In honor of International Women’s Day, I’d like to take a moment to thank my younger self. Thank you for being fierce, taking risks, traveling, believing in yourself, and taking a lot of photos along the way.
I was (and still am) always up for an adventure. One day when I was in my early twenties, a friend of mine invited me to accompany her to a photo shoot. She said she needed me to be her backup in case the photographer turned out to be a kidnapper. He was not a danger, but I loved that she felt safer and braver with another woman by her side.
I was fortunate to work with that photographer again on several more occasions. Sometimes I’d go to the shoot with a friend, and sometimes solo. At that time, I wasn’t very confident in my body. Why was I like that? Was it because I didn’t look like a typical supermodel?
The photos were stunning! I’m glad that even though I had doubts about my appearance, I pushed through them and went for it. Thank you, my younger self, for taking those chances and creating so many incredible memories. To any young woman who happens to read this article, I encourage you to take chances, make memories, and never let your doubts stop you from living life. Oh, and take lots of photos!
With Love,
Jess
P.S. The picture in this blog post is from one of those photo shoots I did in my early twenties. Why was I so critical of my body back then? I was in excellent shape! I am so grateful for these photos and will cherish them forever.