I have been contemplating writing this post for some time, but I have put it off for the simple fact that I HATE goodbyes. You would think that I would be used to it since I have been married to my husbands for 7 years, but it doesn’t get easier.
Being in Okinawa brought a whirlwind of different things for me; I was a new mom in a foreign country, fighting depression/anxiety and desperately just wanted to be with family. I hated everything about Okinawa, but I never gave it a chance. It wasn’t until I started to explore myself creatively that I truly tried to get out and give Okinawa a try. First with my crochet, by going out and finding new shops to purchase yarn and embellishments for my crocheted items and then location scouting, networking with other photographers and prop hunting for my photography.
I have been fortunate enough to know some of the kindest and most passionate people that have helped during my time here and help me become who I am today. Mary of Images by Mary Smith, was the catalyst, not to mention my biggest fan and supporter. Mary, thank you so much for taking me under your wing and mentoring me. You have no clue how much your friendship means and I am so very grateful that day we met in the food court 😉 To the clients who took a chance when I first started and continued to grow with me, it has truly been an honor watching your children grow and forming great bonds with your families. Some of my great friends on island are a direct result of my photography and it is so rewarding as I have invested so much of myself into my photography. All of YOU have made this journey worth it! Never in a million years would I have thought I would be living half way across the world, let alone running my own photography business.
So here is to all of you in Okinawa, thank you for taking the time to get to know me. Thank you for believing in me and more importantly trusting me to capture such beautiful moments. I am so happy to have met each and every one of you and cannot thank you enough for your continued support.
So as I end this chapter in Okinawa, I start a new one in good ol’ Jacksonville, NC, home of Camp Lejeune. I am excited for all of the new things in the works, being close to home and some ah-mazing BBQ! (one of my many weaknesses) Stay tuned as I will be announcing some awesome opportunities for those of you in the Jacksonville area.
Since I hate saying goodbye, I will say see you later Okinawa 😉
With Love,
-Al
