummer, 2009). Therefore, people will define their relationship with adventure differently and incorporate adventure activities into their lives in unique ways. As a result, it could be suggested adventure identity can be developed by assessing the ways in which an individual partakes in recreation, leisure, sport, outdoor recreation, and adventure sport. The theoretical perspectives that illuminate identities in adventure are socially constructed (Beedie, 2010). To demonstrate this, we can revisit the notion of what 'mountaineering' is. The definitions describe using mountaineering to explore the physical and social world of mountaineering and are about freedom, however, the paradoxical effect of the notion of freedom in mountaineering is that "freedom does not exist without certain constraints" (Beedie, 2010, p. 17). The physical mountain world is constrained by practices of safety that reflect the agenda of a mountaineer in the aforementioned definitions (Beedie, 2010). Beedie PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 17 (2010) uses a reference from Krakauer (1996); "an idealistic youth called Chris McCandless set off into a remote area of Alaska without a map, and ultimately died there, his exploits were condemned as foolish and irrational by people who could not relate to the ideals of 'freedom' McCandless apparently pursued" (Beedie, 2010, p. 17). This is significant because it demonstrates the fluidity of the way individuals incorporate adventure into their lives as well as the unspoken social constructs that accompany adventure culture. Part of participation in mountaineering requires adherence to socially constructed rules that define experience in mountain activities. McCandless searches for freedom through adventure but is ignorant of the social construct of the activities he pursues along the way, such as white water kayaking and wilderness trekking. The notion of these socially constructed rules to adventure contradicts the notion of freedom suggested by Beedie (2010); that being a mountaineer involves the pursuit of freedom in the mountains. Yet still, the notion of freedom in adventure is a part of the common language and identity of being a 'mountaineer.' Such socially constructed constraints in adventure sports can be known and practiced by some participants and not others depending on how they identify with adventure. Bryan's (1979) conceptualization of recreation specialization as "a continuum of behavior from the general to the particular, reflected by equipment, and skills used in the sport and activity setting preferences" is an example of socially constructed standards in adventure sports (Bryan, 1979, p. 29). Through the addition of other researchers, variables such as the amount of participation, the type of technique used, settings preferred, experience use history, centrality to lifestyle, and enduring involvement have been added to Bryan's original measure of recreation specialization (Bricker & Kerstetter, 2000). It might be suggested that adventure identity is a sliding scale with one end consisting of the "professional mountaineer" who is aware of, practices, and is PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 18 recognized as adhering to these socially constructed constraints of adventure. Adventure identity, like recreation specialization, could be used as a model for an individual to reflect and break down the ways they incorporate adventure into their everyday lives. The ways in which a person is immersed in adventure are very fluid and differ for everyone. At one end of the continuum is the person who devotes or limits interest to some special branch of the sport, the specialist (Bryan, 1977). On the other end is the person who has more general recreational interests (Bryan, 1977). When adventure identity is applied to this continuum, special interest is given to the variable of centrality of the recreation activity to the individual's lifestyle. Bryan (1977) suggests there is mounting evidence pointing to the notion that individuals can center their lives around leisure activities as well as work. Place Meaning For the purpose of this study, place is considered as a vessel used to explore the foundation of my adventure identity. As a result, I will be discussing place in the context of identity formation. I will also define important elements of place and terms that are important to place meaning. Sebatian (2020) refers to a "space which has acquired a significance via processes which are individual, collective, or cultural" ( p. 204). Place can also be described as a set of spaces made into a meaningful location through peoples' experiences and ideas (Sebastien, 2020). The primary construct of place is sense of place, in which Bleam (2018) describes sense of place as the meanings and attachments generated in the person-environment relationship. Sense of place is composed of two parts, place attachment and place meaning, as described in Figure 1. Place attachment is the focus of many academic studies and is popularly defined as an affect toward a location. This affect is measured through psychometric surveys using mental measurement that PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 19 helps with land-use objectives and research (Bleam, 2018). As shown in Figure 1, place attachment is multidimensional and consists of underlying constructs, place dependence and place identity (Bleam, 2018; Bricker & Kerstetter, 2000; Sebastien, 2020). Bleam (2018) describes place dependence as "a cognitive belief about a place's functional ability to meet desired needs through engagement in preferred activities," and place identity as "a set of cognitions about the physical world that help contribute to a larger self-identity" (p. 77). The level of attachment is also affected by "the number of places visited and amount of time spent in a given place" (Bricker & Kerstetter, 2000, p.235). Bricker and Kerstetter (2000) cite studies indicating increased use results in greater attachment to an environment and, within residential settings, there has been found a correlation between length of residency and attachment (Mccool & Martin, 1994; Mitchell et al., 1993). Bleam (2018) argues that place meaning serves as the foundation of place attachment, making it as important, if not more so than place attachment. Place meaning is said to be the foundation of the human-environment relationship (Bleam, 2018). Symbolic meanings in place can range from personal to public significance and may contribute to the formation of emotional bonds with a specific place (Williams & Vaske, 2003). Bleam (2018), together with Williams and Vaske (2003), argues the necessity of understanding the subjective, emotional, and symbolic meanings ascribed to natural places and the personal bonds and attachments people form with specific places and landscapes (Bleam, 2018; Williams & Vaske, 2003). The interdisciplinary nature of place meaning is complex resulting in challenges to capture the totality of it or the human-environment relationship (Bleam, 2018). Given the broad context in which place can be studied, this study focuses on the idea of place meaning in the construction of one's identity in adventure experiences. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 20 Much like the constraints embedded in adventure, place meanings can be socially constructed (Bricker & Kerstetter, 2000; Crouch, 2000; Kulczycki, 2014; Lewicka, 2011; Sebastien, 2020). SocioculturalSociocultural meanings are shared symbolic meanings constructed through experience and language (Bleam, 2018). In contrast, identity-expressive meanings are individualistic and contribute to sense of self (Bleam, 2018). Kulczycki (2014) emphasizes the fluidity of place and its multiple meanings with a study on rock climbing in an outdoor setting. He describes the sociocultural meanings of rock climbing in his results; "The social dimension of place for these climbers was characterized by social interactions and the climbing culture's application of signs and symbols which were linked to experiences and the physical place" (Kulczycki, 2014, p. 13). Additionally, Kulcyzycki (2014) describes identityexpressive meanings through cultural context; "The social world of climbing tends to label selected climbing sites as containing classic and star rated climbs, thereby establishing a desirable status for these sites and the place meanings that are formed by individual climbers" (p.13). The sociocultural meaning assigned to climbing sites could serve as a new segment of a climber's place-based identity (Kulczycki, 2014). Place meaning, as suggested by Sebastian (2020), is composed of place experiences and place satisfaction (see Figure 1). Kulczycki (2014) describes place experiences as insights into an individual's learning through a place's history and composition, whereby the experiential component has been shown to be positively influenced by the length of association with a place. Early encounters with a place potentially constitute an important form of place meaning and can be depicted through verbal or visual recantation (Kulczycki, 2014; Sebastien, 2020). One can infer from this notion that early encounters could include childhood stomping grounds or the site of a first adventure experience. Verbal or visual recantation includes stories and physical PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 21 memories that signify place meaning and can be used as a source of data to research the significance of place. Sebastian (2020) suggests that place satisfaction is the evolution of physical features concerning places and includes expectations such as "People experience(ing) feelings of gratification when satisfied with a place which may predict future intentions" (p. 207). Figure 1: Model for a spatial approach to sense of place (Sebastien, 2020). Place in Leisure and Tourism Place, as suggested by Crouch (2000), is a 'given' component of leisure and tourism. The importance of place can be defined within the motives of the adventure tourism and leisure industry. Place meanings can be social, nature-based, activity-dependent, and interrelated (Kulczycki, 2014), and participation in adventure tourism activities create place meaning through emotional, social, activity and nature-based interactions. Natural settings are imbued with place meaning within the outdoor recreational contexts and aid in meaning-making processes between place and adventure activities (Reid & Palechuk, 2017). Within Canada, adventure activities have a strong association with natural environments because of culture and landscape (Brown & Raymond, 2007; Reid & Palechuk, 2017) and as Crouch (2000) explains, social sciences are PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 22 giving increasing attention to the human individual as a productive in everyday life rather than a consumer. With this notion in mind, researchers assess the meanings that people produce for given natural places rather than the experience or product they take away. Both Reid and Palechuk (2017) and Crouch (2000) assess the use of symbols in the way one identifies with a place and what a place represents. Reid and Palechuk (2017) explain that human-place relationships can reach beyond a physical place and become rooted in experience, whereby adventure tourism experiences aim to assign meaning to a location, activity, or historical event by exploiting place. Crouch (2000) differentiates between space and place by describing space as a background or objective component to leisure and tourism. Place is associated with meanings that are created through lived experience (Kulczycki, 2014) and as Reid and Palechuk (2017) suggest, some researchers that study place identity indicate an alignment of one's values and beliefs with an object or brand. This would further suggest that adventure activities and place play an essential role in identity formation. One could argue that based on the beliefs of the adventure community, there are standards formed within the culture with distinctive values that experienced members and organizations of the community are challenged to uphold. These values extend throughout the community in some form or another, distinguishing this group from others and could include; leave no trace practices and respect for nature, safe and smart travel in wilderness terrain, and inclusivity. Additionally, outdoor adventure participants might align their values and beliefs with that of a popular outdoor brand such as Patagonia or Protect Our Winters. Place identity within adventure activities helps to align beliefs and values to a larger community. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 23 Personal Reflection and Story Telling "Stories are what we do as humans to make sense of the world" (Chen et al., 2020, p. 1). Stories are necessary factors for developing meaning that contains structures of relationships between characters and chronological sequences through which people make sense of their lives and review events in relived scenarios that allow them to form realizations (Chen et al., 2020). In the teaching of visual methods, "stories can work to explicate the relationships between a photograph and the context and process through which it was produced" (Owen & Riley, 2012, p. 61). Story telling is important to the meaning-making process through which identity is built, and place is recognized. Storytelling and personal reflection as a research methodology are becoming increasingly more common for insight on culture and phenomenon (Owen & Riley, 2012). Today's digital access presents opportunities for individuals to share stories about themselves and their communities to a broad population, which not only contributes to identity formation but also serves as data for researchers to examine particular communities (Chen et al., 2020; Davis & Weinsbenker, 2012; Owen & Riley, 2012). Autoethnography Autoethnography is an approach to research that is both a process and a product (Ellis et al., 2015). An autoethnographic method is a way of writing that combines personal and societal perspectives that offers a unique vantage point and makes a contribution to social science (Wall, 2008). This research method can be used in a variety of ways and is among the more controversial research methods around because it confronts "the tension between the insider and outsider perspectives, between social practice and social constraint" (Adams et al., 2015, p. 1). This suggests the role of the researcher is to analyze their own experiences and identify where PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 24 "self and society" intersect, whereby this method goes against traditional data collection and analysis methods. Instead, autoethnography incorporates storytelling and reflection. Analytic autoethnography is a focus directed towards objective writing and analysis of a population, whereas evocative autoethnography is aimed toward researchers' introspection on a particular topic or their role in a culture that allows the readers to make a connection with the researchers' experiences (Méndez, 2014). Autoethnography is used as a way of telling a story that invites personal connection rather than analysis (Wall, 2008). An element of creativity is often present, and most importantly, personal experience is the most notable element in autoethnographic research. Autoethnography is a way one uses their experiences to engage others, told through the lens of culture. Autoethnography's structure is varied with no formal regulations regarding how it should be written since it is the meaning that is important, not the production of highly academic text (Méndez, 2014). Autoethnography is perhaps best described by breaking down the word itself; to describe and systematically analyze (graphy) personal experience (auto) to understand cultural experience and socioculturalsociocultural connection (ethno) (Ellis et al., 2015; Wall, 2008). Stacy, an ethnographer, featured in the book Autoethnography (Adams et al., 2015), shares her experience with autoethnographic research and admits, "Today my work focuses less on the story of doing research and more on storying lives as research" (p. 45). The addition of personal experience to research on an activity's culture can be an insightful tool to gaining a broader understanding of the structure of that culture. This qualitative research method "offers nuanced, complex, and specific knowledge about particular lives, experiences and relationships rather than general information about large groups of people" (Adams et al., 2015, p. 22). PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 25 Autoethnography as a research method emerged from the crisis of representation that motivated researchers to recognize the limits of the knowledge claims they made about the contexts, subjects, and findings of their research (Adams et al., 2015). This crisis forced researchers to consider the limitations of scientific knowledge. Researchers had to particularly consider what could be "discovered, understood and explained about identities, lives, beliefs, feelings, relationships, and behaviours through the use of empirical or experimental methods" (Adams et al., 2015, p. 22). The goal of researching is to explore and understand the experiences that have meaning in our lives. Autoethnography can provide a method for "exploring, understanding, and writing for, through and with personal experiences in relation to and in the context of the experiences of others" (Adams et al., 2015, p. 22). Autoethnographers turned to narrative and storytelling to give meaning to identities, relationships, and experiences and to use storytelling to research and represent experience through the ways narratives and stories are constructed and told (Adams et al., 2015). For autoethnographic researchers, studying and practicing the methods and means for conducting research, as well as studying and practicing the mechanisms and means for making art, are part of using narrative and storytelling to research and represent experience (Adams et al., 2015). Benefits of Autoethnographic Research Autoethnographic research allows the researcher to use their own experiences to understand an event or culture (Méndez, 2014). This research method allows for an internal perspective that allows the researcher to empathize with the emotional experiences and reactions of a participant in future studies on the subject the researcher had the opportunity to reflect on. A researcher that is using autoethnography can call upon whatever personal experience they choose and use it as academic data, regardless of if it is true or not. Some criticisms view the ease of PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 26 access to data the researcher calls upon to explore a phenomenon as a limitation of autoethnography as a research method, however, Bochner and Ellis (1996) cited in Mendez (2014) argue, "If culture circulates through all of us, how can autoethnography be free of connection to a world beyond the self?" (p.24). Mendez (2014) believes an important advantage of autoethnography is the potential it has to "contribute to others' lives by making them reflect on and empathize with the narratives presented" (Méndez, 2014, p. 282). Autoethnography can be used to recognize a truth that may not coincide with epistemological and ontological ways of knowing and being. The poetics of place, referred to as poiesis, conceptualizes the many aesthetic values such as mythic landmarks, songs, dances, and stories of Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia (Elsey, 2013). Elsey (2013) speaks about the contrast in the discourse about land's value in British Columbia between indigenous peoples' spiritual value of land and the utilitarian model of land's value characterized by legal, political discourses in Canada (Elsey, 2013). "Since the time of confederation, the provincial and federal governments have viewed the land's importance almost exclusively in utilitarian or economic terms, as is usual among European populations. British Columbia First Nations are profoundly emotionally attached and 'self-identified' with their respective territories. Thus, the land is supremely important to them…" (Elsey, 2013, p. 4-5) . Elsey (2013) argues that the stories of indigenous culture provide insight into land use through personal reflection that cannot possibly be reached through the government's value and discourse on land use. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 27 "The understanding of the territory as a lived human story, or 'storyscape' (within a regional landscape), speaks to the question of identity and human meaning and to the emotional and spiritual value of land, as it is lived and spoken. This is in contrast to a Eurocentric, universal, economic, and utilitarian model of the land's value, private property and economic ownership, which characterize the legal, political discourses in Canada" (Elsey, 2013, p. 10). Mendez (2014) recounts the usage of autoethnography as a research method in language learning by suggesting; "understanding my own experience was a stage of the research process that later allowed me to interpret my participant's experiences and represent them through writing" (Méndez, 2014, p. 280). Mendes (2014) suggests that the use of autoethnographic reflection as a form of research can beneficially inform the researcher's internal perspective and aid in future research conducted on participants by giving personal insight into a community through a single member and then expanding the research on the group by adding more participants. Limitations of Autoethnographic Research The limitations of autoethnography as a research method include the researcher's vulnerability of expression as a tool in the investigation. Additionally, the feelings evoked in readers may be unpredictable, thus, possibly unpleasant in nature (Ellis & Bochner, 1996). Ethical considerations have to be considered in autoethnographic research, but the lines are blurred as to when consent or ethics need to be implemented (Méndez, 2014). The extent the researcher wishes to distance themselves from their narrative is also a consideration which can PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 28 be expressed in either the first or third person (Méndez, 2014). Some autoethnographic research practitioners consider autoethnography itself to be an ethical practice that entails being ethical and honest about events as well as content in writing expressed by all people involved in the events (Ellis, 2007). The strong emphasis on self creates conflict about the validity of autoethnography as a valuable research method as it is possible that authors of autoethnographic research could write fictional reflections and call it research which is a major concern to critics of the method (Méndez, 2014). Due to the lack of structure that autoethnographic researchers have to adhere to, there is also criticism about the evaluation of the qualitative research. Some suggest that the representation of the author's truth is the primary ethical standard to evaluate any autoethnography (Méndez, 2014). The purpose of qualitative research is to examine any social phenomenon, and while autoethnography has advantages and disadvantages, most researchers agree that the reflection of experiences can contribute positively to cultural knowledge. Reflective practice Reflective practice is regarded as a skill and is used to better one's learning development and skill in a physical life practice (Owen & Riley, 2012). The stages necessary in reflective practice are awareness, critical analysis, and new perspective development (Daniels, 2002). The first stage, awareness, is triggered by thoughts and feelings that put us out of our comfort zone or make us curious. A critical analysis of the thought or feeling can prompt learning from that experience through investigation of knowledge and reflection. The development of a new perspective on the subject someone has become aware of and critically analyzed "means moving from a position of a detached observer, to one of becoming involved" (Daniels, 2002, p. 2). Reflective learning is regarded as a beneficial research method because it enables data production and analysis through thoughtful reflection on action. Daniels (2002) describes PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 29 reflective learning as "the process of internally examining and exploring an issue of concern, triggered by an experience, which creates and clarifies meaning in terms of self, and which results in a changed conceptual perspective" (p. 1). Experience is integral to understanding and participating in reflection and reflective practice (Shortt, 2014). Shortt (2014) suggests that experience is required to participate in reflection and affects how one experiences the world, learning through doing. He argues that direct experience in learning and reflection and how experiences can change our perception of the world around us by engaging critically with persistent elements of our identity (Shortt, 2014). Photo elicitation Visual culture is the new normal in industrialized nations (Owen & Riley, 2012), with social media and electronic photograph devices prevalent everywhere to connect and examine the world around us. Photographs have been used as research evidence for decades and are used to elicit not only information but also affect and reflection from participants and researchers (Dockett et al., 2017). Photographs in research have been documented in three major categories: subject-produced images, researcher-produced images, and pre-existing images (Dockett et al., 2017). Researchers discuss the way participants are engaged in projects involving visuals because it may provide more willingness for involvement. As suggested by Tornabene et al. (2018), "Images are engagement magnets" (p. 357). In photo elicitation, both the photograph itself and the discussion constitute the data (Dockett et al., 2017). The photograph elicits information, feelings, and memories that might not have emerged in a reflection or that may be hard to describe with words alone (Dockett et al., 2017). There is a tendency for researchers to focus on the text rather than using the photographs as an active tool in the data. Piper and Frankham (2007), as cited in Docket et al. (2017), "urges PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 30 researchers to engage critically with visual texts and to problematize the production, distribution, reception, and consumption of visual images as part of the research process" (p. 227). While there are several benefits to using photo elicitation as a research method, there is potential to not utilize the full effectiveness of the tool. Dockett et al. (2017) suggest researchers place emphasis on the processes that contributed to the image(s) "production, distribution, reception and consumption" (p. 227) rather than exploring meaning-making content in the images. Analysis Introduction As indicated in the research statement, the objective of this research is to investigate how place has influenced my adventure identity as well as explore the use of photo elicitation in an autoethnographic context to analyze components of identity and identity formation. I will analyze the benefits and limitations of this method in my research and summarize the advantages photo elicitation has on other methods of reflection. Using autoethnographic writing practices, I will reflect on images of place. I feel that this is the best method for deep thinking and writing for the purpose of deep reflection and awareness of adventure identity formation. I will use the concept of place attachment to analyze the physical bond (affect of place) between the depicted places and myself. Additionally, I will use place meaning to reflect on the cognitive meaning I ascribe to place (Bleam, 2018; Sebastien, 2020; Williams & Vaske, 2003). My motives for using autoethnography as a research method stem from my curiosity surrounding adventure culture. Morse specifically, I am intensely aware of how influential the 'beginnings' of adventure are. Becoming immersed in adventure activities didn't happen overnight for me, and I certainly did not always associate my identity with adventure experiences. Years later and a multitude of adventure experiences has me reflecting on those PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 31 experiences and has made me wonder how others began their affair with adventure and how big of a role they play in an individual's life. Methodology Using methods from the topics discussed in the literature review, I will assess my adventure identity using place as a prompt. This type of research is qualitative social research that is collected through autoethnographic methods focusing on identity formation and reflection. Data is collected through the process of photo elicitation and autoethnographic reflection. Six photographs depicting a place of significance in my life are presented and described as a starting point for my reflection on my adventure identity using autoethnographic style writing. I will describe what the place is, physically, to me and also an adventure associated meaning. Both the image and the writing serve as primary research for this project. Using secondary research, I will extract organizational themes of place and identity formation. The photographs and accompanying narratives will be used as main sources of data that will be analyzed through content analysis and reflection on the significance of place towards my adventure identity. In combination with interpretive connections with previous studies and my internal perspective as a participant in adventure (Beedie, 2010), I will analyze my adventure identity by breaking down the autoethnographic narrative that accompanies the visual place. I will do this by analyzing place attachment and subsequently place dependence and place identity (figure 1). Then I will analyze place meaning, and within that place experience and place satisfaction (figure1). I will then suggest how the place attributes to my adventure identity. The photographs are taken by me from my perspective in the place. The use of photography as a tool in my research is effective in meaning-making because of my association with the location as well as the role photography plays in my adventure experiences. It is PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 32 important to note that the primary investigator (myself) is used as a tool in this research which is why the project opens with 'researcher's perspective' as insight into my role in adventure culture and the adventure industry. My adventure experiences are unique to my adventure identity, which is why I have chosen place as a prompt for this reflection and photography as a tool. Both place and photography are unique to my adventure identity and hold significance to my experiences, and are thematic in these experiences. I have been a part of several communities that fostered my adventure identity and my geographical movement in pursuit of adventure experiences. Photography and personal narrative writing depict place from a perspective that is uniquely mine and, as a result, facilitate deeper, more profound reflection. While it is impossible to recall the feelings experienced while taking these photographs, I can describe the place meaning I ascribe, as well as the place attachment affect to the location. Photographs were selected based on the relativity they have for reflection purposes. This includes the absence of a human subject so as not to skew the significance of the place and moment being depicted. The photos are listed and narrated in chronological order to better illustrate my reflective journey and identity formation (Shortt, 2014). PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 33 Reflection – Image #1 Image 1: Ipswich Bay My childhood home sat above Plum Island Sound. A neighbourhood surrounded by water and saltmarsh that flooded with winter storms and overrun with wild deer populations. The summer sound would be speckled with moored boats belonging to Ipswich Bay Yacht Club members and floating docks with racing sailboats stationed just off the shore. In the winter, the bay would be empty like it is depicted in this image, except for the occasional clammer or lobster trolly. In high school, I would wake up before the sun most days to run with my mom downtown. I was on the cross-country team, and she has always been an avid runner, marathoner, and ultrarunner participant. We'd run the classic 5km downtown circuit and be back before my sisters PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 34 even noticed we were gone. The summer months here never interested me much. I prefer the cold and the mystery that comes with the winter landscape. It's so empty and harsh, yet everything seems to be happening when no one's watching. A nor'easter would blow in, and I would layer up to take the dogs for a walk on the beach. I'd climb over 5-foot-high snowdrifts and try to distinguish where the water met the snowy shoreline as the dogs chased the deer, post-holing their way into the saltmarsh. I can recall kayaking across the bay to Plum Island, which in fact was not really an island at all. The first time I accidentally tipped the kayak was a time when I was paddling with my Mom. The strong current that ripped in and out of the bay pulled our boat sideways into a mooring. My Mom lost her sunglasses. I found the paddle and righted the boat. I was friendly with this fast-paced body of water. I spent my summers in a sailing camp that met across the street for four weeks every year until I was 15. After that, I was an instructor at the camp. It was through sailing that I encountered some of my first experiences with exposure to risk. I was responsible for other persons' safety on the water, and the elements of the natural world made the experiences all the more challenging to navigate. This image makes me recall a time when the repercussions of a hurricane made for large swell outside the bay near a sandbar. Two instructors and four kids had gone over there in the larger sailboats without a motorboat to accompany them because the wind was strong enough, and the instructors were sure they wouldn't need help getting back. Due to strong currents and unexpected waves, the group got stuck out behind the sandbar and unable to get back. I, along with the rescue team, had to hail the help of some larger boats to help us get everyone back safely and tow the sailboats that had tipped in the large waves away from the area after its passengers had jumped ship. As an PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 35 instructor, I found myself in a position of leadership despite my not being the eldest counsellor in the program. Discussion – Image #1 Being immersed in a natural environment at a young age was a powerful learning progression that has aided me in my adventure experiences today. My experiences in this place are insights into my learning through the place's story and composition, whereby the experiential component has been shown to be positively influenced by the length of association with a place (Kulczycki, 2014; Lewicka, 2011). I am able to break down this place's physical affect on my skills and experience through story telling. The telling of a specific story helps me reflect on the meaning and attachment-making processes of place toward my adventure identity because stories have unique values as the natural mode of narratives (Chen et al., 2020). Using the model displayed in Figure 1, the place is Ipswich Bay, and I can break down the (affective) place attachment and (cognitive) place meaning I ascribe to the place through place dependence and identity and then subsequently, through place satisfaction and place experiences (Sebastien, 2020). My early encounters with Ipswich Bay constitute an important form of place meaning and are depicted through verbal or visual recantation (Kulczycki, 2014; Sebastien, 2020). This reflection has made a few aspects of my adventure identity evident. This place is the kindling of my passion for adventure experiences. I can attribute positive place meaning to this place not only because I have fond adventure experiences here but also because it is home to me in all the physical and emotional ways. The place experience depicted here contributes to my adventure identity because it is some of my very first adventure experiences. This place does not have a PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 36 perceived quality of adventure in its setting. When I think about Ipswich bay, it does not compare to mountainous environments or remote ocean fjords. It is simply home. It's where I woke up on early mornings to run with my Mom and where I walked my dogs on winter days. Ipswich bay does not represent adventure, but upon deeper reflection, it is evident the physical attributes of the place contributed to my adventure identity through components of risk management, leadership skills, and encounters with the natural environment while participating in adventure sports such as kayaking and sailing. In terms of place attachment, Ipswich Bay helped me conceptualize opportunities as the setting provided a goal and activity needs for future endeavours (Sebastien, 2020). Working as a sailing instructor gave me the confidence to apply for the adventure guide studies program in Iceland, where I would begin my education, which is an example of place dependence (Sebastien, 2020). Ipswich Bay as a place also contributed to a larger identity. The reflection reveals cognitions about the physical world that contributes to a larger self-identity, of the way I have always had adventure experiences and qualities incorporated into my life (Bleam, 2018; Kulczycki, 2014; Lewicka, 2011; Sebastien, 2020). The overall sense of place associated with Ipswich Bay can be seen through the meanings and attachments generated by my relationship with the environment. It is a site that facilitated adventure experiences through the ocean and land-based activities that were incorporated into my everyday life. Even small activities like going for runs in the morning have had a larger effect on my adventure identity because it serves as a foundation for my initiation to future adventure activities discussed in later reflections. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 37 Reflection – Image #2 Image 2: Warren Vermont and Lincoln Peak Warren, Vermont, is my stomping grounds. Vermont is my second home that fostered my love of skiing and climbing. Sugarbush resort holds memories of chasing friends down steep trails and into tight trees. As kids, my sisters and I would build forts in the woods and collect rocks and ferns to decorate them. We would ski through secret passageways in the trees and had special spots where no one else could find us. The mountain was magic for us and facilitated our active imaginations. The friends that I grew up skiing with were either freeskiers or ski racers, and I picked up a lot from those individuals in terms of ski style and lifestyle. Sugarbush resort's neighbouring hill, Mad River Glen, was home to terrain that was ungroomed and unfamiliar to me as a young skier trying to keep up with older and faster friends. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 38 Some winter days, the crew I would ski with was mostly older boys on the University of Vermont's freeskiing team and my friends from Sugarbush at Mad River Glen. The group would ski a ways and then stop at a feature so that everyone could practice tricks and ski styles. The process was slow-moving, and I would usually ski down first or last so as not to get in the way or mess up the line. The big group of experienced skiers were intimidating to me with showy backflips and big airs but inspiring none-the-less. The group would also talk about ski touring excursions they had been on in the backcountry, which at the time I had never heard of. Skiing with these bigger groups of experienced skiers reminded me of Warren Miller movies I had seen, which depicted ski-bum and mountain cultures as well as big mountain freestyle skiing. The exposure to these images of radical skiers in my life encouraged and inspired me. I started skiing off drops and learning how to do 180° spins. In my senior year of high school, I worked as a ski instructor for a season. My group skied together every weekend and consisted of 13-year-old kids looking to enter into freeskiing competitions. The summit pictured here is Lincoln Peak, and the chair lift is North Lynx chair. When I first got into ski touring through the influence of my Mom and ski friends, I would skin from my house at the base of the mountain to the North Lynx chair at night. I ran my first marathon in Vermont, an experience that was a testament to my strength and determination as an athlete. At present, I have an employment opportunity in Vermont this summer working on the Long Trail as a summit caretaker and ranger where I can give back to nature that fostered such fond childhood memories and facilitated young adult adventures. Discussion - Image #2 In stark contrast to my home in the flatlands of Massachusetts, Vermont was the only mountainous terrain I knew well and was the most exposure to non-urbanized areas I had PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 39 experienced. While the landscape provided a lot of learning for me, the cognitive lesson I associate with this place stands out in the reflection. The hesitation and intimidation I experienced skiing with other male skiers is a theme that contributes to my adventure identity. I am a woman in adventure, and in many cases, the only woman in the group. In my education in the Adventure Studies program at Thompson Rivers University, I was the only female pursuing mountain and ski activities in my second year. Still today, my adventure partners are predominately men. In addition, the reflection talks about my perception of adventure culture through Warren Miller films in comparison to the groups that I skied with. The physical skill is evident and goes to show that the group is specialized in their recreation and not general participants of the sport, but rather more deeply immersed in skiing as a culture (Bricker & Kerstetter, 2000; Bryan, 1977, 1979). The social aspect of Vermont is relevant in this reflection. The fact that I elicit the social dynamics of this place, most notably in reference to my adventure identity, is significant to place meaning (Kulczycki, 2014). The meaning I ascribe to Vermont and Sugarbush Resort is one of family and friend attachments as well as adventure identity and physical skill development. The place's satisfaction is the perceived quality of a setting, meeting the visitor's needs for the physical attributes and services (Sebastien, 2020). The perceived qualities I would attribute to this place are social, skill and mental fortitude development, and appreciation for nature which are all reflected in the narrative. In regards to place attachment, Vermont provided definition to the adventure activities I participated in as well as outlined opportunities for future goals (Bricker & Kerstetter, 2000; Kulczycki, 2014). This reflection depicts a development between me and skiing. I am inspired by freeskiing and ski touring as a specialization of the general sport (Bryan, 1977). This is a PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 40 contribution to my adventure identity and also place identity. Vermont will always be the place I grew up skiing and provides contrast in my present adventure experiences (in British Columbia) because they are so different in terrain and snow conditions. The sense of place I designate to Vermont is one of adolescent turmoil and discovery in regard to adventure experiences. It is a pivotal point in my adventure identity because it is where I ascribe significant meaning to skiing as a specialized recreation activity that would go on to consume a lot of my actions and thoughts. Reflection – Image #3 Image 3: Þórsmörk and The Dead Glacier PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 41 The mountain in the very back of this image is called Eyjafjallajökull, and below it is the valley called Þórsmörk. In my first few weeks as an exchange student in Iceland, I joined my host mother on a trip she was guiding for a group of all women, hiking from the south side of Eyjafjallajökull into Þórsmörk. This introduction to Iceland was empowering and filled with sights of beautiful natural landscapes. I witnessed a glacier and all of its humbling glory for the first time and trekked across treeless mossy landscapes. The ladies on the trip were keen to tell me all about Iceland and the new culture I had just dove head-first into. At the end of the hike, we made lamb on the campfire. I learned about the rock formations and how they were trolls that turned to stone in the daylight, and how it was bad luck to get married in the elf church – a large hollow cave that sat above the glacial river pouring out of the glacier Mýrdalsjökull. The experience left me fixated on the mystifying culture and landscape of Iceland as well as encouraged me to seek out a group of friends to explore these intense landscapes with. Image #3 was taken in the last month of my exchange where I accompanied my host sister on a trip she guided on the Laugavegur trail that runs from the highlands of Landmannalaugur to Þórsmörk over the course of four days. After reaching the first overnight camp, my sister and I walked up the ridge above the hut. In the light of the midnight sun, obsidian sparkled in between the snowfields as we made our way to the lookout. Amidst a geothermal valley teeming with vibrant green moss, a snow structure stood like a dome on the hillside. The roof of the structure was collapsing in and almost looked out of place if not for the numerous other mountains capped with white snowy tops. The structure was permanent snow leftover from a dead glacier near Tindfjallajökull and stood decaying above billowing stacks of geothermal steam. I recall staring out across the valley at Eyjafjallajökull and Þórsmörk below, feeling as if I had circumnavigated the entire country and was almost back to where I started. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 42 I focused my time as an exchange student on taking advantage of everything Icelandic nature had to offer. I pursued ski touring in larger and more complex settings on glaciers with my host family and at the ski hill with friends. I partook in countless hiking excursions where I became accustomed to Iceland's unique weather conditions. I developed a sense of gratitude for the landscape because of how much it had taught me in my time there. Discussion – Image #3 My first experiences in Iceland were very ecologically oriented. The ecology is a way for me to assess my actions and values (Thomashow, 1995). In terms of my adventure identity, the land and nature taught me a new sense of preparedness that would serve as a beneficial piece of knowledge in my progression into my Adventure Studies education. The place experience component also stands out in this reflection. These experiences described are significant in the scheme of my other adventure experiences due to their foreign location and contrast to my usual adventure environments. The experiences also hold significant adventure value to them due to the length of time I spent in the place and the activities accomplished, such as glacier travel, alpine hiking, and rock climbing. These places, and Iceland as a whole, satisfy my perceived notion of them as environments that developed my skills as a skier, hiker and outdoors person, and foreign traveller. Additionally, there is not one place in Iceland that holds all the place meaning, but rather a multitude of places and ideas that make up that meaning (Sebastien, 2020). Iceland also marks my relations to place conceptualized as a compromise between two forms; social/civic and physical/spatial/natural (Sebastien, 2020). The social/civic relation to place is expressed through the connections I made within the adventure culture and community in Iceland. My host family, as well as the friends I met along the way, were crucial to me forming positive place attachments. The place dependence formed was the want/need to come back and PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 43 spend more time in Iceland and wouldn't be possible without my social/civic relationship to places in Iceland such as the trip to Þórsmörk with my host mother and the Laugavegur hiking trip with my host sister. Breivik's (2010) notion that adventure sports are individualistic pursuits but tend to form close-knit subcultures of adventure within each activity is relevant here. The other relation to place in this reflection is that of physical/spatial/natural forms. Place meanings can be nature-based (Kulczycki, 2014). The natural environment is so empty to me in a way that it is lonely yet also full of possibilities in terms of adventure activities. The scenery and characteristics in Iceland, such as the midnight sun and the obsidian lava rock, add to place attachment. The sense of place I have for Iceland as a whole and, specifically the vast natural landscapes, is that of sociocultural value in the form of the relationships I made. Additionally, I designate this place to have significant value in my relationship with the natural environment. Iceland has made a substantial contribution to my adventure identity as the first place I pursued adventure experiences away from home. Additionally, the terrain and ecological environment added to my adventure identity in terms of the unique characteristics of the landscape. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 44 Reflection – Image #4 Image 4: 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Category 1 Category 2 Series 1 Category 3 Series 2 Category 4 Series 3 Jökulfjörður, Borea Adventures and the Westfjords My first job guiding was with Borea Adventures in the Westfjords of Iceland in the biggest town in the area, yet smallest town I had ever resided in, Ísafjörður. The job provided a lot of independence and responsibility and, subsequently, an increase in my abilities and confidence levels as a guide. I would guide small groups on hour-long harbour tours, full-day tours in the neighbouring fjords, and multiday sea kayaking trips in the nature reserve. I doubled as a hiking guide and hosted photographers as they sought out the elusive arctic fox at the historic house that Borea Adventures owns in the nature reserve. Image #4 was taken in Jökulfjörður, the Glacier fjords. The fjord consists of one large opening to the Greenland Sea that narrows into PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 45 three smaller, separate sections. Some of the most challenging kayaking I've done has been in this location because of its vulnerability to the open ocean and wind and weather events. As a guide, I am responsible for decision-making around weather conditions and group ability in meeting the day's objective. As a result, I have had to make the difficult call on trips to turn the group around due to weather or an individual's ability to complete the journey. The conditions in Iceland had the tendency to be harsh and cold even in the summer. At this point, creating a meaningful experience and balancing group expectations is paramount. On my first 6-day kayaking trip with guests, we were dealt bad weather and rough sea conditions. Subsequently, when we departed on our first big crossing from one side of the fjord to the other, some of the group members experienced difficulties, and a capsize almost occurred. I decided to turn them around and head back to the beach. The group members that found the conditions challenging expressed that they were more than happy to do some hikes in the area, but one group member was disappointed in the change in plans and the loss of his multiday kayaking experience in Iceland. To satisfy all parties, I decided to take the one guest out on a day paddle each day while the other members were taken care of by another guide. The paddling I did in those couple of days with that client was in harsh wind and wave conditions coupled with pelting rain and snow, yet still, they were extraordinary in nature and allowed me to challenge my kayaking skill set and client care on a small scale in real "extreme" conditions. The client was more than capable, and we had a few days of awesome exploratory paddling. Discussion – Image #4 The Westfjords stood out in my adventure identity development the most out of all of these image reflections because of the professional development endured in that time. The elements of place here reside most significantly in place meaning. The component of place PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 46 meaning, place experience, is prominent in this reflection and symbolizes the start of my guiding career through decision making and risk mitigation. Place satisfaction is present in this reflection in the client's expectation of the setting and the perceived physical attributes of the guided trip. Client's may perceive guided trips to go on despite difficult scenarios because of the money they paid for a professional to facilitate their adventure experience. The symbolic meaning of challenging experiences, as described in this reflection, holds special meaning for me in not just the Westfjords but other places that make up my adventure identity too. Challenging experiences like the ones described in this narrative enable deep place attachments through physical and mental struggle. Reflective practice outlines this fact with the notion that difficult experiences make for some of the best learning (Daniels, 2002). PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 47 Reflection – Image #5 Image 5: Kamloops I came to Kamloops to further pursue my education in Adventure Studies at Thompson Rivers University. Image #5 is a film photo taken above my home in Kenna Cartwright Park. Kamloops was, for the past two years, a seasonal home, however, this past year, I lived here over the summertime due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Kamloops has always been a home base or staging area for adventure experiences, but hardly ever the site of them. Kamloops is uniquely central to locations that facilitate adventure sports such as rock climbing, skiing, sea kayaking, and whitewater paddling, however, there are fewer opportunities for these activities in Kamloops. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 48 This summer, my perspective changed about Kamloops as a place for adventure experiences when I took up mountain biking for the first time. The new and challenging sport gave new meaning to my existence in Kamloops and added excitement to what was once a place devoid of adventure. Pushing through the frustration and physical exhaustion of learning a new sport revealed a multitude of possibilities within the sport and my surrounding environment in Kamloops. I was excited about biking the Dew Drop Trail, a ridge traverse outside of town, explore my backyard on solo excursions, and going to bike parks to ride new terrain. I felt the same feeling as I did on my first adventure experiences in Iceland – as if the experiences were just waiting for me to make them and as if the terrain was a blank page waiting to have something exciting happen to it. Discussion – Image #5 Despite Kamloops not being a location that facilitated the adventure activities I had come to regard as formative, it still played an essential role in my adventure identity and demonstrates adventure's centrality to my lifestyle. Pursuing an education in adventure guide studies brought me to Kamloops and defined my sole purpose for being there. An important distinction between Image #5 and the other images is the type of photo. Image #5 is a film photo taken on an old film camera. The method of photo taking is significant because I hardly use my film camera on adventure excursions due to its weight and lower quality of image production. The film photo is a testament to what is written in the reflection, "Kamloops has always been a home base or staging area for adventure experiences, but hardly ever the site of them." However, this is not to say that Kamloops was not influential in my adventure identity. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 49 The place attachment I have formed with Kamloops consists of fond memories of friendship and social interactions with individuals who are like-minded in adventure activities. The cognitive meaning of Kamloops includes my learning through the university program and is second best to actual adventure experiences themselves in terms of adventure identity formation. Bryan (1977) describes recreation specialization as referring to behavior that is comprised of skill reflected in experience and equipment, but also in knowledge. The sense of place I attribute to Kamloops consists of fundamental learning opportunities as well as an exciting new challenge in the form of mountain biking. The cognitive aspects of Kamloops as a place in the form of place satisfaction are also significant in that I did not always think of Kamloops as a formative place to my adventure identity until further reflection. If Kamloops had not been such a relevant place in the past few years of my life, which have been the most saturated with adventure experiences, I might have left it out of this research altogether. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 50 Reflection – Image #6 Image 6: Revelstoke and Roger's Pass Revelstoke has been the vagabond site of adventure for three years now. It is truly a mountain town in its culture and physical appearance that has felt like home despite living off of McDonald's and pub foods and sleeping in a truck camper for several nights in a row. Roger's Pass has been home to memorable adventure experiences in recent years. Photo # 6 was taken on a day where the group I was skiing with were lapping ski runs in Christina Trees. The group would skin up the track and find a run that we hadn't done previously to ski. I recall being physically exhausted by the up and down motions we were repeatedly making but also encouraged and confident in my abilities every time we decided to take another lap. The PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 51 group was comprised of some experienced skiers, either in the Adventure Studies program or graduates. They were my peers, and I felt confident and empowered skiing with them. Revelstoke was the site of my first mountain bike alpine ride, Frisbee ridge. This was the longest and most enduring ride I had ever been on and challenged my physical and mental abilities. I can recall feeling strong at every corner I managed without having to get off and walk. I powered through the steep sections to be met by spectacular views and more mellow switchbacks. I was so proud of myself for completing this challenging ride. Discussion – Image #6 This reflection depicts a clear advancement in sense of self and adventure identity when compared to the first reflection (Image #1). There is a progression in ability, emotional attitude, social relationships, and nature-based interactions (Bleam, 2018; Bricker & Kerstetter, 2000; Kulczycki, 2014). Revelstoke is significant in that I intend to spend time here in the future, pursuing adventure activities. This reflection touches on activity-dependent place meaning-making, as well as nature-based meaning-making (Kulczycki, 2014). Additionally, Revelstoke is a place that has an identity-expressive meaning through cultural context (Kulczycki, 2014). In adventure activity culture, particularly skiing and ski touring, Revelstoke is a typical mountain town that some would characterize as a popular destination for adventure activities, thus giving it a higher standard and promote place attachment and meaning for people to relate their identities to residing there. An example of this can also be applied to surf culture to aid this discussion – Playa Grande, Costa Rica, is one of the world's biggest surf destinations known for its consistent waves all year round. If someone who lived there were defining their adventure identity using the PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 52 place as a prompt, they would almost certainly attribute significance to the sociocultural meaning behind living or even visiting such as profound place in the adventure sport's culture. The nature-based place meaning is the connection I have with Roger's Pass and the endless terrain to support adventure activities and the scenery I associate with Frisbee Ridge. In addition, sites of accomplishment such as Christina Trees and Frisbee Ridge are described in the reflection and contribute to place-based identity and meaning-making (Bricker & Kerstetter, 2000; Kulczycki, 2014). Analysis of Photographs The process of photo elicitation and reflection used in this project has benefitted the autoethnographic style of writing in ways that other methods such as journaling or a survey could not. The photos combined with the reflection and discussion attempt to provide a context in a visual and verbal fashion that helps with the portrayal of place meaning and attachment. Without the photographs to prompt past experiences and memories, the reflection process would have been more difficult. The limitation of this method lies in whether or not the reader perceives the photos as a help or hinder to the research. The implementation of photographs as part of the research method considers the feedback from other studies citing that researchers have a tendency to pay too much attention to the visual and not enough to the data and analysis (Dockett et al., 2017). Conclusions Tracing my life through my adventure experiences help me define an adventure identity where my relationship with adventure is deeply intertwined with place. My first adventure experiences were mountain-less. Slowly, I progressed through places that heightened the PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 53 presence of adventure culture, specifically, mountain culture. From Iceland to British Columbia, the mountains got bigger, and so did the sociocultural communities and place attachments. The most significant takeaway from this reflection is the influence of challenging experiences and personal accomplishments on my adventure identity. Challenges such as being the only women in my adventure groups and physical and mental challenges of decision making and difficult adventure objectives create the most significant sense of place in my photo elicitation reflections. In addition, other factors that hold personal significance are symbolic meaning, sociocultural and nature-based interactions, meanings that were activity-dependent and interrelated. My reflection has renewed places of meaning in my life and left me fascinated by stories of adventure identity from reminiscing on my admission to the scene. I only hope that this project inspires others to reflect on their adventure identity with the aim of becoming more in touch with the places that have shaped who they are. Limitations While place attachment is important to leisure and recreational sport, little research has been conducted on the processes that lead to recreationist' attachment to settings (Kyle et al., 2003). The experience of breaking apart processes that led to my attachments and meanings toward place ultimately helped me understand myself better. Reflecting on my adventure experiences facilitated by place was more difficult than I had originally thought. Reflecting on place meanings and attachments while attempting to emphasize aspects that have contributed to my adventure identity made me realize how connected my sense of place (the meaning I ascribe to place) is to my adventure identity. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 54 A limitation of this research is readers have to have a basic understanding of the culture to fully understand the reflection. So as not to make generalizations about adventure culture and group all adventure sports into one population, I reference adventure culture in terms of specific sports and do not provide in-depth interpretation of each of those adventure sport sociocultural habits. Another limitation of this study is representation. I do not represent all adventurous individuals, and my reflection is unique to me. With that said, a reader could interpret this study and its data as generalizations about adventure culture as a whole based on my experiences and the formation of my adventure identity. If I had the chance to do this project over, I would reflect on the contributions of one adventure sport to my adventure identity rather than all adventure experiences in my life. Tracing one adventure sport through places in my life to define my adventure identity would allow for more specificity in what the sport entails and how I have formed my identity around it. One such example of this is reflecting on places that have been significant in my progression as a backcountry skier and using those reflections to break down my adventure identity. Suggestions for Future Research As mentioned several times throughout this paper, this research serves as a tool for me to better understand my interconnectedness with adventure. Experiences carry traces of historical moments and serve as the raw material for cultural critique (Denzin, 2017). Viewing my life from this lens allows me to build a foundation for adventure identity that I can apply to other, larger populations. With this in mind, suggestions for further research would include the continuation of autoethnographic reflections on adventure identity as a contribution to adventure culture. Additionally, there is room for research to be conducted on larger populations of individuals with PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 55 a strong association to adventure experiences. One such example is a study using motivational theory and adventure identity to research motives behind the career choice of becoming mountain guides in Canada. Moreover, the study of a larger populations' adventure experiences could connect adventure identity and place, providing useful insight into land use and management. Adventure identity has the potential to add to academic discourse in adventure studies in a variety of ways that demonstrate unique perspective and learning. A better understanding of the meaning and associations one ascribes to adventure experiences can aid tour operators in marketing trips. Using adventure identity as a framework, a researcher may choose to investigate the meaning-making process of an adventure tourist and the way adventure is incorporated into the average tourist's lifestyle. The addition of my voice to the research compiled on adventure experience is a tool for gaining a deeper understanding of that culture. This deeper understanding will aid me in storying the lives of others in further exploration of adventure culture and potential future research on a larger scale, mimicking the goals of this project. Awareness of oneself can lead to positive outcomes that leave us wondering the reason for the event (Daniels, 2002). The impacts place has had on my journey of adventure identity development enabled learning for me and leaves me wondering how others perceive the impacts of place on their identities. PLACE & ADVENTURE IDENTITY FORMATION 56 References Adams, T. E., Jones, S. H., & Ellis, C. (2015). Autoethnography. 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