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It felt like forever since Dina had been home. For her, home was really here, at her grandparents’ farm several miles from the city. She’d grown up there as a child, and then later, had stayed with her grandparents while attending college to save living costs.
So there was no corner of the beautifully natural scenery she didn’t know and love. Whenever she was here, she loved nothing more than to paint in the fields, the breeze teasing her hair and skin as her heart lifted along with the gliding clouds overhead.
Life had always seemed so simple. Until a year ago, when a twist of events opened her to the international modeling career she now pursued.
It happened on her holiday in Paris. She’d saved up for it for months and was finally able to take the trip along with three friends. During the day, she’d take her paints and some paper and spend hours in the park doing portraits. She’d been so young and carefree then! It had been fun being a street painter and meeting so many diverse people, if only for the fleeting moments when she drew them.
But then came that day that changed her life. She hadn’t even known what was happening when she’d walked in on a photo shoot of some world-famous music celeb. She’d been clad in just a summer dress and no makeup, her golden-brown curls framing her caramel-colored face. Then suddenly there’d been shouts from some people behind cameras for her to move out of the way. Other voices told her to stay right there, asking if she wanted her picture taken.
She’d glanced around in confusion. The music star, a young handsome male dressed in high fashion whom Dina hadn’t recognized, had given her a small smile and an encouraging wink. Everything was just a blur, and she wasn’t sure if she should run off or stay put. Finally, the man holding the camera trained on the star had told Dina he’d appreciate if she did let him take the shot with her in the frame.
She remembered shrugging and saying it was fine, whatever. The next moment, the camera went flashing over and over. After that, the photographer thanked her but Dina didn’t linger to hear more and simply skittered off.
Dina hadn’t thought much of the whole event. There was always someone shooting something in the scenic locale she had picked for her holiday. It didn’t even bother her that she’d be a subject in some magazine somewhere. Well, that was until a week later, when strangers appeared at her stand in the square, asking if she wanted to be a model.
It seemed her impromptu cameo had caused quite a stir, gathering attention from all corners. The photographer, who was renowned world-wide in his field, was interested in doing a portfolio with her, and a modeling agency wanted to give her a contract if she was interested. She’d been a hit with readers who’d seen her in the photo spread, dressed in that little white frock and holding her bag of paints and brushes, with her paintings under her arm.
No one could believe she wasn’t a model and it hadn’t all been a publicity stunt. Of course, the photographer and the rest of the crew were well aware she’d simply been a passerby, and came back to the spot to find her. Luckily, after showing her photo around, they’d found Dina’s spot among other street painters in the square.
The rest, as they say, was history. Since then, it had been a whirlwind of new experiences. Dina had no plans to become a model. She was truly an artist by trade; a painter. As a painter, she felt free to take her brushes and go wherever the wind led her. However, she saw this as a perfect chance to expand her life experiences through modeling. For all her love of far-flung lands and gorgeous vistas, she hadn’t had the means to travel much and had always lived in a very small town. The life of a model was this whole new and glamorous world, and she decided to take advantage of every opportunity.
She’d been hesitant at first. But when she called her parents, they encouraged her to take the leap. Modeling turned out to be easier than Dina expected. It came naturally to her, and the camera loved her. She’d been lucky to start off with the most trustworthy and supportive names in the business. Even with her naiveté and youth—she was barely twenty-two when she’d been discovered—she’d taken her newfound lifestyle and fame in stride. Offers poured in from everywhere, from endorsements to cover shoots for top magazines as well as modeling in fashion shows.
How funny that a simple instance of ‘photobombing’ now gave her a life many only dreamed of. It was pure, blind luck and Dina knew to take nothing for granted, appreciating the fact she’d caught a big break. She stayed determined to succeed at it and gave back as much as possible. In her way, she hoped to inspire others, too, that nothing was impossible and a moment could change your life.
