We walked on the ferry going from Vallejo to SF and immediately I saw her. She was fumbling around the bar, looking as if it may have been her first day. She was so vibrant and edgy, and I knew she was the one for PP16. Mayu and I found a table by the window, stowed our bags in the cravasses where the seats met, and decided to treat ourselves with a glass of wine for our bay crossing. She greeted us with her vintage glasses and red lips, a bit flustered but all smiles none the less. The wine seemed to have been in a mystery door which she could not find, so we happily changed our order to a couple of IPAs. Mayu nudged me to take her photo, but I just thanked her and we walked back to our cozy nook and watched as we pulled away from the harbour. 20 minutes out from the City, I finally got my mojo, grabbed my camera, and walked back to the bar (where she was still trying to find where the hell the wine was). I told her about my project, and said she had great style & I'd love to photograph her. With a flattered smile, she agreed, and we started chatting. "Are you new here?" I asked. "Yeah, this is my third trip!" she exclaimed. "I used to be a commuter for three years on this route, so I got to know the owner. One day he offered me a job, so now I'm here & it's great!" I asked her if she ever gets sea sick and she said no, she just loves being out on the water. I told her I worked for the airlines and her face cringed as she told me how she can't fly because of her ears. At first I felt sorry for her, but then I realized that on the water is exactly where she is supposed to be. As I left the bar, I thanked her and asked her name.

"Ariel" she said. Wow, how fitting.