When I was around seven or eight years old, my family hosted two Japanese exchange students for a few weeks one summer. I was little, and they weren’t with us for very long, but somehow that experience stayed with me.
So when Sarah told me they wanted to include their exchange student, Asahi, in their family session before she heads home to Japan, I was immediately excited about it.
This session was such a sweet reminder of how meaningful these experiences can be. Hearing them talk about life with Asahi, the memories they’ve made together, and the relationship they’ve built over the past year was really special. And Asahi herself? Absolutely sweet as can be.
I told them how much I still remember my own experience growing up. It’s funny how something that feels temporary at the time can become one of those little pieces of your life you carry with you forever.
So if you’ve ever thought about hosting an exchange student, this is me gently encouraging you to do it. Opening your home to someone from another part of the world can turn into something much bigger than a few months together.
And honestly, their last name being Joy feels extremely fitting. This family was exactly that.
Somehow, after all these years photographing around Lompoc, this was also my first session at River Park. Between the relentless wind and everyone trying not to become airborne, we wandered around until we found these beautiful little pockets of filtered light tucked into the trees.
River Park surprised me a little.
Sometimes you just need good people, a little patience, and enough trees to hide from the Central Coast wind.
