Gabriela&Erik(67)

Gabriela&Erik(68)

 

 


Gabriela&Erik(69)

Gabriela&Erik(70)


Gabriela&Erik(72)

Gabriela&Erik(74)


Gabriela&Erik(77)

Now that everybody is going back to school & i am able to see my kid going to kindergarten & my sister becoming a 5th grade teen, i’ve became nostalgic.
So i decided to write a letter to my 15-year-old-self. I wish, that through this letter she could understand that all her teenager depression, fears & issues were just a way to make her the strong 25 year old woman that she is now.

Dear Gabriela,

It’s your first high school day. You’ve done your curls with your mother’s hot curlers. You have a black satin pencil skirt, pink heels & a pink chiffon shirt. You still haven’t ever shaved your legs, but you will start doing that quite soon.
You don’t have too many expectations, you’re afraid of them because they might disappoint you. All you want, is to take your braces off & have bigger boobs & more curves. You’re afraid that your classmates might start bullying you about your underdeveloped boyish look. You’ve never had foundation or mascara on your face. You’ve never wore a bra before & believe me darling this thing won’t get any better.
You’ve never been kissed before but you will have it before your winter holidays. It will be very weird & cold & unexpected, you will never ever see that guy again, because you’ll despise him for doing that without your permission. Without your bff, Cristina – you’re feeling lonely in your high school.
Actually, you’ve never been bullied because you are smart enough & friendly. Also everybody is trying to be nice to you, especially because they suck at the painting classes & they want you to draw them the sketches.
You had your first cigarette & B52 shot in the 9th grade, at a high school party.
In the 10th grade you fell in love. It happened in November but you started dating only in March. His name is Patrick & in 3 months from now he will live in Vancouver with his family. He is 1 year older than you. Now you’re turning 17 & you know that you might never see each other again. You are both heart-broken & you make your mothers cry very often, because you refuse to eat or live. Depression is your second name now. You’re having a long-distance relationship – “God Bless Skype!” You’ll never cheat on him,even if he is 12 000 km & one ocean far, you’re just not that kind of girl.
In the 11 th grade, you started to have a monstrous acnee all over your face. You are crying daily & you don’t want to face your classmates. Your friends are supporting you, but you refuse to have any foto taken & you’re not going to any parties, clubs, bars, not even shopping. You turn your head & you’re hiding when you see somebody who might have known you before. The question “What happened to your face?” is not only overrated it just makes you wanna kill the people who are offering you the “Pitty look”. You’d still do that! On 15th of December you will wake up at 7 am with a call from your love. He decided to surprise you & he came to visit you from Vancouver. It’s the first time in the last 6 months since you’re struggling with the acnee & deep depression that you will feel hope & love. He will support you in your battle, even if he is near or far.
It is 25 th of June, 2009, you are in Vancouver, kissing your love after 6 months. You’re turning 18 today & Michael Jackson dies. You’ll discover Canada in the next 3 months with your boyfriend & his family.
In the 12 grade you are one of the famous girls, because you recreated the Audrey look, you start wearing second hand treasures & you are the winner of the “Shopping, my passion” – national TV SHOW  contest & you’ve launched your
“SweetasPaprika” blog. Also everybody knows that you can sing & you represent your hischshool in many singing & drama contests. You also get the prize for ” the best actress ” in ” Chantatrice Chauve” – Eugene Ionesco’s absurd play.
At  the 18th  level, you want to have a family, a job, a dog, a kid & you want to live in a white house with Patrick before turning 25.
At 19, you are a PR student, because you’ve been told that a good actress should try to do that. Your mother wants you to be a Law student &  your family doesn’t agree on the idea of Theatre school. Public Relations was the best choice you’ve ever done. You live in the centre of Bucharest now with 3 of your best friends. They are still your best friends. Patrick stays in Bucharest for a year, he is in the club when you are winning the MISS FCRP (faculty of communications & public relations) prize. Thanks to that prize you are gaining ” visibility “.
You start to have anxiety problems, because you want to have a job & you start feeling that you’re studying nonsense & useless stuff.
In the 2nd year, Patrick goes to Paris to study interior design, thanks to that  you get to see the Eiffel Tower for the first time in your 20th year of life. You will cry like a baby. He is returning home after 6 months, because he couldn’t adapt.
You start working as a PR for an online shop. After 3 months you realize that you are not able to work for somebody else but yourself  &  you start working on your SWEET PAPRIKA first collection & on your own business.
Before the 3rd year has started, you’ve walked in your 50s dresses on the streets of Paris during Fashion Week, you’ve lost 6 kilos because you and Patrick have separated and you started a new life.
For 1 year you have a love affair with a very beautiful man and you will let him to repair your soul. You’re selling your dresses all over the world & you’re gaining more and more public & visibility both in online & offline press.
Your final Public Relations work is called “I. V. Stalin’s communication & leading style”, you’ve spent 1 month painting the walls of your new showroom & reading old russian books in the library. You want a master degree so  you are now studying Brand Mananagement & Corporate Communications, your relationship falls apart. You are alone & workaholic. In February 2014, you are in London for the first time, for the Fashion Week. You are at the “TUBE” station, when suddenly in front of you, appears Patrick. You get engaged after 3 days. You’ve moved together after 2 months, get pregnant after 4 months &  in 6 months from that moment you get married.
Now you are 25, you are living in an apartment in a white building, somewhere in Bucharest. You have a 1 year old boy, because you always wanted to be a mother of a Boy first. You have a new showroom with 2 other very creative girls. You are far away from being rich, but you are not poor either. You have launched 9 collections/25 pieces each & you are working on the 10th one. Your brand is being sold now in different shops, including a small boutique in Paris. You are living with that boy that kissed you 8 years ago near the broken traffic light. The traffic light is still broken & shows only the yellow colour.
You still have the same friends, the same skin problems, the same hot curlers & you are just building new memories & you are very thankful that they have been with you through all this stuff. You are still working your ass off for your dreams, because they are the only ones that you’ve always trusted in.

 

Your 25-year-old self,

Gabriela

 

So don’t worry, you 15-year-old girls…it’s amazing all that you can do.
In the end nothing compares to deserving your dreams.

Good luck in the new year, live every moment with all your soul. I would do anything to hit a replay button.

Always try to reach the top of the tree, but do it while stepping on all the branches, even if some of them are broken. Remember that all the sunsets have a sunrise.

 

Who cares about what i was wearing in this pictures? Still if you’re curious write a comment.

 

Photo: Laura Gherman

 

Location: Mogosoaia