sun burnt smiles

Hello lovely beings! I hope you all are doing wonderful! A little over a week ago, the school I'm attending held a field trip to a place called Umi no Nakamichi. Of course, I jumped at the very idea of being someplace new, taking photos in new places always excites me. The sun showered us with warmth the whole time; it was a day of raw, sun burnt skin and smiles. Marine World was right by the sea, and after wandering around looking at beautiful aquatic animals that didn't even look like animals, my friend and I walked down to the water. I always feel calmer when I'm by the sea. Maybe the blood beats against my veins gently, like the water licks the shoreline. Maybe I have a sea soul. I'm not sure, but while a kind of hypnotic calm flowed over me, my friend was bursting with happiness. After leaving the sea's comfort, we spent the rest of our time in a huge park riding bumpy dirt roads together in go carts, eating ice cream, and sliding down slides that were stained too hot from the sun. I hope you all are having amazing days <3

Some of these creatures don't even look like animals they're so beautiful <3

roadmaps

Even though I live in a small town, I wanted to capture and record the hidden beauty for myself to keep. Here you can walk down cozy, hidden streets with the most beautiful Japanese-styled houses. Emerald green and soft wood tones mix and meld together. Living in the inaka and living in a city like Fukuoka City are so different, but they each have their own unique beauty. Even though I love cities, waking up to these rolling hills is one of the most calming things. Strangers bow and greet you as you pass them, everything seems more slow-paced and peaceful here.
I have seldom felt this way since returning to America, with swollen eyes and a swollen heart. Except, this time, excitement laces my skin. My mind is always spinning, like the earth orbiting the moon. It's odd, I've wanted so long for this moment that I'm afraid it will vanish. I'm trying to soak everything in with all five of my senses. Memorizing every lines in the a stranger's smile, to the color of the rooftops of houses that I can see out my window.
This innate impulse to create has swelled up inside of my heart from cramming it down with studying. I'm so thankful I'm here now, but I'm heartsick to travel again, to photograph, to create. India has been running through my mind, Austria, Bali, England, and Hawaii follow after. Travelling throughout Japan has also been running throughout my mind. Having a restless heart isn't easy.

soul and the sea

This week, I had the chance to travel to San Francisco to meet the lovely Paige, and her companion Raff. I feel so fortunate that I had the opportunity to meet them! We walked, talked, laughed, and took photos all day while the sun stained our skin, and the smell of the ocean smothered us.

These photos are from the multiple photo shoots we did during the day! ♡

And these are from our day of adventure! (●´ω｀●)ゞ  

Paige took some portraits of me with my camera <3

She even brought me a gift! ;A;

Aren't they the cutest?