by Jillian Dodd
“Uh, no problem,” I say, loosening my grip on her. “I’m sorry that happened. You don’t wear contacts, do you?”
“Yeah, why?”
“The salt water makes them harden up a little, so when we get back make sure you take them out and change them carefully,” I explain.
“Alright, I will. Phew,” she says, blowing air out through her mouth and trying to relax.
“Do you want to go back to the boat?” I ask, expecting to get a definite yes.
“No,” she says, furiously shaking her head. “I’ve decided I love snorkeling. It’s so incredibly beautiful down there, and the fish are so cute.”
This girl continues to surprise me. “Well, let’s see what else we can find then.” She puts her mask back on, and I help her adjust the straps, making sure it’s on tightly. She dips her head back under the water then gives me a thumbs up.
We continue along, pointing to different colored fish and algae. With the warm sun shining on my back, and the beautiful scene below me, I feel like I’m floating. I spot a fish with orange and white stripes that has a long thin mouth and point it out to Camille. It’s one that we saw on the chart.
When I pop my head back up and check to see where the boat is, Anthony is waving us in.
“Your two hours are up,” he says as the other group boards.
“Wow. That’s crazy, it felt like thirty minutes. I got so caught up in the whole experience.”
Camille asks Linda if she would mind taking our photo while we’re still in the water and points to her camera bag.
Linda gets the camera out and aims it in our direction. Camille comes up from behind me, throws her arms around my neck, and squishes her face against mine.
“So, the first one has to be normal, but the second one I want to be funny,” she tells me.
“Say cheese,” Linda says.
“Cheese,” we both say, Camille’s a little more spirited than mine.
“Do you mind taking one more?” Camille asks Linda. “I want a funny one, too.”
“Of course not,” Linda replies.
Camille jumps onto my back, wraps her legs around my waist, and throws her hands up into the air.
“Hey, you’re going to sink me,” I yell, kicking a little harder to stay afloat.
“Oh, whatever. Come on, do something silly,” she whines.
We already look silly enough posing with masks and snorkels on our heads, I can’t imagine what we look like now.
But fine, she wants silly, I’ll give it to her. I grab her legs and flip her around so that I’m carrying her, then stick out my tongue.
She screams then smiles and flashes the peace sign toward the camera.
Camille
As the boat pulls up to the dock, I’m feeling a mix of adrenaline and exhaustion. Anthony helps me out of the boat, and once everyone is unloaded we walk up to the dining hall for a late lunch.
“Thank you for helping me earlier. It was scary not being able to see for a minute. I panicked. I’m sorry,” I tell Adam as we walk. I’m also thinking it was really sweet the way he held me.
“It’s no big deal,” he scoffs. He takes the towel that is wrapped around his neck and uses it to dry his hair. I watch in amazement at how it ends up looking adorably messy. I wish that’s all I had to do to get ready. “You were such a natural out there. You did way better snorkeling than I’d expected.”
“Hey, what is that supposed to mean?” I give him a pointed glare.
“Honestly, when I first saw you get off of the bus at the lodge, I knew I’d be in for a treat with you,” he laughs. “You’re just always so dolled up, and you had on heels and that huge goofy hat.”
“I love that hat!”
He throws his hands up into the air in submission. “I figured you wouldn’t last a day here, but so far you’ve been proving me wrong. I’m impressed,” he says with a grin.
“I’m not sure whether that’s a compliment or an insult, but I believe in being positive, so I’ll take it. Plus, no sharks.”
We’re both laughing as we make our way into the dining hall.
My stomach growls the second I smell food. We get our plates and scarf it down. Usually the hall is buzzing with laughter and conversation, but everyone must be really hungry too, because it’s pretty quiet.
When Adam’s plate is practically licked clean, he sets down his fork. “Why don’t we relax a little then I’d like to shoot some photos of you on the beach.”
“Oh! Yay! That sounds like so much fun. I’d love to take a little nap first, though, and shower.”
“I think I’ll do the same. Why don’t I meet you at your cabana in, say, two hours?”
“Sounds perfect. I better go and figure out what I’m going to wear. I’m so excited. I’ll see you soon.”
I head back to my room and decide to shower now since I’m still pretty warm from being in the sun. A cool shower will probably feel amazing.
But when I get in, it doesn’t. I quickly shove my hair into the cold water stream then turn it off while I lather in the shampoo. I guess this is one way to make people conserve water. I turn the water back on, rinse out the shampoo and wash my body, then turn the shower off again while I smooth conditioner through my hair. I let it sit for a second, not as long as I would normally like, but I’m getting cold. I rinse the conditioner out. By the time I’m done, I’m covered in goosebumps. I brush my hair, wash my face, and throw on a t-shirt and shorts then plop down onto the bottom bunk. I carefully take out my contacts, set my alarm for an hour, and try to get a nap in.
Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz.
I wake with a start, hitting the alarm and slowly sitting up in bed. The nap must have done wonders because I feel great. I’m wide awake and ready to go. Well, technically, I’m not ready. I need to look good for my photo shoot. I do a little dance as I get up out of bed. I love getting ready for photo shoots. It’s so fun getting dolled up, putting on an adorable outfit, and being able to pose in front of the camera. I feel like I can turn into anyone in that moment. It’s like playing real-life dress up, except you get to dress up as yourself.
I decide to choose my outfits first, taking a peek into my overflowing suitcase. It was a miracle I was able to get this thing closed and repacked when we moved from inland out to the coast. I see an adorable pair of yellow and green floral printed shorts and grab them immediately.
“These are perfect,” I squeal. I locate the matching jacket and lay it on the bed, using my hand to smooth out a few wrinkles. I planned to wear this with a pair of wedges and a yellow headband. I want my hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail at the nape of my neck and a bright red lip. I want a lot of bronzer and to look overdone—very high fashion, since that’s the look that just graced the runways.
I get my hair and makeup done and then throw on my adorable ladybug robe and go knock on Adam’s door.
“Hey,” I say when he answers.
“You’re a little early,” he says. “Is that what you’re wearing for the shoot? A little more casual than I expected, I have to say.”
“Of course this is not what I’m wearing. I just wanted to make sure you’re ready before I change. And I thought we could talk through what you were thinking for these photos.”
His lean body brushes against mine as he moves around me and takes a seat on the rocking chair. “Well, why don’t you tell me what your plan is, and I’ll add in my thoughts as needed.”
“Well, I’d like to wear more than one outfit. For my first look, I want it to feel more upscale and high fashion. I think it would be cool to be near some palms, or against a painted wall or something like that. Then for my second one, maybe shorts and a cute little tee. Then I was thinking maybe something more romantic and soft, a longer dress that I would wear on the beach. What do you think?”
“Sounds good to me. Why don’t we get photos of your first two looks now, and then let’s do the longer dress on the beach right after sunset. The lighting will be amazing.”
I walk back out in my adorable ensemble, carefully navigating my way down the stairs in my platform wedges, and find Adam sitting in a hammock messing with his camera.
“So, what do you think?” I twirl around so he can admire me.
He gets up and walks toward me, smiling. “I really like the print. You look like a palm tree,” he says, laughing.
“Oh, shush! Alright, where should we start first?” I ask, looking up at him. Even in these massive wedges, I’m still shorter than he is. I also can’t help but notice that he cleaned up after our snorkeling trip and has that fresh from the shower scent. One thing about Adam, he always seems to smell good.
“When I was walking around this morning, I saw a pink cabana on the property. I think it would be a great backdrop. And then over there,” he says, pointing, “are some pretty palm trees.” He starts laughing. “Although, it might look like you’re wearing camouflage.”
“You’re so funny,” I say. “Lead the way.”
Once we get to the pink cabana, I instantly get excited. If I’m being honest, I love being in the spotlight. I don’t see it as being scary or intimidating. To me, it’s just fun. It feels like I’m playing. I get to be silly, do cute poses, and combine different elements to make my outfits.
I do a bunch of different poses in front of both the pink cabana and some tropical plants before we head back so I can change into my second outfit, coming back out in fringed denim shorts, red strappy sandals, and an adorable watermelon tee. I have my hair up in a messy bun and am wearing a dainty gold choker that spells out love as well as a stack of bangles. I took off my harsh makeup and did a more natural, sun-kissed look. Then I grabbed a red beach towel and big sunglasses to use as props.
“Took you long enough! What were you doing in there?” Adam asks.
“Um, hello,” I say while I point down at my brand new outfit. “I had to change, fix my hair, and redo my makeup.”
He gives me a little huff. “Fine. Let’s get set up by that red canoe over there.”
Once we start shooting, he gets back into his groove, directing me on how to stand or what angle he wants. For the last shoot, he was kind of screwing around pretending to be a fashion photographer, saying silly things like, Work it, girl, but he’s not anymore. And I can’t decide which I prefer—fun Adam or serious Adam. Fun Adam made me feel relaxed, almost like I’m hanging out with Lexi. But serious Adam is different. He’s intense and I can feel his eyes on every inch of my body even though they are hidden behind his camera. It almost makes me blush.
“Hang on, give me one second,” he says, running toward the dining hall.
A few minutes later, he comes back out with a coconut in hand. “Here, I think this will be cute.” He gives me the open coconut along with a straw from his pocket.
“Oh, wow! This is adorable. You know, I’ve never had water straight from the coconut before. I’m so excited to try it.”
“It’s really good,” he says. “Save me a little. You know, these are the first fashion-focused photos I’ve ever shot.”
“Were you scared to take the job never having done any like this before?”
“No. I mean, I’ve done portraits and candid photos, but they were more about the person or the view. It was never like a dress-up thing. It was about a particular moment, and the feeling created by that moment and image. And, anyways, Janet said she wanted mostly candid shots and photos of this beautiful country, which is very much my thing.” He shrugs. “But it is kind of fun trying something new. Plus, you’re easy.”
“What do you mean, easy?” I ask, my mind going to places it probably shouldn’t.
“Like you’re photogenic,” he replies simply. “The camera loves you.”
My saliva catches in my throat, causing me to have a little coughing fit. Because is it just the camera that loves me or his camera specifically?
“Thank you,” I stutter out. Even though Adam is a nature freak at heart, he is obviously pretty creative. And it makes me happy to think I might be winning him over with the whole fashion and makeup thing, because it is creative, too, in its own way.
He gets what I’m sure will be some adorable photos of me drinking the coconut water, which was absolutely delicious by the way.
“Okay,” he says. “We should probably go eat now. Then you can change quickly, so we don’t miss the good lighting.”
“Wait. I want to do my video log for today. Will you do it with me? I’m just going to do a little recap of our day.” He looks like he’s going to say no, so I throw in a “pretty please” and bat my eyelashes at him. “It will be fun. I promise.”
“Uh, sure, why not?” he says, giving in.
“Awesome. Let’s sit here,” I say, plopping down into the sand. We have our backs to the water so that my followers will be able to see the gorgeous view. I flip on my camera and push record. “Hello, Effortless Girls! So, I just wanted to give you a little update. I’m sitting here with Adam. Isn’t he adorable? Look at those gorgeous blue eyes he has.” I ruffle his hair. “And can you believe these curls? Anyway, he’s my photographer for the trip. Say hi, Adam.”
“Hi,” he says as he gives the camera a wave. I find it interesting that he’s so bold when he is behind the camera but doesn’t seem to like being on the other side of the lens.
“So, today we went snorkeling, and it was amazing. We were out in the water for a few hours, and we got to see an array of different fish and corals. I even saw this iridescent fish. It was so beautiful. And then, I got salt water in my eye and it stung so bad, I thought I was going to die. I was out in the water flailing around but—” I hook my arm through Adam’s “—Adam rescued me. He was totally my knight in shining armor. This evening we’ve been having a photo shoot. Adam usually does portraits or scenery, but he’s a natural at shooting fashion. I can’t wait for you girls to see his photos in Fashion Forward. I totally know he will make me look gorgeous. Alright, that’s it for tonight. I’ll check in tomorrow!” I say, then I flick off the camera.
Today was a really good day, so I think I’ll just turn this in as my video journal.
I catch a whiff of the wonderful scent of vegetables roasting. “Do you smell that?” I ask Adam. “Let’s go eat.”
Looking down at his watch, he says, “Yeah, we should.”
“Yes. I’m starving!” I do a little happy dance. “I’m so excited to eat.” I maybe flail my arms in the air a little.
“What was that?” he asks, looking at me sideways. “Do you always do that when you’re excited? That little dance?”
“Just when I’m super excited. This trip has turned me into a whole new woman. I seriously don’t eat this much at home, but since I’ve gotten here I can’t get enough.”
“That’s because we’ve been doing a lot. Burning calories. You’ve been in the sun and on your feet all day. I love that feeling. Of having worked up an appetite from being outside and active. It’s like a nice nap after a long day in the sun.”
“Oh, very true. I napped today, and it felt so good,” I screech dramatically.
“Well, let’s go then.”
Adam
We get to the dining hall, go back to the counter, and take our plates. While Camille chats with the cook, I sit next to Diego.
“How was your day?” he asks brightly.
“We had a really good time snorkeling. And Camille did amazing. Way better than I had expected. It was fun to see her experience something like that for the first time,” I say while cutting up the vegetables on my plate.
Diego raises an eyebrow, and his lips pull into a smile. “She seems to continue to surprise you. Maybe you judged her a little too harshly before you knew her?”
“Perhaps. But in my defense, if you would have seen her videos online before meeting her, I think you would have been scared, too,” I laugh.
Diego lets out a chuckle. At first
I think he’s laughing with me, but then I start to realize he’s laughing at me. I’m going to ask why, but Camille plops down next to me, gives Diego a broad smile, and then proceeds to attack her food. She must have been really hungry. Usually, you can’t get a word in edgewise when she’s excited about something.
“So, tomorrow,” Diego says, “we’ll have about an hour and a half drive to the San San-Pond Sak wetlands in Panama. We’ll have to go through border patrol, but it shouldn’t take too long. Once we’re there, we will go to the manatee watch station. After that, we are going to meet a local farmer and have lunch. He is going to tell you all about mangrove trees, and we will be able to help plant seeds. Then tomorrow night we will be camping in an area right off the river there.”
“Sounds great,” I say, looking forward to it. “I’ve never actually seen a manatee in person before.”
I look at Camille, who seems lost in thought. “What do you think, Camille?”
“Uh, well, it all sounds really great. But, camping. Why are we camping exactly?”
“Well, they have equipment for it in the area, and we will have had a long day. So instead of driving all the way back tomorrow night, we will just stay in Panama and then head back the next morning. Are you okay with that?” Diego asks, looking a little concerned.
“Yeah, I mean, I think so. Um, are we going to have to put up tents?” she asks, her voice shaky. “How is it all supposed to work?”
“While you two tour the farm with the guide, I will head to the camping location and get everything set up. The farmer is going to bring you to the camp spot by canoe. Doesn’t that sound fun? We’ll be taking all of our luggage with us, but it will be easier if you don’t have to unpack. Just throw your toiletries and a couple changes of clothes in your backpack.”
“What do you recommend I pack and wear tomorrow?” Camille asks.
