La Tour Eiffel

Magnifique.

How Lovely...

A very sweet woman named Kristi, who works with blogs at Operation Smile, wants to post some of my stories on their web site Operation Smile.

I started this blog just to write about my life, with a few random thoughts, health advice and photos in the mix. As part of Team Nairobi, I thought just the photos and videos would be wanted, but I'm so happy she wants to share my stories and memories with the Op Smile community!

Here are a few more photos from the mission:

Who says I can't live here?

We didn't get to the Eiffel Tower, but we crossed so many magical sites. I'll let the photos speak for themselves :)

One last comment... My father and I randomly stepped into a coffee shop to sit for a bit. We end up talking to this sweet, absolutely hilarious and kind of crazy man for about 20 minutes... And it was Sinbad... the comedian... I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who knows of him, but of course my father had no clue. I just love the randomness of life... And I ate an entire bottle of cornichons... Needless to say, it was amazing.

Paris was great to me today! :)

"I will never regret loving you, only believing you loved me too..."

I just read the latest post from Le Love. I feel her heart, as mine feels the same.

What a day to read a post about losing all faith in love, as today would have made it a year ... Regrettably, I am a hopeless romantic. So, this loss, this hopelessness, is so difficult.

We all go through heartbreak over and over again in the course of our lives. We all sit and question everything. Every feeling, every touch, every word, every choice ... Yet, all I wonder is if he can feel my heart, my sorrow, my regret, from oceans away...

There's Always Paris...

I love Paris. I love everything about this city... My dad is a pretty amazing partner in crime. He speaks french like a local, which helps immensely. It makes us laugh when the locals think he is French, they will speak so fast and he has absolutely no clue what they are saying. Luckily, he plays it off pretty well ... Also, who knew I loved champagne and pastries so much? ;-)

Off to a few museums and maybe even the Eiffel Tower... I got my first glimpse of it yesterday and my heart skipped, literally... What a dream...

Haven't taken too many photos, but here are a few:

Kenya, London, Paris & My 24th Birthday...

I know, I know. I haven't written in days ... I feel like I haven't had even a moment to think, let alone write.

There is so much for me to reflect on. The incredible mission, my birthday ... and the ending of a very significant relationship in my life.

First, I want to apologize. I am always so emotional every time I write....

Well, I am a woman. So I guess it's expected :)

I'm not sure where to even start. The mission was life changing. I met so many amazing people and saw so many amazing things. The most jolting experience was when I witnessed a 20 year old boy speak for the very first time. He had a cleft palate and the dentist on the trip made him a plate for the roof of his mouth, making it possible for him to speak. They make plates (obturators) for kids older than 10-12 instead of doing the cleft palate surgery because there are too many complications. Our Speech Therapist, Elizabeth, stood with the boy in front of a mirror for about 30 minutes, guiding him, trying to show and explain what to do with his tongue and mouth in order to create sounds. It was so incredible. When he finally said his first word, he looked at Elizabeth and she beamed from ear to ear, holding back tears. Then he looked at his father. His father looked back at him and put his hands together near his face, absolutely speechless. I was filming all of this, but when the boy looked at his father, I burst into tears and had to leave the room. I sat in the hallway and cried for about 15 minutes, unable to compose myself. Unable to grasp what had just happened in that room. It may have only been one boy, but because of Operation Smile, because of the magnificent volunteers, this one boy now has the gift of speech.

Below is a photo of Elizabeth and the boy. I also posted a photo of the mouthpiece and other dental pieces.

I also want to share the pre and post op photos of a 61 year old man who had his cleft lip repaired. He came all the way from Somalia. I spoke to his son for a while and the man had a fascinating life story. He has 4 wives back in his country, all of which live in a house together. He runs a huge farm and owns dozens of cows and chickens. He has dreamed of getting his cleft lip repaired for his entire life. And at last, he could make the trek to an Operation Smile site. When I saw him before surgery, his eyes were full of sorrow and fear. He was so nervous. I followed him into the operating room, where he laid on the table trembling. A nurse came over and put his hands on his arms and the man immediately stopped shaking. It was such a beautiful moment, full of such warmth, comfort and trust ... (I posted the photo below) ... I left the OR before they started surgery, however I went to post op the next day to visit him. I walked into the room and he recognized me right away. No words were necessary, he looked at me and gave me a thumbs up. His eyes no longer sad, but hopeful. My eyes welled up with tears.

Watching the life of a 61 year old man completely change in two days was simply magnificent... Life is so beautiful.

Here he is:

There is still so much left for me to write about regarding the mission. I want to tell you all about the people I met, they were all so beautiful. Living in America (well, Los Angeles in particular), we jut don't meet selfless, giving, caring, warm people... Also, I must post pictures from the Safari I went on! Which was part of the team bonding day :)

But I feel I should stay in the present for today ...

I have arrived in Paris (!!!!) after spending the past 4 days in London (!!!).

London is where I spent my 24th birthday. My birthdays are typically very hard for me. I don't like to be a downer, but I just don't celebrate them. To be honest, they are just a reminder that my mother is no longer here. Of course, this birthday was no different. But let me say, it was still a great day! I finally got to see Mama Mia (the show, not the movie...) And it was so fun! I sang and danced and loved every single moment of it ... However, what made this birthday especially hard was the loss of my very first love. I don't feel the need to go into much detail. All I really need to say is that me and my first love have finally said goodbye, after months of hanging on, and it is just so painful. I know "there are other fish in the sea" blah, blah, blah. However, at the moment, there is only one I see ... or even want...

How do you move on? How do you heal? I ask this, even though I know the only answer is time and patience...

Nevertheless, I am in Paris!! Which has been dream of mine for a long time now. I feel so fortunate that two of my dreams have come true in the past month. First, to finally live the dream of being an Operation Smile volunteer, which surpassed every expectation. And now, Paris! So, I am going to enjoy it. I am going to eat French bread, devour as many croissants as I can, drink champagne every night and maybe even buy myself a generous birthday gift from Chanel.

Now, I hate to leave this epic blob post on a sad note... Thus, I am going to post a few pictures from London! It was a glorious city and I loved every second!

Life is Beautiful

This mission is spectacular. Kenya is amazing, the volunteers are spectacular and the children are beautiful.

I can only be on the internet for a minute or two, so I must make this quick.

There's just one story I want to share...

So, I cried my eyes out for most of the day... My father is just so incredible. He did a very risky surgery yesterday, one they usually don't do. We all met Brian on the first day of screening. He had the worst cleft lip I had ever seen, but was so joyful and loving. His beauty was radiant and he was such a light, despite his sever deformity. I admire kids like Brian... Come surgery day, my father did both cleft palate and cleft lip surgery at the same time, giving Brian the chance to speak for the first time in his life. Actually, his last chance to speak, ever. The reason doing both the palate and the lip at the same time is so uncommon is because there are so many complications. Not just with the extended period of time on the operating room table, but cleft palate surgery is so extensive and complicated ... Nevertheless, the surgery went great! So today, my dad and I visited Brian in post op to see how he was recovering. When he saw my dad, he immediately started dancing. My emotions instantly began fluttering. When my dad held a mirror to Brian's face to show him what he looked like, Brian slowly looked into the mirror and then gazed up at my father, he was speechless. I was desperately trying to hold back the torrent of tears that were begging to come out. From the moment they met, they had such a beautiful connection... Brian was getting released today so my dad had to say goodbye, but he could only stay a few minutes because he had to get to the OR. He is always so connected to his patients and saying goodbye is such an emotional thing for him. He has changed these kids lives forever and knows he will never see them again, but a part of him will always be with them. So when the time came, my dad put his hands around Brian's face, looked into his eyes and said 'I love you'. The boy looked back at him and stared for a few moments. It was the most incredible moment I've ever experienced. I left the post op and sat in the hallway and cried for about 20 minutes. An older nurse I have bonded with on the mission saw me... she held me tightly and cried even harder. We both were sitting there crying. I have never felt more love flowing through my soul in my entire life. I am forever changed.

Life is beautiful. This world is so beautiful.

I'm Alive.

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write. There's no internet at the hotel and they keep us busy every second of the day. I will write more when I have the chance! So many amazing stories to come. This is without doubt the most amazing experience of my life.

Here are a few photos so far...

Kenya. Tomorrow.

I'm leaving for Africa tomorrow.

And I'm absolutely terrified ... And nervous ...And anxious.

I got a call from American Airlines at 7 am this morning. Apparently my flight to JFK was cancelled. I immediately started to freak out. They told me I would have to leave today in order to make all of my connections. Somehow I managed to keep my cool and we booked a different flight to Chicago in the morning. I'm fully aware that it is completely rational to be this unglued before a big trip, nevertheless, I only have 1 day remaining to prepare for the biggest adventure of my life.

Don't get me wrong, I'm so excited! I have been wanting to go on a medical mission for years. I've heard countless stories from my dad and it is just about the most wonderful thing I could ever do. I feel so fortunate for this opportunity.

Since my father has been volunteering for Operation Smile for the last 10 years, I thought I would share a few pictures of previous missions he has been on. He is so joyful... So, enjoy :)











These are 4 of my favorite photos. I can't wait to capture all the emotion and beauty of the children, the parents and the volunteers.

I want to end this post with one of my favorite stories my father told me from a mission last year:

After a long flight, he and the rest of the team had arrived in India and were on a bus ride to the mission site. The bus driver began taking to my father, he was very curious about the group and the reason for their visit. My father explained to him that they are all volunteers who do surgery on children with large gaps in their mouths, known as cleft lip and palate. The driver did not speak english very well, but something resonated and he told my father of a middle aged man living in his village who had a huge hole in his mouth. At 55, he had been teased and treated as an outcast his entire life. He asked if this man could make the long journey to the mission site, if they would be able to fix him. The answer, of course, was yes. Since this man was very poor, the kind bus driver offered to pay his way. To make a long story short, my father repairs his face perfectly and hands him a mirror. The man holds it up to his face and begins pounding on his chest, gasping for air. Every nurse and volunteer in the room began to cry. With tears now streaming down his face, he looks up at my father and gently touches his hand. After a life of sorrow and rejection, at last, he is normal.




This is just one of many beautiful stories. Stay tuned for more...

Love, light & aloha

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

This quote sums up so much of our lives. Life begins with that first step. We all have hopes and dreams. We all have windy paths. We all have crossroads that seem too difficult to conquer ... That's why I started this blog. After years of struggle, at last, I have taken my first step.

My name is Ally … And I'm a hopeful, quirky and zealous 23 year-old living in Los Angeles, California. Let me assure you that I’m not your average California girl with bleach blonde hair and ambition of being famous. My brown hair is short, I work hard to stay healthy and I wish I could eat junk food all day long. I watch movies of all genres, I think reality TV is delightful and I love ESPN. I’m extremely silly, sometimes shy and a hopeless romantic at heart. My life has been anything but uncomplicated and painless. However, the one thing I’m sure of is that I was put on this earth to help, inspire and create.

I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii into a beautiful and humble family. My father, a brilliant and selfless surgeon that has dedicated his life to serving this world in every possible way he can. His life tells of the most spectacular and intriguing journey, stories to come in later posts. Then there is my mother. She was the most beautiful, compassionate and magnetic woman I will ever know. She spent much of her life as a nurse and photographer. Three years ago she lost her four year battle to ovarian cancer. Losing her was the most difficult thing I will ever go through. More on that later... To complete my family, there is my big brother Brian. He is impossibly creative, strikingly handsome and my best friend. Like me, he has struggled to discover his path, earnestly trying to find the courage to take that first step.

After studying film (and art history) in college, like many of my peers, I moved to LA to follow my dream. Cliche, I know... I worked at a large film studio for nearly a year and quickly realized that I have absolutely zero interest in money, show business or any of the superficial elements that go into that domineering world.

That experience led me to where I am now. I am doing what I believe in, refusing to take the convenient path. I have two passions in my life, photography and fiber. As strange as that sounds, it’s true. Fiber is the love of my life. I practically grew up in my mom’s darkroom and learned at a young age the art of photography. I have also traveled a bit overseas, which has also given me an eye for photography. I am currently enrolled in school to gain the intricate knowledge needed to truly understand photography.

Now, on to fiber. I will do my best to keep this short as I plan to have many entries about fiber, as well as heath and fitness … Throughout my life, I always had extra weight on me. I hated the way I looked and no matter what I did, I couldn’t find a solution. That was until I found fiber. Well, fiber found me actually. About twenty five years ago my father created a triple fiber, protein, and vitamin supplement. It looks like sawdust, and tastes like it too, but completely changed my life and my body.

The enormity of what fiber does for the human body is outrageous. Fiber can prevent obesity, colon caner, heart disease and diabetes. I am so passionate about fiber because I know how many people it could help. However, I am here because I have discovered the greatest health/diet secret of all time. I have very unusual beliefs about food, health and nutrition. I love talking with people about it and have helped many of my friends change their lives. This is one of the main reasons why I have started this blog. I want to inspire and help whoever is ready for a change in their bodies and don't know what step to take first.

As I ramble on and on, I realize that I have failed to mention what I am most anxious to speak about. In 7 days I am leaving for Nairobi, Kenya. I will be volunteering as a trip photographer for the non-profit organization Operation Smile. If you aren’t familiar, Operation Smile sends groups of volunteers all over the world to repair children with cleft lip and palate. My father has been a volunteer surgeon with them for about ten years now and it has been a dream of mine accompany him. For me, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I hope to blog through the entire journey. I will also be visiting London and Paris once I am done with the mission. It's going to be amazing!


As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, in every life there is the day where we decide to take our first step. Well, this is mine. I hope that with sharing my life, my loves and my journey, I can inspire someone else to take their first step.

Aloha nui loa, love to all.