caitlin bellah

For the last week I've been back in Europe shooting. A few days ago I was in Milan shooting with an amazing team on a shoot I'm really proud of. I'll post more about it when more of the images are finished. But 2 days ago I came back to Paris for the first time since July and yesterday was by far the most beautiful day I have ever seen in Paris. I lived here for a while last Summer and the weather had been miserable. It rained constantly and was freezing and gave me a slightly low opinion of France. But now I understand and I feel the magic that everyone always talks about when they come home from a visit. Paris is like no other city. For the first time I really hit a few major tourists spots and I'm really glad I did. Usually when I travel I rarely see the tourists spots. Not because I'm some snobby hipster that is above it but a lot of the time I am with locals and it's just not something locals do everyday. They've seen it all already! So I finally wandered over to the Seine and saw people eating their lunches and fishing and one man even jumped inside. As beautiful as the Seine is it looks pretty dirty and I don't know if I'd be so brave. I think he was praying so it might have meant a lot to him spiritually.

I stopped over at the Pere Lachaise and I really wish I had gone sooner. Not just because of it's relaxing nature but because it is inspiring. It reminds us that life is beautiful but short and we really must do the things we love before we run out of time. I've always had a really hard time sitting still. I've always felt the need to run towards life and see everything in a hurry. I feel complete meeting new people and adding new chapters to the story of my life. I have family everywhere. Maybe not by blood but I have whole groups of people I love that I would have never known if I didn't leave something behind. I would have never met my husband if I hadn't gotten on a bus to Spain one day on a total whim. Sometimes I question it. I know that all this traveling and adventure puts a hamper on the practical things in life. I don't own a car, I own 2 different phones (one for the US and Europe) and sometimes things can get a bit strapped. But then I'm here. I ask myself, would I trade my life for things like that? No I wouldn't. Right or wrong, I just wouldn't. The thought of staying in one place forever makes me want to throw up. I go to the cemetery and I see reality for what it is. Life is fleeting. We are butterflies! We are curious! How wonderful is that? We are alive and we must cherish that life. Wouldn't it be wrong to not celebrate that and live to our absolute fullest? So my advice to anyone is this (even though I may not be in the position to offer it) is to get on that bus sometime. If you feel in your heart that you need to go you need to follow that feeling. Life will surprise you and reward you for the courage to be exactly who you are and that's wonderful.

she was by far my favorite. I wonder if this was a likeness of the woman who died? I would have liked to have known her.  I felt like I did.

on a bridge on the Seine

amazing old chair in an open grave

this man was a retired waiter who spends his days in the cemetery now. He said that he enjoys giving tours and teaching people about the history of the cemetery. He doesn't charge a thing and he was super helpful and interesting, weaving me and this Irish couple in between graves to find the interesting ones.

people having lunch by the Seine

after he came out of the water