departure (2022) (Patreon)

I debated whether I should even say anything about this. I have had a partner for over a year and a half; my friends who know me in-person mostly know this, but to protect their privacy (and shield myself from parasocial advances) I have primarily kept that a secret on the internet. Most people could probably figure it out (mysterious person who shows up sometimes as a model, bright red 4Runner I don't own but am always in, inexplicable move to rural Idaho) but still. It was a demarcation line I attempted to draw firmly in the wake of how alienated I felt post-Vanscontinental Express after spilling so much pain publicly for what felt like little purpose. 

Anyway, this partner is also a pilot, and how I've gotten so many photos from the air of such gorgeous places. They're who I dedicated Postcards From the End of the World to, because they did help me get a lot of the shots in it and gave me the space to finish a book. They never planned to move with me in Seattle, but we hoped that would still be a couple in one form or another. 

Anyway, turns out we will not be. 

I have no idea how I feel, but it is not good; this is my second "big" breakup of my life and it feels vastly more inevitable than the last one, much more telegraphed, probably something that will make us both happier. I should be able to just absorb the pain with this realization but then I think about them flying me over the Sawtooth Mountains and I ache extremely badly. 

I do also need to complete, in the wake of this, a Seattle-Salmon-Seattle two-day cannonball run to get my cat and whatever remaining stuff I own that will fit in a '95 Buick Roadmaster I'm borrowing; this likely means daily photos will be spotty for a bit longer. I haven't been able to get my 35mm shots scanned and so I can't post them either. I'm hoping that things calm down to a state of normalcy, including actual daily photo posts, by later in the week of the 23rd. I will attempt to make it up to you at some point with either a big batch upload, or perhaps two photos in a day for a bit, etc. Thanks for your patience.