I had a conversation with a cloud once.
I asked: Where are you going?
She said: Who knows? Just passing.
I said: Me too.
Conversation with a cloud
in STYLE, POETRY, STORY TELLING
STORY TELLING
Why Austin
A few months ago, my husband and I sat in the tiny living room of our two-bedroom apartment in Harlem, and the idea of moving to Austin, TX was introduced. Without hesitation, without even the slightest flinch, I responded, “Yes. Let’s do it!” I’m sure even he was not expecting this response. We fell in this quiet trance for a few minutes as I looked around the room. At the boxes of picture frames I ordered the previous week from West Elm. At the new artwork my parents brought me from their last trip to Haiti. At our plants sitting on random corners of bookshelves and windowsills. I had just really begun to settle in. There was so much work to do. So many rooftop dinners I had planned. The sunset, our friends, laughter, empty glasses that were once filled with a delicious wine or colorful cocktails. I had plans, you see?
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Laughter, Watermelon Sangria, and the NYC Skyline
in NYC, STORY TELLING
The summer breeze relaxed me as I closed my eyes on the plush lounge chair. I felt my shoulders getting less tense, and all my little troubles melting away. Nemah's loud laughter almost disappeared in the background. But there's no tuning out the spicy Ghanian/Tanzanian woman who keeps our office organized and ships everything with so much care. I pictured Toni, the newest addition to our team, trying to shush Nemah or giving her the side-eye to get her to behave. Shenel who is part of our operating and creative crew helped to keep me from falling on the hammock as I tried to hold my drink in one hand and keep my dress down from the wind in the other. She's the calmest of the group and observes quietly while trying to make plans on how to distance herself from the super loud, colorful group. And Indigo, not quite part of the team, but a huge supporter since she moved to New York watches us as we strategically place our drinks on the table for some photo ops. We may not be working, but we will get creative!
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Impromptu Date Night with Come From Away
in NYC, STORY TELLING
The musical takes us to September 12th, when 38 airplanes and over 6,500 passengers were stranded in a giant airport in Newfoundland. The small town of only 3,000 opened their homes to these passengers. Town officials started collecting all necessary items to welcome their new guests, and the entire town came together to provide relief efforts. Townspeople utilized all public spaces, as well as private establishments, in order to provide their new guests with shelter and food. Human kindness could not have been displayed in a more phenomenal and heart-warming way.
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Walking Barefoot Down the Aisle
Almost three months ago, exactly one week before our eleventh-year anniversary, I married the love of my life. It was truly the most beautiful day of my life. It was everything I needed. It was everything I wouldn’t dare dream of as a child lost in the Haitian clouds. It was magical.
On the day of the wedding, a mesmerizing storm lifted me from my sleep around six in the morning. I looked at the mountains, hidden from the sun, kissed by the dark, grey clouds, and I smiled. My ancestors were with me, celebrating before the festivities even started. I could feel them dancing underneath the deep dark clouds. As I get older, I no longer associate darkness with sadness, and so I knew that the dark morning was everything but somber. My great grandmother was crying, and they were tears of joy. I knew that because that’s what I do, too, when I’m really happy. I cry.
Feeling Full...
in NYC, STORY TELLING
In addition to being a full time student at the university, I served on the board of several on-campus organizations, worked three part-time jobs, and during the holiday season, I'd scour the student center website and craigslist for random gigs. During my freshman year, I found a dish-washing/serving opportunity at a wealthy family's home in a town near my campus on Thanksgiving. It offered $15-$20/hour just to help clear tables, wash dishes, and tidy the kitchen.
I remember that day clearly because I'd never experience anything of the sort. It was my first time ever setting foot in a wealthy American home. It was the kind of home I read about when I was just an awkward, skinny, dreamer-girl in Haiti. The kind of home I thought I'd move into when the US called for me, not the one-bedroom apartment in Newark my parents, little brother, and I found refuge to during my early teenage years. The place that collected most of my tears.
Read MorePortraits of my mother
My mother turned 51 this year. As part of her birthday gift, I told her I wanted photograph her. The thought came to me on the bus from Vermont one random morning. I called her immediately with the idea, and I could tell she was just as excited as I was. I wanted to make her feel beautiful and special, and I figured this would be a great way to connect.
We planned to meet one afternoon after I was done at the office. I grabbed my makeup "kit" from the bedroom, set it on the kitchen counter, and went to work. While doing her makeup, I felt this strong connection between us. Like my great grandmother was watching us, smiling.
Read MoreGirls, Champagne and Bathrobes
in NYC, STORY TELLING
This past weekend was a dream. I celebrated my bachelorette party with eight amazing friends from different stages of my life who all came together to plan a beautiful evening that led to a two day event. I couldn't help but feel full that night. Full of love. Full of light. Full of gratitude. Full of life.
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D and the Sunflower Garden
in NYC, STORY TELLING
I met a man outside of a garden on a small street in Harlem yesterday. Let's call him "D". He bent down, pulled out a bag of cat food and made a careful spread on two paper plates, then slid them underneath the fence. He patiently waited as multiple cats appeared from the flowers, rocks, and all kinds of little nooks to attend the feast. Earlier, I noticed when he walk past me from where I was standing, but I was focused on the bee buzzing all over the sunflower I was trying to photograph.
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Taking the plunge
Everything I have, I've earned. I was born in Haiti and raised by a young mother who was figuring out what life was all about just like I was. Although we didn't have much, we were lucky to live in a nice house built by my great grand-mother and uncle, and I was privileged enough to attend a good school. When I think about it now, many sacrifices were made for me in order to live the life I had in Haiti. But everything changed when we moved to the states. We went from living in a two story house with over five bedrooms to a one-bedroom apartment in Newark. Life was tough.
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Catching up with Diandra Forrest
in PEOPLE, STORY TELLING
I met Diandra Forrest a few years ago when I first moved to New York City through mutual friends. I still remember being so captivated when her presence I was when my eyes met hers. I tried not to be rude, but it was impossible not to stare. Her features spoke sweet tales of beauty and grace...
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Coffee with Khaleel Henley
in PEOPLE, STORY TELLING
Khalil’s big move to New York City happened just a few months ago. The 24-year-old freelance model is also a flight attendant. Hearing about all the crazy stories and requests he’s heard from passengers was hilarious, but not at all surprising...
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A New Squad of Superheroes
In the dark shadows of the night where women’s screams were unheard, and evil crept silently through back alleyways and hidden streets, four super heroes emerge to fight injustice and crime against women.
I love long hot, steamy showers. That’s the place most of my ideas come from. A lot of the time, my ideas are very silly. I think of magic, being back in Haiti as a little girl, and creating random things either for work or fun. I love to create stories in the shower. A lot of them get lost in my mind once I step out of the bathroom into the real world. Or I get embarrassed about them and choose not to share them with others. But this one came to stay. I immediately grabbed my phone and texted my friends. I told them, I wanted to be a super hero, but I didn’t want to be alone and I needed their help. I had a whole story, and the more I thought about it, the clearer it came. They all immediately agreed to join me in my superhero adventure, so I texted a photographer friend of mine to confirm our underground shoot.
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