Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

—Eleanor Roosevelt  

Alina and Vitaliy, a TV producer and a robotics engineer from Ukraine, on Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park
They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

—Carl W. Buehner  

Kristin, a psychologist from Germany, on Meech Lake
As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was about to happen.

—A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh  

Milan, a computer scientist from the Czech Republic, with his beloved Zuzkou, a vintage two-stroke ČZ 150 C he rides all over Europe and North America
friend (noun):  1. a person who you like and enjoy being with

—Merriam-Webster Dictionary  

Nelly and Selin from France, graduate students of communications and astrophysics
Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.

—Anaïs Nin  

Welbeck from Ghana and Jana from Germany, on their wedding day in Hamburg with friends from five countries
There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t yet met.

—William Butler Yeats   

Carlotta and Nike, German grad students in psychology and law, at the Canadian Museum of History
The only way to have a good friend is to be one.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson  

Joshua, a Canadian astronaut, at sunrise on the Ottawa River
Friends are the family you choose.

—Jess C. Scott  

Kate, a digital artist from UK; and Aleksandra, a translator from Estonia, on the ever-tranquil Jock River
A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.

—Tim Cahill  

Clemens, an anesthesiologist from Austria
A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.

—Bernard Meltzer  

Salma, an accountant from Morocco
Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

—Marcel Proust  

Shaun, a data scientist from the US, in the Gatineau Park
One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.

—Seneca  

Celebrating Canada Day with Besanya, an actor from Puerto Rico; Echo, a hospitality manager from China; and Anamaria, a chamber of commerce manager from Colombia
There’s not a word yet for old friends who’ve just met.

—Jim Henson  

Ivar, a Norwegian doctor
I value the friend who finds time for me on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar.

—Robert Brault  

Rana, an architect from Lebanon
Friendship isn't about how long you know someone. It's about who walks into your life, says “I'm here for you,” and proves it.

—Nicholas Sparks  

Emily and Rafael, grad students from Canada and Peru
A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.

—William Shakespeare  

Bettina, a parliamentary group leader from Germany, on a 400-metre portage along the Barron River.
If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.

—Zig Ziglar  

Mario, a restaurateur from Italy, and the best next-door neighbour I can imagine. On mornings after a snowstorm it’s always a fun race to see who can clear the other’s driveway first. (He usually wins)
There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.

—Thomas Aquinas  

Mariana, a family doctor from Brazil, with a friendly turtle
Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer.

—Ed Cunningham  

Anders and Marita from Norway, an online banking business developer and a childcare specialist
Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

—Oprah Winfrey  

Franziska, an export manager from Germany
Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.

—Tennessee Williams  

Electra and Filippo, quantum physicists from Cyprus and Italy
Some people arrive and make such a beautiful impact on your life, you can barely remember what life was like without them.

—Anna Taylor  

Amy, a lawyer from Australia
I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.

—Helen Keller  

Kristin with Bjarke, a Danish MSc student in Environmental and Resource Management
In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.

—Albert Schweitzer  

Ysoline from France, an international development officer
We are all travelers in the wilderness of the world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.

—Robert Louis Stevenson  

Paul, an American middle-school teacher, with the bicycle that has carried him across the Americas, Europe and Asia
Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.

—Woodrow T. Wilson  

Ana, a dentist from Brazil, and Annalia, a perfume designer from France, setting a spirited pace for the three of us (photo provided by Canada Army Run)
Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.

—Amy Poehler  

Me and ten friends from the small world of military flight testing in Canada
I get a friend to travel with me. I need somebody to bring me back to who I am.

—Leonardo DiCaprio  

Salma on the Ottawa River by Canada’s Parliament
I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.

—Walt Whitman  

Jonathan, a mechanical engineer from Canada
Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them.

—Francesco Guicciardini  

Jacqueline, an international shipping coordinator from Germany
To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.

—Brandi Snyder  

Welcome! Eric Volstad here—retired air force pilot, husband, father, outdoor-lover, canoe-paddler, and amateur photographer. I hope you’re enjoying my photos here as much as I enjoyed taking them! These amazing people are some of my friends from around the world. I hope they inspire you to get out and enjoy life with friends too!

Mario on the Ottawa River
“The most powerful thing you can do to add healthy years to your life is to curate your immediate social network. You want friends with whom you can have a meaningful conversation. You can call them on a bad day and they will care. Your group of friends are better than any drug or anti-aging supplement, and will do more for you than just about anything.”

—Dan Buettner  

Whatever thought Mario was sharing with me at that moment, it was undoubtedly wiser (or funnier) than any of my own
Ana making French crêpes for the first time, at our home in Ottawa
The whimsical wooden figures of John Hooper’s Balancing represent a cross-section of the national capital’s residents, and Ana fits right in!
Enjoying the Rideau Falls from the best vantage point
Morgan, an arborist and forest fire fighter from Canada
Kristin at Brigham Chute on the Barron River in Algonquin Park
“Friendship is a distinctively personal relationship that is grounded in a concern on the part of each friend for the welfare of the other, for the other’s sake, and that involves some degree of intimacy. As such, friendship is undoubtedly central to our lives, in part because the special concern we have for our friends must have a place within a broader set of concerns, including moral concerns, and in part because our friends can help shape who we are as persons.”

—Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy  

Michelle and Jason, a school teacher and an air force navigator from Canada
Monika, a lawyer from Lithuania
Monika with Schrödinger’s cat
“In all cultures, friendships are important relationships throughout a person’s life span. Each individual in a friendship has about the same amount of power or authority in the relationship. Having friendships is different from being popular or having a high social status. Individuals who are not popular certainly may have close friendships, and a popular person may not have a real friendship. The affective bond that is a component of friendship distinguishes friendship from acquaintanceship.”

—Britannica  

Monika in Lithuania
Rob and Debbie, a test pilot and a debt consolidation manager from Canada
Kelly, a school teacher from the Netherlands
“The science of friendship gives you permission to hang out with your friends and call it healthy. You’re not being indulgent.”

—Lydia Denworth  

Sabina from Sweden and Gregory from Canada. Learning to paddle a big slippery canoe together is such a fantastic, rewarding exercise in friendship, demanding patience, understanding, and a good sense of humour!
“Connection makes us happier; we need more of it. Connecting with and accepting the kindness of ‘strangers’ strengthens our faith in each other and helps us all become better people. We're here to make the world better, to enhance each other's lives and to become stronger in that purpose by coming together.”

—Couchsurfing  

Amy kissing a Canadian for the first time, at Parc Omega in Quebec
“Developing and maintaining good friendships takes effort. The enjoyment and comfort friendship can provide, however, makes the investment worthwhile. Quality counts more than quantity. If anyone stands out in your memory as someone you’d like to know better, reach out. Take the initiative rather than waiting for invitations to come your way.”

—Mayo Clinic  

Amy at our home in Ottawa
Diego and Bianca, engineers from Brazil
Marie, a design student from Germany
“Caring about others makes life more meaningful. When you care for others, you take on the responsibility of offering compassion and emotional support. This can make you a stronger, better person. At the same time, knowing you have a support network can help you feel more secure in your own life. Even when your friends are scattered over several cities, states, or even countries, you still have those connections to trusted friends who have your back.”

—Healthline  

Marie in her hometown in Germany
Max, a mechanical engineer from Germany
With a curious northern map turtle on the Ottawa River
Linda, an AI scientist from Italy
“Family relationships often come with a dose of guilt and obligation. Friends, on the other hand, are the antidote to the burdens of daily life.”

—New York Times  

Linda with Ashmee, a ship operations manager from South Africa
Ajay from India, avionics software engineer
“True friendships are hallmarked by each member’s desire to engage with the other—it’s about mutual interest in one another’s experiences and thoughts, as well as a sense of ‘belongingness’ and connection.”

—Dr. Suzanne Degges-White  

Clemens and Ajay on the Ottawa River
Mariana at Ottawa City Hall
Mariana at Parc Omega
Jackson from USA, a graduate student of public administration, with friends Natalie and Cecilia
Hannah, a doctor from Germany
Hannah portaging my canoe. When I get too old to carry it myself, my friends will carry it for me!
Hannah and her parents Dante and Ina in Germany
“The most powerful thing you can do to add healthy years is to curate your immediate social network. You want friends with whom you can have a meaningful conversation. You can call them on a bad day and they will care. Your group of friends are better than any drug or anti-aging supplement, and will do more for you than just about anything.”

—Dan Buettner  

Chris, a Canadian defence scientist, at the ruins of an old mill near downtown Ottawa
Chris at the Chaudière Falls on the Ottawa River
Ruby, a surgeon from the UK
“Adult friendships don’t happen automatically; they require intention, time, and effort. Take initiative. Throughout the process of getting to know someone, affirm who they are by showing enthusiasm about their interests. Be consistent and reliable. Push yourself out of your comfort zone.”

—Psychology Today  

Ruby, driving on the right for the first time (in an old minivan, in the rain, with a big canoe on the roof, just to make it interesting!)
Paul, a Canadian psychiatrist. We grew up just two doors down the street from each other, and he still has a rare way of really making me laugh!
Michelle, a graduate student of environmental policy from Germany
Michelle with fellow students Laura and Olga, in Ottawa
Rowan and Julia, students from Canada
Irvin, an electrical engineering student from India
Solo paddling a big canoe is really fun, when a friend shows you how!
American friends Patrick, Bryan, Mitchell, and Sam—a law student and three engineers—saving the world in the board game Pandemic
“Friendships are bonds between two or more people who want to engage with one another. It involves having mutual interest in each other’s thoughts, feelings and experiences. Friendships work on reciprocity of trust, respect, emotional support and admiration.”

—HowStuffWorks  

The eternal flame of Confederation, at Canada’s Parliament
Golrokh and Ronny, political scientists from Iran and Egypt
Jale, a computer engineer from Turkey, enjoying the rock sculptures on the Ottawa River
A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.

—Jim Morrison  

Jale snowshoeing for the first time
François, a mechanical engineer from Canada
Sissel, an MBA student from Germany
Our friends around the world always appreciate seeing our smile, wherever we may be at the moment!
Steve, a Canadian air force officer
Siblings Simon and Theresa, a mountain rescue specialist and a financial reporting officer, at their home in Germany
Theresa in Canada
Milan, in no apparent hurry to complete the mental transition from motorcycle-riding to canoe-paddling
Annalia
...in France...
...and in Canada

Annalia had never paddled a canoe before, and her enthusiasm for exploring Canada’s nature this way was inspiring. She was the first person I’d met who expressed an interest in having me teach her how to paddle solo.

That prompted me to teach other friends from around the world how to paddle solo too!

Annalia also came up with the idea to go canoeing at sunrise—something I had never done before myself.

That inspired many more sunrise outings in my canoe with other friends & family.

Oftentimes, of course, the best influence we can have on a friend is to simply make them laugh!

I've saved my favourite photos for the end! This is Alysia in 1988. A third of a century later, she’s still my best friend ❤
Love is patient, love is kind. It doesn’t envy, it doesn’t boast, it isn’t proud. It doesn’t dishonor others, it isn’t self-seeking, it isn’t easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love doesn’t delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

—Paul the Apostle  

My favourite paddling partner
Eric
Come paddle with me! (Photo by Kate Trotman De Roux)
All photos by Eric Volstad, except as noted