My story
It all began 19 years ago in Silverdale, Washington. My twin brother and I were born. Then Three months later, him and I were separated from our older brother and biological mother for a immense period of time. Our great grandparents later adopted us and when him and I were 6 years old, we were a solid team. This may have shifted a bit as we grew older, but I like to think we just became more stubborn.
Here is an updated version of us twins and older brother. Twin on the left. I currently cannot relocate where I last placed our childhood photographs.
I remember this one chilly and sunny fall afternoon when I was 5 years old, my twin and I were riding our bikes down the gravel path that leads to our great grandfathers workshop, where he’d make beautiful pieces of woodwork and carvings. Although I never personally saw him create one from scratch, the house I was living in during that period was filled with various pieces of his work, and let me tell you, they all were breathtaking.
Later that afternoon while the evening approached us, my twin and I had a grand idea, or maybe it wasn’t so grand after all… Our eyes caught a ladder standing up on the side of our great grandfathers workshop and asked if one of us would climb up on the roof. He then made the brave choice of being the leader and continue on with his commitment. He unfortunately ended up falling of the roof and having to get surgery on his left leg, lucky it was a clean break and his recovery was fast.
My childhood was peaceful and sweet for the majority, we never did much, but we had a few small traditions that I thought were cute! I remember when i’d come home from school on Thursdays and my great grandfather would have popcorn popped and ready in a bowl with a root beer and my favorite cartoon on the TV, or every Saturday was pizza day, we always had pepperoni. My great grandparents kept my twin and I fairly reserved for the time we were living with them and I believe this is why I am so bubbly and always wanting to adventure somewhere new.
When 4th grade approached they gradually became more sick. A year to follow, they both passed away and my whole life took a dramatic change, a change nonetheless that made me who I am today. Experiencing two significant losses at a young age was hard and losing the two people I loved the greatest, and of course, shattered my heart and left me a feeling that I personally can’t find the words for. The picture of my life stretching out before me always included the prominent presence of the two very people who loved and supported me unconditionally and who raised me to be the brave, independent, driven, and bubbly person I am today.
Jumping forward into junior high, my biological mother came back into my life. Her and I had a rough start, constantly arguing... It was a hard and difficult change transitioning from parents, but at the end of the day, she was still my mother and there was nothing I wanted more than for our relationship to be rebuilt.
The year of 8th came, this was the hardest year of my life. My anxiety started to increase immensely and I found myself lying in a bed of depression. I was uncertain as to why my life was changing so quickly and I felt as if I lost who I was in the midst of it all. That year I did a tremendous amount of writing, mostly jotting down my thoughts. I found that this was a helpful way for me to escape the darkness I was drowning in and for myself to become intimate with the things that hurt me in order to heal and process through them. Later into my freshman year I experienced another significant loss, someone who was dear to my heart, one of my best friends. I remember when I first met her small freckled face, she was a new student at the junior high. We joined the cheer teamed together and there our friendship began, our bond was special and she instantly became a bright light in my life. I am eternally grateful for the friendship her and I had. As the year moved along, I felt my depression getting heavier and my drive slowly but surely decreasing. I quit dance, cheer, track and field all in one week. I needed a break to collect myself heal.
In the second semester of sophomore year, I took an advanced photography course and fell in love with the way people and nature were detailed, furthermore, I fell so deeply for documenting the little moments of my friends and I’s life. Fast forward 4 years and I am running a full time photography business, photographing for high end brands, working with modeling agencies, photographing small wedding and elopements. This is exactly what I needed, to branch out and try new things, to find where and what made me the most passionate. I have met the most genuine. creative,and lovely people through his art form. Ones who have turned into long life friends. I am more than blessed.
So here I am, writing and revising this on Wednesday afternoon in 2020. Loving the woman I am and becoming. Choosing to be fearless in anything the universe may hand to me and saying yes to any opportunity that is placed in front of me. And if you have made it this far, well done! Thank you and I appreciate each of you who share this journey and endless desire to create me. I love you all.
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#wanderingwithalyssa