this blog is dedicated to my friend, my wanderlust-soul-sister, my colin-firth-co-crusher, and my second shooter, katie. i have never known an american that was so british. katie lived in england for a time in college and has always dreamt of returning. but of course, life happens. marriage happens. a house happens. then baby number one. then baby number two. baby number three. and in katie’s case, baby number four happens. and you find oneself stuck between living the life you are in vs. living the life your soul cries out for.
katie and i met after i moved to the central valley. i saw her photography via fb and sent her a message that basically said something about photography but i really meant to say “we should be friends”. little did i know that outside of photography, we had more in common than i would have with most people in my area. shooting together was almost just an excuse for us to hangout for really long periods of time [sorry, j!]. during our drives to and fro weddings or at home over her husband’s yummy homemade brews, we would swap stories of life beyond the american dream. the stories that give you the foundation of understanding one another’s expatriate dreams. and the tales that remind you that life was supposed to be a series of adventures. something i admire most about katie is that from day one she was honest with me. if you want someone to call it like it is and to be the first to say “life really sucks but god’s good. how are you?”, it’s katie. now, katie and her husband are combining dreams [hers to live in england once again and her husband’s to own his own brewery] and are moving their beautiful family of six [yep, four kids under the age of seven [they are all ridiculously too cute for their own good] to england this month so he can continue his brewing education with the pros, the brits.
as she and her family embark on an adventure of a lifetime and drink the best beers while hoping their kids pick-up an accent that will certain to make them super popular as adults, i am reassured that one day it will be my turn to return overseas. and i am reminded that none of us have to be the victim of the status quo…it is by choice.
katie, i hope a few of these images gets your english-blood pumping. and thank you for living life outside the box. you are such a refreshment in my life.
xo b
you can follow katie’s incredible and raw blog here.
iphone snaps..
