Ms. J's Journey

This time last year, my dear friend, Jelonda, asked me to be the Creative Director and photographer for a photo shoot to announce the launch of her upcoming adventure. 

Remember the sneak peek I posted about (here)?

 

Well, let me give you some background... Jelonda is a private person.  She is very selective when sharing personal information about herself.  She is someone who is quick to listen and slow to speak... the kind of person you trust as a friend because she doesn't take that title lightly.  She's also the kind of person who will send a random request to take pics for a shoot without giving much guidance, lol.  In case you can't tell, in this instance, her private nature left me in the dark.  From the props list, I knew the photo shoot involved travel.

 

A suitcase, a scarf, a computer, a passport and an airline ticket.

But that was all I knew.

 

She identified her primary venue:

Unedited image taken at the end of our shoot

 

 

She cooked me breakfast (WHAT?! LOL.  I need fuel to work, right?!) then we got to work.

 

We started with beautiful photos of J.Lo and her mom at their lovely home before heading to the venue, a nearby park.

>end<

 

It's one year later and here we are... She's gone and, although it's bittersweet, I'm excited because I was there at the beginning of her journey... documenting her excitement and trying my hardest not to pry for more information.

 

 

J.Lo has positioned herself to travel the world.  As of yesterday,  November 6, 2013, she caught a flight to follow her dreams and to reach for her destiny.


HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!

 

Her close friends celebrated her birthday on Friday and the day before her departure, we (Sheena, Olivia, Munch and I) met her for dinner.  After dinner, Jelonda and I embraced.  It was while we hugged that I realized my Jlo has always been a true friend.

 

She never judged.  She never forced herself on my life.  She always respected my family.  She always listened.  She always supported.  She made me awesome mac-n-cheese whenever I asked.  She built a lasting relationship with my daughter early on and, to this day, Munch will hear her name and announce, "I LOVE MS. JELONDA!"

Unedited image

I HATE to see her leave.  I am confident, however,  Jelonda will be fine in Thailand.  After all, my friend is:

Fun,

Unedited image.

Cute,

Unedited image.

Fabulous,

Unedited Image

Inquisitive,

Smart, 

Dedicated,

And driven. 

The best part is knowing Jelonda will be accessible via email and other forms of social media.

I am going to miss my boo. I really really am.  I know, however, God has a bigger plan for her.

Congratulations, Jelonda. I am very proud of and excited for you!  Be safe, enjoy your journey and return safely to share your memories!