I met Sisi as she & her lovely partner were just passing through the Coffs Coast. Planning to only stop in for some on-the-road essentials, after our instant connection they we’re convinced to stay for a little while. I just knew she was someone I needed to know.

Sisi is one of those rare, strong, intuitive spirits you need to have on your radar. Passionate about the environment (I sense a theme here on the Coffs Coast) & all things conservation & inner blooming - she was the perfect fit for an In Bloom Session here at Bloompress. We met at a local cafe for a juice & went onto the beach from there. The shoot was calm & flowy & the interview - so touching.

Enjoy x

A word from SiSi.

‘Aloha, I’m Sierra Kealoha Ching. But I go by Sisi Kealoha. I was born under a full moon in Hilo, Hawai’i. I’m Hawaiian, Chinese, and Caucasian but identify with the Hawaiian and White ancestors I have. I want to be a nature doctor and save a species. I hope I always get to live by the sea. xx’

you can currently find her & follow the journey on instagram: @sisikealoha

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be an astronaut. My imagination was my closest friend as a child. Space and stars fascinated me but then as I got older I realised you needed exceptional math/physics skills so... I’m still an astronaut in my mind.

3 words to describe your now-season?

ON THE ROAD

What is it that inspires your creations/practice/ or just inspires you generally?

Going to new places

being visually stimulated through nature/art

the MOON

creating

5 words to describe YOU?

Empathetic, resilient, playful, hungry, sensual

What most people wouldn’t really know about you?

I love eating from the middle of a perfectly untouched cake/pie

Okay but on a more serious note, most people wouldn’t know that I’ve had to carve an identity for myself. I had a very lost childhood - unrooted and traumatic - that left me open and bare to the world. As an adult, I’ve had to discover who I am without the buffer of stability or parents. This has made me emotionally vast, independent, and open.

What lights you up?

Being immersed in nature!

Watching a wave barrel from underneath it

walking under a waterfall

cross country skiing through the snow

squeezing sand beneath my toes. laying in a field of grass in spring. hearing a bird and trying to spot it. climbing, surfing, skating

Do you manage a day-job-hustle? How do you find that balance?

I struggle with this. I just graduated from University of Oregon in June in Environmental Science sand got on a plane to Oz. The kinds of jobs available to me here don’t fulfill me but sometimes you gotta make sacrifices for the dream. I find myself craving pursuing my career again which is refreshing after the grind of school.

Right now it’s a good mix of play and work, mostly play this year.

Where are you being called towards in future?

I used to have an intense fear of open water. The vastness suffocated me. The funny thing of this though is that I’ve never actually swam in open ocean. One full moon I made a pact with myself and the moon to make peace with the sea. I’m always being pulled towards it but always a bit scared too.

I knew this meant I was supposed to acknowledge it. When my mom passed away in 2016, my siblings and I spread her ashes in the ocean. Through changing my narrative I’ve been able to dive in the ocean and feel bliss and sometimes feel close to my mom again.

I find myself wanting to pursue marine conservation. I think my next step in my career will be to allow me to do marine science. I plan on getting my PADI certificates in Hobart.

I also want to create something tangible in the future, something with skin care that brings aspects of organics, natural cycles, self love, and eco consumerism together and I’ll name it SUN SAGE. It’s still a dream.

Anything you are working on within yourself right now?

SELF LOVE. The light at my core was never bright until I started nurturing it about 3 years ago. Once I started shining from within the world LIT UP. This is what I call blooming.

The narrative we write for ourselves shapes the short life we live. I want mine to glow and burn bright and steady.

Many women, young women especially, are trapped in this strange social structure of “bonding” through negative self talk. “Omg I hate my nose.” “No girl, look at my pimple.” “I don’t see it, look at my stomach.” It’s TOXIC and can only change once we start looking within and accepting ourselves.

I’m also always pursuing my fears and conquering them. This will be an always season for me. My next big mental challenge is to free dive with sharks in O’ahu with OneOceanDiving next summer. I’m afraid of them but I’ve never really seen them in their habitat. The things I’m most afraid of are things I haven’t experienced.

What is most coming forward / blooming within you currently?

I’m in a transition stage in my life right now. Fresh out of University but haven’t been quite ready to dive into a career. I’m enjoying being present, following desires that spark to life when I see them, and loving deeply and passionately.

I find myself being drawn towards my career again and I think it’ll go in a different direction than I ever imagined. I want to dive into something new and keep being a nature doctor, playing and loving in this beautiful big world.

E Ola I Ka Wai. Life is Water. Water is Life.

A little piece of advice for anyone following the non-linear whispers of their heart?

If something’s scares you, listen to it and conquer it

The more you become fearless the more of life you’ll live and the world has so much to offer.

Love yourself first.

In the wise words of a dear friend: climb high, die wild.