Cape Town, South Africa : December 2015 - February 2016

I sat on the plastic chair, nestled amongst others, just before the glass windows that overlooked the planes as they landed and departed.
I looked down at my left finger nail, painted purple with an outline of Africa in black and a little red heart just over where South Africa lies, where my heart, my soul, my life partner is. I took a deep breath.
At that point, it had been 229 days prior, nearly eight months that I had boarded my plane in Cape Town, South Africa heading back to the United States after a little over a year and a half of living, loving and coexisting in South Africa, Tanzania and Costa Rica. 

Upon landing and reintegrating back into this place that had been my home since birth, I kept my intention wrapped around me, that I was home, to pursue my photographic dream and set up life for myself and my fiancé as he was to join in just a months time.
Well, little did we know, my goodness, little did we know, that month of waiting would turn into almost eight months of waiting.
The waiting had been wrapped with so much sadness, confusion, frustration and anger with the American immigration system, yet blended with so much love, understanding, communication and even deeper connection between mine and Dan’s union. 

You see, my fiancé Dan is a South Africa citizen of which his fiancé visa was marked, denied.
After almost a year of waiting for an interview, it took another four months to receive his denial letter, as to the reason, followed by the information of having to wait until October of 2016 to reapply for his visa.
This, it's cruel. Two people. Two honest, genuine and sincere souls absolutely in love with one another and all the light we bring into each others lives cannot be together. Why?!? Because our birth certificates show we were born in different countries.
Our immigration system, or lack of is absolutely devastating.
One thing it's taught me, is when you love, love deeply, love wholly, with all of you, fully.
And that love will win. Although Dan couldn’t come to me, I'm blessed to live a reality that could bring me back to him and so I did. 

I did just that.
I got long term subs for my yoga classes.
Photographed as many amazing soul as life allowed. Packed my bags. Boarded planes for nearly two days.
And then, spent another three beautiful Cape Town summer months falling even deeper in love, being “formally” proposed to with the very ring his father made for his mother when they got married, coexisting, exploring and discovering one another, our presence and the planet-shifting love we have for each other. And having oh so many spectacular moments in-between. Weekend hikes up the seventh wonder of the world, wine tours, tree-house sleeping, zebra watching, Western Cape driving, tattoo getting, lake home living, engagement photo taking, sister meeting, dinner making, pizza eating, kitesurfing, yoga taking, skip-bo playing, adventure seeking, motorcycle riding, beaching, coffee exploring, ice cream eating, sailing moments all wrapped with four arms around one another, a whole lot of kisses matched with intertwined hands of commitment, love, support and absolute love. 

These months, these moments, bringing me back to my ultimate self.
His hand in my hand. Being united, a union again.
Conquering, exploring, living, TOGETHER. Together is where we’re supposed to me.
I type this sitting back at my desk in the States with my fiancé in South Africa as both of us impatiently await the next eight months before we can reapply for his visa. You see, this reality, it happening for a reason. The universe has her plan.
Our love, my goodness our love, it can and will survive any form of space and time. A love life this, we’d flight lifetimes for. 

Here are a few of my favorite time capsules from my most recent adventures throughout Cape Town, South Africa. Enjoy as wrapped within these moments is so much joy, love, purity, bliss, blessings and assurance. Life has us exactly where were meant to be.