Launch was delayed to raise more money. Nikki and Patrick got jobs. Nikki became the Survival Producer for TV shows like Outlast on Netflix and Extracted on FOX and Patrick changed the lives of incarcerated young men as a mental health therapist.
Nikki knew LUMINARIA needed to find a survival spiderman for the team and it wouldn’t be easy. With feelers out, Patrick eventually meets Don Nguyen, a talented mountaineer, hunting guide and survival bushcrafter with inspiring stories to share. He even ate grubs like Pumbaa and Timon in the Disney’s Lion King while surviving in Namibia on the show Naked and Afraid. Hakuna Matata!
The Team meets together for the first time and LUMINARIA is finally launched to the world.
After 3 near misses, Nikki finally connects with Laura Zerra, who turns out is a good friend of Herman’s. She’s as cool as Nikki felt she would be. Lost in time, they share an instant and rare understanding and connection for the beauty and freedom of the wild within.
Patrick and Nikki are hired by a production company to interview potential cast members for a new survival series and meet Herman Brar. No words can describe the magical moment when they all realized they spoke the same ancient language. The recording button was stopped while they shared sacred stories few ears can hear.
Wanting to find another woman to work with, Nikki comes across a random quote about “being wild” by Laura Zerra. “This is her!” Not wanting to read about her on the internet or stalk her on social media, Nikki learns nothing more about her and decides if she’s meant to find her to join LUMINARIA, only an authentic meet-up will do.
Nikki meets Terry Burns while working as a survival consultant for ALONE. As they measured out Terry’s colored parachord for the show, Nikki knew immediately that Terry was one of the most extraordinary and humble hidden outdoorsman and “water whisperer” she had ever met.
The adventure travel company, LUMINARIA Wilderness Ventures is incorporated at the perfect time in history on Turtle Island.
The pandemic dramatically increased an awareness of the deep human need for nature connection and all we have lost. Ancient skills, mindsets and abilities are once again necessary and relevant for modern life.
As the entire world grinds to a halt in the midst of the crippling anxiety of a global pandemic, Patrick and his girlfriend move onto an overgrown, 15-acre property with no house. Fueled by adventure, exploration, and LUMINARIA ideals, Patrick spends the next two-years pushing the limits of human-nature connection while living full-time in a canvas tent. It’s incredible. >>> Nikki rents an apartment in the city for the first time and after numerous failed attempts she finally finds her birth family and learns about her Anishinaabe heritage.