Wedding Photo

How about a wedding inspired photo after an engagement inspired one? This past Sunday, my wildest friend and her blessed bump walked down the aisle, barefoot and glowing, to begin a new life with her media naranja.

My friend is an amazing person, unguarded, bold, and full of random musings. She’s small in stature, but she radiates life, and her presence can more than fill a room. Together with another friend, we traversed the western coast of Peru a few years ago. Near the end of the trip (and the country), we visited Lake Titicaca on the border of Peru and Bolivia. The lake sits 3812m (that's 12,507ft!) above sea level, and is so vast in size, that its turquoise waters appeared more like an ocean than any lake I had ever seen. Peppering the lake are several islands, some of which are artificially constructed of bundled totora reeds that float along the water. For a few soles (about $5), we stayed on one of the more permanent islands, Isla Amantaní.

Our first morning, we were treated to a breakfast consisting of vegetable soup, a totora reed mix, rice, and the best herbal mint tea we had ever sipped. We ate most of it, but in all honesty, it took a few gulps of tea to get the reed concoction down.

Engagement Photo

I couldn't take it anymore. I maneuvered my recording equipment towards the front of my body and lowered my bottom into the mud. What a relief to be sitting down. No longer frozen in motion and bent forward, I was ready to record frog calls all night. My professor, Dr. P, saw me from the other corner of the pond and simply laughed.

Dr. P was my animal communication professor and ecological hero. He taught me how to catch unwieldy frogs, and guided me through my first field project in the tropics. He also called me immediately after my recent accident just to comfort me.

A few months ago, Dr. P called me into his office to ask whether I had any photos of strawberry poison dart frogs. He was looking for a cover-worthy shot to accompany a research manuscript he was submitting for publication. For its colors and composition, this photo popped into my mind.

As I was leaving that day, Dr. P handed me a long-stemmed rose from the corner of his office. I was bewildered. The rose was followed by an etch-a-sketch with a carefully crafted message that read "meet me at The Nest" (aka, the university's botanical garden). I obeyed and minutes later, my boyfriend proposed. My first thought after "I'm engaged!"?..."I hope Dr. P still needs this photo!"

This one is entitled Betrayal.

A Bridge Too Far

My first photo is rather unremarkable, photographically speaking, but wildly rich in sentiment. This is the 100-m-long footbridge linking La Selva's forest with the town of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí. From its wood planks, I saw my first two-toed sloth and howler monkey, I passed the taller crew every morning on my way to breakfast, I threw pineapple pieces to the fish below, I watched river otters feast on an unfortunate iguana that had fallen from a tree, and I nervously monitored the water level of the Río Puerto Viejo after a night of heavy rain. On this beloved bridge, I even lost a shoe in one of many not-so-glamorous moments.

And it begins...

From my apartment window I can see a concrete wall and the steamy window of my neighbor's bathroom. Occasionally a helicopter flies over head and a pack of alley cats gnarl in defense of their territory. This is the unglamorous side of LA.

The other day, my friend asked if I missed the rain forest. I glanced out the window and let out a sigh. Of course I'd rather be in the jungle, where every inch is brimming with life, but today, I surprised even myself. I think I'd rather be here.

Recent events in my life, including a horrific car accident, have made me realize that life is good, wherever I am. Last week, I even noticed the quirky yellow sign outside my favorite Mexican grocery store. And for the first time in a long while, I thought about bringing my camera with me the next time I had a craving for yucca chips and chayote. I dusted off my hard drive that night, revisited some past photos, and here I am, entering the modern era one entry at a time. Welcome.