I don’t know what my sister was thinking, but she got sent off to an all-girls Catholic school.Somehow, those girls figured out how to sneak out the window at night and go hang out with punk rockers. It was around 1982—a different world, a louder world. I wasn’t there for that part. I only heard the stories later. But when I would come back from Japan, I would meet my sister in San Gabriel. She was living in this little house with the drummer for a band called Decry. His name was Rodney Dean, and their song “Fallen” was a hit on the local scene. I still know the words by heart. My sister was only sixteen.Pretty soon, she got pregnant. I went back to Japan again, chasing my own dreams, but when I returned, there was a baby. My nephew.I took that baby to Kmart and let him fill up the shopping cart like it was Christmas. I took him to Bob’s Big Boy and watched him smile with chocolate on his face. I guess, in my own way, I stepped into the role of aunt—and maybe a little bit of protector. My sister had turned punk rock by then.She did the hair, the clothes, the attitude. He had the leather jacket, the drums, and that wild energy that came with the music. And me?I wanted to belong. I think I dated the singer for a minute, just so I could be part of the group. Nothing serious. I just wanted to be close to the music, the noise, the excitement of it all. One time, I marched into the radio station—106.7 FM in Los Angeles—Rodney on the Rock.I banged on the studio door with their cassette tape in my hand. The DJ opened the door and looked at me like I was crazy.“What do you want?” he asked. “Will you please listen to this?” I said.“This is my sister’s husband’s band.” He told me to come in and sit on his lap.I remember thinking, Oh boy, here we go. But I did it anyway. I had long hair back then—I refused to cut it—but I dressed punk rock to fit in. He looked at me and said,“You’re so beautiful.” I smiled politely and said,“Thank you. But will you please play the song?”

The job was for Modern Salon magazine, and it paid $1,800, which felt like a fortune to me at the time. When I arrived at the studio, they told me they were going to cut my hair. I hesitated for a second, but then I thought, For $1,800...ok.

After living in Japan for a few years, I thought I had seen everything. Tokyo had already changed my life—modeling, adventure, late nights in Roppongi. But one night, everything shifted. I met a man I had never expected to fall for. He was Japanese, but not like anyone I had met before—tall, about 6’2”, quiet, strong, and standing just a little apart from the crowd. He worked as the driver and bodyguard for a man named Kenji… someone I knew was connected to the Yakuza. And somehow, it was love at first sight. At the time, I didn’t realize the full weight of what that meant. I just knew there was something different about him. Years later, when he came to America with me, he told me something that stayed with me forever. He thanked me. He said bringing him to the United States had helped him escape a life he never really wanted—the world of the Yakuza. Sometimes the biggest turning points in life don’t feel dramatic in the moment. Sometimes they start with one glance… across a coffee shop in Roppongi.

Sometimes when we look back at our lives, we can see a moment where everything quietly shifted. For me, there were moments like stepping into the modeling world so young, or later realizing I had a lifetime of stories that needed to be written. At the time those moments don’t always feel big. Sometimes they’re just a decision, a meeting, a place you went, or a person you met. But later you realize that moment changed the direction of your life. Do you have a moment like that? A moment when your path began to change? Aurelia is opening another page in the archive today. 🦉 One of the early moments that quietly changed my path. Makeup by Beth Katz, 1985.

I doing a LIVE spotlight interview with Rachel from Australia — the owner of The School Bookshop! This truly feels like such a joy and a full-circle moment for me, and I would absolutely love for you to join me there. We’ll be talking about my book, the journey behind it, and the power of showing up and sharing our stories. If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of writing a memoir — or if you just want to come celebrate with me — I hope you’ll be there. Your support means everything, and I’m so grateful to be walking this path alongside all of you. I can’t wait to see familiar names and faces in the live. 💛 …save the spot in your heart for it.