We paused a minute to remember how it was we had even met.
It was almost 3 years ago, in October of 2010, at a family camp.

She was the quiet kind, kept to herself, and I tend to be the same way, so it was odd that we met at all. I remember seeing her from across the gym with a friend, and then only a day later she was at our campfire with her brothers, and we were playing a vicious game of apples-to-apples. I loved her down-to-earth, real-girl attitude, who didn’t shoot the air mindlessly, but was more interested in sitting down over coffee to really get to know a person, would rather know and be known.

We didn’t speak again directly for a year and a half. Then (in conjunction with meeting a super special guy (from Austin) for the first time,) she and I reconnected over our first photoshoot in Fort Worth.

Several smashing photoshoots, long cafe-dwelt conversations, numerous lattes, hard stories, late nights and another year and a half later, I drove to Dallas to bid her farewell as she goes to Bolivia for the last 5 months of this year. And if you’re a million-tabs-open-at-once sort of person like I am, you can open up her blog, also, right here.

She and a few travel companions flew out on Thursday, August 1st, for the kind of adventure that changes and molds you and leaves you hanging on, breathless. Oh, and if you have the inclination to support her as she serves at the orphanage in Cochabamba, you can also visit her fund.ly here, as well: http://fundly.com/send-victoria-to-bolivia

Victoria, so excited to see you in this stage of life, friend. Your heart will grow and you will be stretched immeasurably. Here’s to the next 5 months.