WATERMARK = IDEAS + TRAVEL + ART: FROM OKINAWA WITH LOVE

Dorota Quiroz "I'm going to Japan Selfie" 2014

About year ago, I decided to answered a call from a strange and distant land - Japan. Twelve long months in Japan flew by like a violent wind blow on Okinawa's coast line, shaken up my wild hair of assumptions, torn off my scarf of expectations and knocked me down to my knees laughing loudly at my attempts to understand it.

Dorota Quiroz "Okinawa Map" 2014

I don't understand Japan, yet... or to be more specific, I don't understand its distant younger sister, Okinawa, yet. I have been having a travel affair with her for over memorable 10 months now and we went through all typical phases of a typical relationship:

Dorota Quiroz "Okinawa Dancer" 2014

INFATUATION (August -September 2014)

Okinawa was alluring, exciting, fresh, different and strange at the beginning. She awed me with her curvaceous landscape and slender lines of ocean horizon. She smiled with glorious sunrises and cried with unexpected rain tears of a summer day. She blew delicious kisses of evening breeze and hugged my eyes goodnight with masterpieces of color. I wanted to smell her scent on me, taste her exotic flavor when I licked my lips and be in a constant physical contact. I just could not get enough of her.

Dorota Quiroz
"Clover Field on the top of mountain" 2015

LUST (October 2014)

My lustful cravings to be outdoors were feverish and I just wanted to become one with her and devour her without anything holding me back. No inhibitions or worries to get caught. I wanted to corner her somewhere in a cave or behind the jagged edge of the huge boulder sticking out of shoreline and to make love to her loud and hard. This desire to take Okinawa and make it mine was like a primordial force in me, reviving my instincts and turning me into a wild beast. She was so beautiful... she belonged to me, she should have been mine!

Dorota Quiroz "Fisherman Wife's Dreams" (after Hokusai) 2014

POWER STRUGGLE (November - December 2014)

Despite my animal-like wanderlust drive, she wouldn't subdue and fold submissively into my arms. She was fighting me back, scratching my feet with sharp edges of rocks and burning my skin with relentless scorching sun. Always unpredictable, permanently surprising, she would give me those sarcastic, defiant looks, warning me constantly not to get too comfortable and complacent. She would play tricks on me when diving, playing with pressure, equipment or just my nervse. Once a while she would slap me on my cheek to remind me that she was in charge and not the other way around.

Dorota Quiroz "Mongoose vs. Habu" 2014

Dorota Quiroz "Ie Island" 2015

BETRAYAL (January - March 2015)

I gave her all of it: my time, dedication, and passion and without any hesitation she threw it all away. She got cold, bitchy and distant. She would ignore my calls when I was not working to come out and see me - must have sent 1000 pleas trying to entice her to come out and show her bright smile to me. When I would finally reach her, she would greet me with chilly awkward hugs followed by dramatic weeping full of stingy cold tears. She knew I needed her and she was toiling with my fragile state. I needed to be with her in her warm loving arms, exploring her beauty but she was the ultimate queen of ice. I don't know how I survived this stage, it was very hazy and depressing.

Dorota Quiroz " Bloody toe!" 2015

COMPROMISE (April 2015)

Finally, she snapped out of her bad mood, and one sunny day, after a delicious seafood lunch by the sea, she came back to me. I forgave her her coldness and took her right back without any hesitation. I needed her bright smile, her positive outlook on life, the rough edges of her adventurous character and mischievous and capricious humor. I needed her to breath normally and to be myself again.

Dorota Quiroz "Kayaking Okinawa" 2015

COMPANIONSHIP (May - June 2015)

Dorota Quiroz "Waiting patiently for his surfing buddy" 2015

We became best of friends, guessing each other thoughts and finishing each other sentences. I could never predict her mood the next day but mine would be always good because I knew I would see her, event for a short 30 minutes. Inseparable on weekends, our rendezvous would turn into never-ending marathons of companionship. By foot, car, bike, or boat, I would travel as far as I could to meet her in our new secret places and she would whisper in my ear the sweet secrets of her past and her hopeful dreams for the future.

Dorota Quiroz "Pure joy" 2015

Is it a everlasting love? I don't know yet... She mentioned to me that she had many Okinawa lovers, some American ones too. The time will only show if we are made for each other... but I can positively say I am excited when I think I'm going back for another 10 months to see her again...

Dorota Quiroz "Mellow Yellow" 2015

I came back and I know I missed her. I couldn't wait to see special spots I have been to and familiar corners that gave me relief to take a deep breath and be thankful that I'm back in Okinawa again...