tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9401466414253710792024-03-13T00:11:02.164-07:00Aislin FallAislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-1200626453355981582015-08-17T22:08:00.000-07:002015-08-17T22:08:23.524-07:00dream retreat part twoHome is a funny thing. There have been many places that I have called home in the twenty-two years that I have been alive, which is impressive considering that I lived in the same house from birth until I was sixteen. My time in many of these places was fleeting... often only a few weeks or a few months. I fall in love with places easily. It doesn't take much for me to slip into a sense of home.
<p>Returning to Ubud felt like returning home. I had left a part of my heart and soul there a year before and going back was beautiful, but the parts of my heart and soul that had followed me back to Canada the December previous had weathered so much and I couldn't ignore the fact that though it was the same place, I was not the same girl. It was so good to be back and my new friends were so incredible, yet I soon felt like Ubud was pushing me away and I was pulling away from Ubud. This feeling intensified after the first two weeks. Many of my new brothers and sisters left for their homelands. I started to grow restless. I had no idea what I would do or where I would go after Bali and everything seemed impossibly possible and terrifying. I spent many late nights talking with <a href="http://www.bellakotak.com/">Bella</a> or <a href="http://merciamoseley.com/">Mercia</a> about life and love and purpose and happiness. Plans and energies were shifting rapidly. One of our favourite cafes burnt to the ground. And then two of our kittens passed in spite of all our efforts to keep them safe. Meeko wandered away never to return and Ernest suffered a fatal fall on our last morning together. There were hard days. But there was so much light too.
<p>I went for long scooter rides nearly every day, always craving the wind and movement. I soaked in the land. Breathed it in. The rich greens and rolling hills and thick valleys. The evening sun turned the landscape into a fairytale and the light became pure magic. I could always find peace on the road, even when everything else turned chaotic. Sometimes <a href="https://www.natasaleoni.com/">Natasa</a> or Mercia would ride on my back and we would try to have conversations even as our words were blown away.
<p>We ate a lot of cake and raw lasagna. There were many photoshoots and though I was never the one doing the shooting, I enjoyed watching my peers in their enthusiastic creation. I assisted Bella sometimes and took sneaky pictures of Natasa and <a href="http://www.isabelmariesasse.org/">Isabel</a>. There were monkey bites; a few more scooter accidents; and several incidents with cockroaches and other flying creatures, which caused several quick evacuations. We danced in the heavy rain that comes to Ubud at the end of November when streets can become rivers in a blink of an eye and you can truly shower under the open sky. <a href="http://www.jarradseng.com/">Jarrad Seng</a> came to visit us for 48 hours. Natasa, Bella, and I sang karaoke at the warung down the street. A group of us visited a waterfall and the ocean, getting soaked first by rain and then by waves. We watched many sunsets in complete amazement.
<p>In the waning days of November, I felt ready to move on. In 2013, I had wanted to stay in Bali forever, but this time, in 2014, I knew that I had learnt all I could from Ubud and that I had to seek my path elsewhere. I have so much gratitude for everything that Bali has given me and I do miss it, as I miss all my homes, but I don't think that I will go back for quite some time (you never know though!). A few days before I was supposed to depart, I tried to delay my flight so I could follow my friends to the Gili islands and then to New Zealand. There wasn't enough time. I flew away from Bali late on November 30th on my way back to London.
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</table>Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-21703206485340091752015-08-09T22:37:00.000-07:002015-08-17T18:31:39.083-07:00dream retreat part oneMy first trip to Bali was in November 2013. I lived in paradise for a month, sharing a large villa with other artists and travelers from around the world. We had been brought together by <a href="http://fireandjoy.com/">Nirrimi Firebrace</a> who called the gathering, "<a href="http://fireandjoy.com/camp-bliss/">Camp Bliss</a>." This was my first trip overseas and my first time travelling alone. So much of my life changed during and after those thirty days together. I forged so many amazing bonds, including a friendship with <a href="http://www.bellakotakphotography.com/">Bella Kotak</a> and Aaron and <a href="http://www.dominiquefelicityphotography.com/">Dominique Skinner-Chapman</a>.
<p>Bali sticks to your heart long after you leave its shores. We had to go back. So many of us felt the call but only Bella, Dominque, Aaron, and myself (and Dom and Aaron's little girl) were able to make it work. We were going to go back. And this time, we would be bringing new souls with us. Our own "Camp Bliss." Our "Dream Retreat." The name fell into Bella's and my laps during an early morning spent at an airport in Malaysia. Dream Retreat.
<p>Returning home to our villa nestled in the ricefields of Ubud was surreal and beautiful and painful. Bella and I got there late at night on the 30th of October, two days before the others were due to start arriving. I was asleep for most of the drive from Denpasar, but Bella couldn't shut her eyes. It was so strange, coming back. I'm a drifter and returning to the places that I have left is always an uncomfortable sensation for me, yet the magnitude of this reunion was especially hard. It felt as if no time had passed and nothing had changed. The truth was that time had passed and everything had changed. Everything. I could walk the halls of our villa and sit in the same bed that had sheltered me the year before and remember the girl that I was and her life and her lover and her thoughts and recognize that I am not that girl. Her life is not mine. We share no lover. We are the same soul but completely different. I can never go back to that difficult and blissful time and while I have bountiful gratitude for the new life that I have created, it hurt to relive what was lost.
<p>Bella and I didn't do much during our first day in Ubud. We were both overwhelmed. We ordered vegan burgers from one of our favourite restaurants from the last year and played with the new kittens that inhabited the villa. That night, Claire Hart invited us for dinner at Down to Earth and then to ecstatic dance at Yoga Barn. It was Halloween. Meeting Claire and her friends was exceptionally beautiful as they are all exceptionally beautiful people. Ecstatic dance moved my feet and soothed my heart, the haunting Halloween-inspired music filling the giant treehouse where dozens of bodies spun to their own unique rhythm. After, we sat in a circle at Soma and listened to hand-crafted music, singing along to the songs we knew. Ubud's magic was again all around us and I felt blessed and quieted.
<p>It's hard to describe the days that followed. Our new family arrived and our hearts soared. We photographed, rode scooters like the locals, savored delicious healthy food, swam in our little glistening pools, gorged on vegan cakes, talked about everything imaginable, danced freely, laughed loudly. We laughed so much. Those first two weeks possessed unrivaled bliss. <a href="http://www.alexandracohenphotography.com/">Alex Cohen</a>, <a href="http://www.photosbymichelleburks.com/">Michelle Burks</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/tylerammons">Tyler Ammons</a>, <a href="https://jessicamaym.squarespace.com/">Jess May</a>, Raphael Carroll, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ifonlymynamewashenna">Charlie Huston</a>, <a href="http://www.samanthalouisephotography.com/">Samantha Williamson</a>, <a href="https://www.caitlinmckone.com/">Caitlin McKone</a>, Ryan Kurkowski, <a href="http://melissadeblok.com/">Melissa de Blok</a>, Kylie Board and her partner Martin, <a href="http://www.maryparker.com.au/">Mary Parker</a>, and <a href="http://www.indpndt-photoart.de/">Katharina Dor Phine</a>. <a href="http://www.itsclairehart.com/">Claire Hart</a>, <a href="http://www.thewanderlustchild.com/">Madison Dube</a>, <a href="http://www.themojomecca.com/">Chloe Slattery</a>, <a href="http://torreysummer.com/">Torrey Joyner</a>, and <a href="https://clairehauge.wordpress.com/">Claire Hauge</a> were our extended family. Momma Cat and her sons Hati, Ernest, and Meeko were a constant sight in our villa. More friends would join in the last two weeks (<a href="https://www.natasaleoni.com/">Natasa</a>! <a href="http://www.isabelmariesasse.org/">Isabel</a>! <a href="http://merciamoseley.com/">Mercia</a>! Namita!) but that's for my next post.
<p>We were a happy family. These amazing and gifted and kind and wonderful human beings mean the world to me and I know that we will all be together again one day. We still keep in touch and several of us have already reunited in other corners of the Earth. We still send each other silly messages and share so much goodness. One of the greatest gifts in this wandering life of mine is the people that I have met. One of Tyler's tattoos read, "It's not where I am, it's who I'm with" and it's true. The company you keep, the laughter you share, the love you have, it's everything.
<p>Thank you to all the friends who traveled across the oceans to live outside of time in a magical land for a month with me.
<p><p>
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</td>
</table>Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-51897598391090058362015-07-07T10:29:00.000-07:002015-07-07T10:29:20.662-07:00saying goodbye to malaysiaBorneo awed me in unexpected ways. There was, of course, the rainforest trees pouring over the landscape for as far as my eyes could see, the pair of wild orangutans that we were so blessed to spot, the numerous monkey families (often with little ones clinging to the underbellies of the parents), and the exotic birds with colourful crowns sprouting from their long beaks. But there was also the full leafed ivy engulfing the telephone poles along the edge of the road; the boom of the rain drops slapping the ground during one of the strongest storms; foolishly dancing with Bella on our balcony; a rainy river cruise with the most refreshing cool air; watching young orphaned orangutans tumbling over one another at the shelter; and an evening mist that swallowed up the mountain roads as low hanging clouds dotted the peaks, obscuring the distant waterfalls that glistened through the trees.
<p>I was saddened by the endless palm tree plantations. The scale is unfathomable. Just as you can stand in the middle of the forest and see nothing but jungle, so can you stand in the middle of a plantation and see nothing except palm trees eating away at the hills and valleys for miles upon miles. I believe profoundly in the goodness of the human spirit, but sights like this affirm in my mind that we are a vile species. Our guide told us that the primary rainforest has all been logged away. Now only the secondary forest remains. We reap such destruction.
<p>Malaysia was not what I expected. I thought that my experience there would be similar to my first experiences in Bali— endless wonder and ever-expanding love in a place that nurtured my being and fed my soul. But there was something that perturbed me about Malaysia. I think I was craving a level of authenticity that I only grasped briefly in the jungle drives and on the beaches of Turtle Island. My memories of Borneo have grown more and more beautiful with time, but I can't forget the horrific destruction either. I know that I want to go back one day. I feel like there is still more for me there— more to discover and a magnificence that I never got to experience.
<p>Our flight departed Malaysia at sunset and it was an extraordinary farewell. The sky glowed. Bella and I clicked our cameras rapidly, awed by the beauty as our plane rose through the air.
<p>Fun fact: Malaysian drivers like to put big stickers with movie titles on their cars ("Transformers," "Terminator," "Transporter.")
<p><p>
<table>
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<tr><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4P_EZdtcO-6Q-u3K2zH_ZkrnoGjc7AZU320TNOTTOXpO2x_vyvVXOf_SG16siRuDbw-NM3JkIiWeGUgcAAhHsxRsDMK2rnA6egAY8DLC8Y_-CygQPnICav3Na51LH5IddNVHJgL35iEn/s1600/30_01.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
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<tr><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIevkXvRM4S69ksSPpNOhl1_4Hfv3_qXlvggmH9MQO1YGGfyfNmmdYPj_gT4Z3DxKDbEDZCk7xuAFm7gUaiwnskvkswnUBPhgLkcnp95mDVZ_zgEB8yDMBmhUS9UCVhBbw1jvQRvlEJWcq/s1600/30_15.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
<tr><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtN8t2oOzPjlnDAUAYfIMGX0ixfjgMlXITFQCr3e3LQtjg29jHvzi5fxaSuhA_-igtswp3iKfZyBRyta6RHFY8T2EzVwGP1gwPknIcks4iKG_KcR_x_lOaxMKfNK7__VGsLZjRGTyjbLdR/s1600/30_17.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
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<tr><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfSHTeH0nV52qOjJy47mBRhaLDdDJk3s9NvB2VN4QXvbk6fuRrEKjvX9FtIjvzboFTENzio4NJejIlAvX8X-uluiKMaywTrJ_QOIKzkP-EMFygSB0byVxilwriDznPe55LUbZMUwAdfBU/s1600/30_21.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
<tr><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDrQkYIwR_RpM9hMSWANTtjuhT4tcANx0zKfGUDPgNuvkF6c7DZSjoeH5-8b3DsrJw6YonkfcQAycx-wa5VHgA82ATPWUK_xe1pUIKpq6vTm-N0sDZXk4WKj_-sNz_tHL9ZU4JGR7LOW2/s1600/30_22.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
<tr><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zSz_orM0sw-yXEQCQmRQz4qv8KbLaqz5fWzkfZIrWmBdEyVeCvVks3Zjguxrz8JApY3YJtM6oSvKOBsPsrWs1ZS4SxII53z0IdD-kc7b7SYlIMAw80cB_9KvA20J8aO67htVgkZoL3Oo/s1600/30_26.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
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</table>Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-19355709973471412562015-05-16T00:08:00.000-07:002015-05-16T00:08:07.078-07:00borneo part three: turtle islandAnother early morning, another long twisting drive through the dense green. We continued to be shocked by the sprawl of palm trees and amazed by the haunting jungle peaks rising out of the distant clouds. We were driven to an ocean spotted by colourful boats and communities of huts standing on stilts. Our own boat rose and fell through the pulse of the waves and it was difficult to avoid getting wet, but with the warmth of the sun, we didn't mind at all. We dipped our hands into the spray and appreciated the coolness. The water was so blue and there was so much garbage.
<p>Our destination was Turtle Island where Green Sea Turtles come to nest. It is a tiny island right on the border with the Philippines so there are military men stationed there alongside those working with the turtles. Two soldiers decided to walk with us on our last night and transferred some pictures of a nesting mamma turtle to my phone while promising to let us play with some of the baby sea turtles that were waiting for release near their camp if we visited them in the morning, We didn't end up visiting them or their turtles, but I think that might have had more to do with us sleeping in then intentionally refuting their advances.
<p>The island is one third soft white sand and two thirds lava rock. It's small enough that you can walk around the entire island in a short amount of time, though as someone who did it, I don't recommend it unless if you have proper shoes. I left Bella sketching on the beach to go for a walk in my bare feet and when I reached the border of sand and rock, a passing man warned me against going any further without shoes. I am stubborn and I love a challenge, so I ignored his advice. I spent the next forty minutes jumping and stumbling over a massive field of rough boulders trying to avoid the sharp shells that covered the ground. Thankfully, I have fairly good balance (Bella nicknamed me "mountain goat" after we climbed a volcano together last year in Bali because apparently I looked pretty agile) and managed to escape without injury or breaking my camera. I fell twice, but became aware that I was going to fall early enough in the process that my landing was as soft and painless as possible.
<p>When I finally rejoined Bella on the beach, she was still sketching whilst sitting upon a giant driftwood stump. I collapsed into the sand-- completely relieved and exhausted and ready to tell the story of my foolishness.
<p>That night was magical. Our guide took us to the beach under the twinkle of the stars to watch a giant mamma turtle lay her eggs in a pit she had dug in the ground. She was in a trance, fully focused on fulfilling her role and duty to her species. A park ranger perched near her rear and scooped up the eggs as they fell, dripping, and placed them in a bucket. They were then taken to the nursery where they could be watched and kept safe from predators until they re-emerged from the sand. Watching the mamma turtle was such a humbling and beautiful experience.
<p>Once she had completed her task, we were taken to the nursery to meet a basket full of squirming, tiny youngsters. They were so small with flailing flippers and little black eyes. We took them to a beach far away from the nesting mammas to watch them be released. Bella and I were in love with the little ones and got very excited when our guide told us that if any of the babies started to run towards us, then to please pick them up gently and turn them in the right direction. As fate would have it, some babies scurried towards us and we were able to hold them. One was so determined to avoid the ocean that we had to carry him to the waves.
<p>Releasing a baby sea turtle into the ocean where he will hopefully live for many decades to come is definitely one of the most magical things that I have experienced.
<p><p>
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</table>Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-27549541783260416992015-03-28T14:06:00.000-07:002015-03-28T14:06:49.045-07:00borneo part two: jungleBella and I walked into the airport in Kota Kinabalu at 5AM. We were so focused on not being late for our flight that we arrived a full hour before any of the other passengers. None of the shops were open yet, so we had a picnic with the snacks that Bella had packed from England. We sat in the waiting seats and ate raisin bread, popcorn, and mentos for breakfast. A Canadian couple from New Brunswick (whom we had met on our tour the day before) were some of the first passengers to arrive after us. We laughed and learned that we would be on the same tour for the next four days.
<p>We flew into the city of Sandakan and from there, were driven away from civilization down winding dirt roads surrounded by green. This was the first time that I became aware of the palm tree plantations. The trees are so dense and so endless that they almost look natural and— at the beginning— we were nearly fooled into thinking that these were real forests. They stretch onward for as far as the eye can see, extending over cresting hills and gentle slopes. I never could have imagined the size of that overgrown destruction. I still don't think that I have fully grasped the scale.
<p>We visited an enormous cave filled with swallows, cockroaches, and bats. Bella and I took silly pictures, I tried my best to terrorize her with cockroaches. And then we were on our way again, this time heading to a lodge on the Kinabalu River where we spent two days relaxing and going on river cruises. Bella nicknamed me "Eagle Eyed." I spotted monkeys jumping into the bushy trees across the river and birds with crowns flying in distant, rosy skies. We were incredibly fortunate in that we saw TWO WILD ORANGUTANS. A male and a female. A man and a woman. It's times like those that make me wish that I had a zoom lens instead of just my trusty 50mm.
<p>I remember the storms vividly. I am so grateful for the jungle rain that drummed down with such great force and left us brimming with emotion. Bella and I stood on our front step and watched it fall. Earlier, when the thunder had just started to roll in, I declared that if it rained— really rained— I would dance in the water. It rained. It really rained. I danced in the water. Bella documented. She danced as well though under the protection of the cabin roof. We laughed until our sides hurt. The air felt so good.
<p><p>
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</table>Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-35888337741035168402015-03-17T03:35:00.000-07:002015-03-17T03:36:58.855-07:00borneo part one: kinabaluIt was raining when Bella and I arrived in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. We had just come from Nusa Lembongan in Bali where it had not rained for three months and where the heat had been dry and intense. While Malaysia was still hot, it was also incredibly humid when the skies weren't flooding.<p>We only had one full day in Kota Kinabalu before flying to Sandakan and we spent that day on a tour that took us to a local market, the Mount Kinabalu lookout, Kinabalu National Park, the canopy walk, and Poring Hot Springs. But I think my favourite part of the day was simply driving through the mountains and jungles and getting to witness the enormity of Borneo. On the drive back to the hotel from the national park, the sky clouded over and a heavy mist began to wash over everything. On one side of the road, thick jungle trees rushed out of the Earth and on the other, a forested valley opened up surrounded by green mountains seemed to go on for eternity. And fog all around. Bella asked our car to pull over so we could photograph the low clouds that were floating against the body of Mount Kinabalu and the mist that was following our vehicle. There was a small waterfall in the distance.<p>It was a perfect moment. Looking back, I know that it was one of the defining instances of my experience in Borneo: sliding from one window of the van to the other, clutching my camera, my eyes so wide and my heart so full, one of my best friends doing the same dance in the row in front of me, knowing that she is feeling the same great sense of awe and appreciation. Nature the likes of which I had never before witnessed unfolded around all us. The wet air faded into fog and chased us as we serpentined through the peaks. This is the true Earth. It's almost like we were never really there.
<p><p>
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</table>Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-83731296606534770152014-12-31T04:00:00.000-08:002015-02-09T09:24:23.776-08:00life in 20142014 has been the hardest year of my life.
<p>There have been broken hearts, broken promises, broken dreams, missed chances, missed opportunities, mistakes, and misteps. There have been deep wounds and many realizations that have come far too late. There have been unmeasurable losses and unmeasurable joys.
<p>There are days when I want to crawl under a boulder and forget about everything. Nothing this year has been easy. I have ached with growing pains and the muscles of my soul have been stretched beyond what I ever could have anticipated. I have been tried and tested again and again and I keep going because hiding is not an option this time. I am learning. The hurt that I am enduring will mold me into a better and stronger person. A woman of blossom and fire and rock and water.
<p>I know that this year has given as much as it has taken away. Just as there are days when I want to disappear, there are days when I am overwhelmed with bliss and gratitude at just how fortunate I am to be living this life. And there are more days spent in pure happiness than in sadness. My joy, my strength, my truth, is a seed that has finally nosed its way from the soil and in my cracked shell I am buzzing with excitement and springing forward. I am lucky and I am alive. I am building my life and myself.
<p>This year has been hard but I have so much gratitude both for my blessings and for the things that have hurt me. It is in this spirit that I want to say goodbye to 2014 and welcome in this new year.
<p>In 2014, I got my first place— a beautiful little suite that sheltered me for six, turbulent months. There I started to learn to cook. I had my first art show for photography and my loved ones came to support me, including the one who was most precious to me at the time. I made spontaneous decisions and chased my heart and it took me to new regions of my country. When summer came, I left my Vancouver home with all its memories for a fresh start. I found myself living in the land of the Sun near a great lake and dusty peaks. I got to live with my best friend, which was such an amazing and positive experience. I started the longest journey of my life and already it has taken me to the most breathtaking corners of the Earth and introduced me to truly remarkable individuals who are now my family. I have traveled more than 30,000 kilometers and checked a few countries off my list with more to come in the new year. I learned to ride a scooter, snorkeled for the first time, held baby sea turtles, explored famous cities, and claimed a little bit of the world for my own. Life is magnificent. The possibilities are endless. There is no reason to settle— ever.
<p>I didn't photograph every month— I only really started photographing consistently once I started travelling— but here are some of my pictures from this year.
<p><p><br>
<b>APRIL</b>
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An old friend took me flying in a little plane and I got to see my home from the sky. A couple weeks later, I went to see my amazing <a href="http://www.theroadishome.com/camp-bliss/">Camp Bliss</a> sister, <a href="http://www.chrissiewhite.com/">Chrissie White</a> in Seattle. I stayed in her beautiful home with her friends and sister for a weekend full of adventures, tomfoolery, and photography.
<p><p><br>
<b>MAY</b>
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I had my four year anniversary with my boyfriend at the time. We split up a few weeks later and I moved out for good. I spent a lot of time in Kelowna with my best friend.
<p><p><br>
<b>JUNE</b>
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My broken heart and I ran off with a musician to a place where the sun never sets. I have seen so little of the country that I call home and this was the first time that I got to experience the prairies and the Northwest Territories. I spent more time in Kelowna and started to seriously think about moving there later in the summer.
<p><p><br>
<b>SEPTEMBER</b>
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I chopped all my hair off and no one could recognize me so I started taking self portraits again. I attended <a href="https://www.creativelive.com/">creativeLIVE</a> Photo Week for the second time and was able to reunite with old friends and connect with new ones. It was a crazy and inspiring week. (I also turned 22)
<p><p><br>
<b>OCTOBER</b>
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I left. There was nothing for me in Canada and I needed a true escape to give myself the chance to rebuild my life. I crossed the Atlantic for the first time and flew to the UK, explored London and Scotland, and then left for Southeast Asia with <a href="http://www.bellakotak.com/">Bella Kotak</a> for the second year in a row. Reality hit me hard in Malaysia. Indonesia soothed me. I saw wild orangutans, danced in the jungle rain, and swam with Manta Rays.
<p><p><br>
<b>NOVEMBER</b>
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The most amazing thing happened in November. Dream Retreat. It is a month for which no words can give justice. I made a new family that blessed me with so much love and laughter and I know that they will always be with me. Returning to Ubud was like coming home after the hardest year, but by the end of the month, I knew it was time to move on in more ways than one.
<p><p><br>
<b>DECEMBER</b>
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I came back to England and fell in love with Brighton where I made the most incredible friends. Bella showed me around Oxford and I realized how at home I feel in this little country. I can imagine myself here. I went back to Brighton and then back to London. I welcomed the New Year in a bustling downtown pub with a bunch of people from Couchsurfing and didn't get home until 7:30AM. The year ended with a bang.
<p><p><br>
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</td></table>Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-24831060504262914112014-10-23T04:34:00.000-07:002015-03-23T13:46:01.458-07:00paradise<table>
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</table>
I shot this self-portrait in the exquisite palace where <a href="http://bellakotak.com/">Bella Kotak</a> and I lived for three blissful, sun-soaked days in Nusa Lembongan. This was taken the evening before we departed. I had been meaning to photograph there ever since we arrived, but kept putting it off and off until finally, I stopped procrastinating, borrowed Bella's tripod, and started creating. I was inspired by the symmetry of the palm fronds that extended skywards like the jewel of some Earthly crown and, of course, the rich emerald hues. Because I photographed just before dusk, the light was soft and the sky was still bright.
<p>Here's how I used Photoshop to create my vision.
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The tripod didn't have a rotating head, so I could only take horizontal images. Because of this, I had to shoot my body in two different shots and then merge them in Photoshop.<br><br>
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I knew that I would have to expand the image in Photoshop if I wanted to include the entire palm fronds and surrounding bushes. This required taking a lot of plates! I actually used more than shown here.<br><br>
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I opened the images in Photoshop and began to merge them using mostly layer masks and the clone tool.<br><br>
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I colour-graded the picture using Selective Colour (to dim the yellow tones), Curves (for contrast and colour), and Hue/Saturation (to increase the saturation).<br><br>
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At this stage, I used dodge/burn to help direct the viewer's eyes to the subject and removed distracting elements such as the hut in the background, brown bits on the leaves, gaps in the foliage, etc. This "tidying up" is the last thing I do to an image.<br><br>
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<tr><img src="http://aislinfall.com/blog/14/bts/paradise_ba.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
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And it's done!Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-10674699215977882592014-10-22T09:12:00.000-07:002015-02-10T07:40:36.047-08:00nusa lembonganThe tropical air hit us as soon as we left the secure area of Ngurah-Rai Airport and we turned to each other giggling, "It smells like Bali!" The scent of lighted incense and heat and humidity. The hint of ocean water for the sea is never far in an island as tiny as this. <a href="http://www.bellakotak.com/">Bella</a> and I had arrived late at night and even our excitement could not delay our exhaustion for long. We were asleep the moment we slid into our taxi. We spent an interesting night in Sanur where we had our first of many cockroach encounters and I rediscovered my love of papaya at breakfast. Mornings start early in Bali and it wasn't long before we were dragging our suitcases down the dusty street to catch a boat to Nusa Lembongan.
<p>I don't know if I have ever seen water quite that blue. It glimmered like jewels and was transparent in the shallows. The sand that stretched along the beach was pale and soft on our bare feet. The low jungle hills with pointed red-roofed dwellings hugged the seaside and again, we were confronted with the Asian heat. The Balinese were there to help us step down from the boat and into the pulse of the waves where we could then wade towards shore. I was too stubborn to let anyone help me.
<p>We walked across scorching pavement, leaped into the back of a truck that was to take us to our villa, and clutched the rails as we sped along bumpy roads and wound up steep hillsides. Our home for the next three nights was to be <a href="http://www.balivillanusa.com/">Villa Nusa</a> and we truly felt like Queens. There was a crystal-hued infinity pool, a gazebo on the cliff edge laden with pillows, stone showers that were open to the sunlight, two large fluffy beds, a magnificent loft that overlooked the jungle and coastline, and more windows than walls. The space was illuminated by daylight from the instant the sun appeared. We were always touched by that light.
<p>Bella bravely took the reigns of our scooter even though it had been a year since she had driven one. I naively relaxed on the back and tried to keep her dress from flying up as we explored our side of the little island and found delicious spots to fill our bellies. After Scotland, I wanted to welcome the heat with open arms but found myself faltering in the temperatures. We had little choice but to hide for portions of the afternoons in our air conditioned rooms.
<p>The most remarkable thing that happened in Lembongan was that I went snorkeling for the first time. I am not a swimmer (I can't swim) and I am not comfortable in the water. But snorkeling is something that I have always wanted to do and when the opportunity came to swim with Manta Rays, I couldn't say no. Now as I said, I can't swim and don't really like being in the water, so when it came time to disembark from the boat, I absolutely refused to jump into the ocean. I do this a lot. When it comes to anything that make me nervous, I become very particular and stubborn and NEED TO BE IN CONTROL. There was no way that I was going to leap from the safety of the boat into some strange man's arms. No way. I lowered myself into the waves while clinging to the rails. And then I clung to the strange man who was our guide because I can't swim and that life vest was not making me feel any safer.
<p>I didn't expect the Manta Rays to be that big, that graceful, or have mouths that large. They were the width of our boat and would glide toward us with gaping smiles. One of the other women would rise to the surface screaming and clutching at me (why me? I can't save you! I can't swim!) every time one would come too close. Our guide laughed, told us that the giant creatures were just curious.
<p>I didn't let go of our guide's hand... even when a jellyfish stung me on my butt and I started cursing profusely at the pain.
<p>We went to two more locations after the Manta Rays and in both spots, I swam (or bobbed in the water with my life vest) on my own. The ocean was perfectly clear and fish were abundant, darting in the open water and hiding in their coral castles. I had wanted desperately to see an eel and finally spotted one in the final location. She was large and incredible and hiding under one of the outcroppings of coral.
<p><p>
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<tr><img src="http://aislinfall.com/blog/14/10/22_04.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
<tr><img src="http://aislinfall.com/blog/14/10/22_10.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
<tr><img src="http://aislinfall.com/blog/14/10/22_13.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
<tr><img src="http://aislinfall.com/blog/14/10/22_16.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
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<tr><img src="http://aislinfall.com/blog/14/10/23_03.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
<tr><img src="http://aislinfall.com/blog/14/10/23_07.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
<tr><img src="http://aislinfall.com/blog/14/10/23_08.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
<tr><img src="http://aislinfall.com/blog/14/10/23_10.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
<tr><img src="http://aislinfall.com/blog/14/10/23_11.jpg" width="1000px"></tr>
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</table>Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-56611553654380640742014-10-18T02:20:00.000-07:002015-03-08T15:58:39.568-07:00on the roadI think I have always found peace on the road. I remember my mother telling me that when I was a little baby, she and my father and I were camping on the Canadian prairies when a huge storm started. I was fussy and refused to sleep in the tent, so they moved me into the car and started to drive as the mighty winds threatened to push our tiny vehicle across the highway. Once the car began to move, I calmed and finally, I slept.
<p>I don't know if it's the movement, the sensation of going somewhere, or the safe distance from which you can watch the world go by, but I feel so at home in the moments between being anywhere. I become a happy observer, jittery with excitement and yet completely relaxed (so much so that I usually fall asleep). I feel bitter when the journey begins to end because I don't want to have to leave my window seat. Often when I'm surrounded by people, I feel as if I am standing behind a fourth wall, seeing and aware but separate from the hum of society. I become a watcher, content to feed off the energy around me without spending any of my own. I'm not a full introvert, but I have my moments. When on the road, I again become that watcher, again absorb the energy of the world passing, again become a piece of something greater.
<p>I took these pictures on the way from Glasgow to Oxford where I met up with <a href="http://www.bellakotak.com/">Bella Kotak</a>.
<p><p>
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</table>Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-51878818706385054762014-10-16T10:33:00.000-07:002015-03-22T15:11:01.554-07:00scotlandShortly before leaving Canada, I found out that I have some very distant family in Glasgow (my mother's sister's husband's cousins). We got in touch and I went to stay with them for three nights upon leaving Edinburgh. It was strange to think that I would be staying with people whom I had never met before (only spoken to through three emails) and didn't even know existed two weeks prior. That being said, I wasn't nervous; I think I have become so used to meeting and staying with strangers that this felt like just another day. My cousin, William had been a little anxious though.
<p>That being said, my time in Glasgow with William and his brother, Ross was absolutely brilliant. They are both amazing individuals who are intelligent, passionate, and act with purpose. So many people go through life in auto-pilot, merely existing and going with the flow without thinking about why. I was so impressed by how aware William and Ross were. They understood what was important to them, what they needed, and what they were struggling with. I learned a lot by speaking to them and admire them both immensely.
<p>I have been called "brave" more times during this trip than in my entire life. Every person that I have met has commented on how brave I am to have left home to travel the world, largely on my own. It's weird because I don't feel brave. I am terrified most of the time. I am just a girl and I am doing my best to be happy and live a good life. I don't feel like someone who should be admired or who has done anything remarkable. I merely hopped on a plane and left. Seeing my cousins marvel on my actions was bizarre and something I am still processing.
<p>Most of these images were taken when William took a day off work and took me to see some of his favourite sights in his corner of Scotland. I took so many pictures and saw so many incredible things that day, including downtown Glasgow, Stirling Castle, the William Wallace Monument, and Stirling University (where I saw swans for the first time!). The place that impacted me the most was called "Rest and Be Thankful." It's an area at the beginning on the highlands and quite possibly the most beautiful place that I have ever been. I can't even imagine what they must be like when you're surrounded by miles and miles of hills and mountains and glens.
<p>I love that it is called, "Rest and Be Thankful." I need to do that more. Rest. Be thankful. It was a glorious reminder to breathe and have gratitude. Be here, in this moment. The present in the most precious thing we have.
<p><p>
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</table>Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-940146641425371079.post-72123033740618963982014-10-16T01:13:00.000-07:002014-10-30T09:55:25.220-07:00edinburgh<p>The sun had set by the time I arrived in Edinburgh after spending six hours on a train from London. I was supposed to arrive several hours earlier, but there had been multiple delays with the trains. Even in the dark, Edinburgh awed me. I spun in a circle after dragging my suitcase through Waverly Station and could not believe my eyes. The architecture is so old and almost mystical. It's like being inside a giant castle with an actual castle in the middle.
<p>Edinburgh is truly remarkable. It is now one of my favourite cities.
<p>After stubbornly hauling far too much luggage up seven flights of stairs, I made it to my hostel on Grassmarket Square. The hostel was fantastic and I met two travelling Canadians while I was there. Hostels are brilliant hubs for free thinkers, travelers, restless souls, and those seeking adventure. I always meet such interesting and kindhearted people and have the most intriguing conversations. It reminds you that no matter how scattered we may be across the Earth, we're all just people and not really so different after all.
<p>I spent three days in Edinburgh. I wandered the streets, got lost, got stuck in a rain storm, had tea with a new friend, went on two dark history tours, and visited the National Museum of Scotland and The Elephant House. I was also able to meet <a href="http://www.samwilliamsonphoto.co.uk/">Sam Williamson</a> who will be attending an artist retreat in Ubud, Bali with myself and about twenty other creatives.
<p><p>
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<p>I didn't bring my camera during my first outing from Croyden into London-- it was raining and I was fresh off a nine hour flight during which I barely slept. I couldn't eat and even after a two hour nap, I was still in zombie-mode. So I settled for taking pictures with my eyes.
<p>England bewildered me. The first glimpses of its countryside from my aisle seat on the plane (how did that happen? I swear I booked window) were of a landscape that was green, lush, and set in its ways. The farmland in British Columbia is still so new, it doesn't sit on the land on the same way that the fields do here. On the train from the airport, I stared in disbelief at the row houses. In London, I felt like I was in an episode of Doctor Who.
<p>I had high hopes for my second day. Instead, I was in bed until nearly five o'clock existing somewhere between sleep and a small breakdown. I finally hauled myself out of the house and went to explore the neighbourhood. I found a mesmerizing suburbia and a trail that led to a bronze-age barrow where ancient arrows had been found. It was beautiful-- twisting trees, seas of fern and oceans of heather, a murder of crows, and a broken tree standing alone like a man cursed. I took photographs. I felt gratitude. The next day I wandered the streets of London, stood in awe beneath the ceilings of Saint Paul's cathedral, clung to a blue fence to avoid the flooding Thames, and got very excited over a section of Roman pavement. I returned to Croyden that night exhausted and excited.
<p>The next day, following a chaotic experience with the London train system and a two hour delay, I was on my way to Scotland.
<p><p>
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<p>Hello! I have decided to hop back on the blogging train once again, only this time I'm about twice as determined and twice as prepared. And very, very enthusiastic.
<p>I'm going to be using this space to document my fashion work, as well as my travels. I'm excited to be able to show this blend of my worlds and share the experiences that I am so blessed to have and the images I take to remember them. In the past, I have put up strict dividers between my personal work and my fashion work, creating separate blogs and accounts so that the two never touched. And while that is all well and good, I believe that it is far easier to connect with people when you are prepared to share bits of your life.
<p>So here it goes. My name is Aislin. It's pronounced ash-lin. I am a 22 year old gal who is still trying to figure out what the hell she is doing and using art to help her decipher the world. I dream big and have been creating for as long as I can remember. I photograph, write, illustrate, and design. I am terrified and restless and curious. I am a seeker of joy.
<p>I'm a Canadian but I'm currently in London. Tomorrow, I leave for Scotland. I don't know when I'm going home.Aislin Fallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16091423737304382527noreply@blogger.com0