“Refugees are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, with the same hopes and ambitions as us—except that a twist of fate has bound their lives to a global refugee crisis on an unprecedented scale.”

— Khaled Hosseini

LET HER DREAM

I've pushed this idea away over and over, telling myself I do not belong in this space. Then I realized, this isn't about me - it's about HER!

So I decided I’m going to start sharing recorded “interviews” or what I hope can feel more like casual conversations with girls facing adversity in different areas of the world.

At one point Orma told me a story about a girl walking home from school that was too slow for her friends. When Orma found out the girl was walking alone, she told the girls, “Walk Fast, Walk Together.” The quote stuck with me. It represented something deeper in the culture and to women globally.

Nine years and many village sunsets later, I have come to realize how even the best intentions can’t make marketing photos for quality organizations legal. Photographing with the desire to share humanitarian stories, is not always acceptable without a few ethical guidelines.

I never really thought I would be given the chance to see this seventh wonder of the world, yet there I was standing in front of all her glory. The Taj Mahal.

There’s a certain charm about this deeply rooted religious city. Cows wander around every corner and white marble is littered with flowers for Hindu Blessings. It’s grungy, cultural and a solo traveling photographer’s dream!

So here I was asking myself that “why” question while traveling through Iceland with my friend Kelsey. We had discussed every aspect of each other’s lives, but on this day we asked each other…"why do we travel?”

The statistics in India are devastating when it comes to the amount of children being sold into illegal activities such as drug peddling, organ trade, labor, entertainment, adoption, marriage and sexual exploitation.

This is a woman I photographed in Ongole, India that was running her own street side shop in a village. I’m sure she faces far more struggles than I could imagine when it comes to starting a business, but she was so happy to show off her hard work.

The streets in this Indian slum were flooded on my second visit and as I was making my way through the tiny streets I noticed this mother and her child. They were cuddling and laughing, just like any other moment a parent would have.

The By Grace Foundation operates a vocational training facility in Tamale, Ghana. In Ghana, becoming a seamstress is a highly esteemed profession, but is only available to women with capital.

When you feel fear, you are on the threshold of something great. When you step through fear, there is always love on the other side. - Shaa Wasmund

Jaipur is the largest city and capital of the Indian State of Rajasthan and is also part of the West Golden Triangle. Like most places I visit, I did zero research beforehand, but fell in love no matter what.

A magical moment at Silver Falls State Park, Oregon while exploring the winter waterfalls.