(Sheila trying to bite at her splashes today. Her and water will have a constant battle, I think.)

I have been away from home since I was 13. This is when we moved away from this very creek that had a swing where I spent most of my adolescent days. We moved away from fresh apricots, pears, cherries, plums, raspberries, green apples and red, walnuts, and honeysuckles. We left the house which stores memories for more than half of my life. I learned to walk, to talk, and to ride a bike (and how you’re suppose to keep your mouth shut to not eat bugs). We left a time where we were all under one roof and we all knew each other – where we were, what we did, and how was our day. We saw each other grow, we saw each other laugh, we just saw each other. And we almost went back. Almost.

(Sheila was obsessed with this kiddie pool. She would spin in circles trying to bite the splashes she was making.)

I want a FujiFilm Instax 200. Real bad. I wouldn’t have to fake my digital photos like they’re retro instant images. And I would take my time taking each photo again since the film is pretty damn expensive. And maybe I wouldn’t suck at photography anymore.

But to get the things I want, I need a job. Hopefully I get the job I want.

I guess it’s true what they say, when you’re in love you just know it. I didn’t expect it to hit me this hard though. I mean, it’s all I can think about. And it couldn’t come at a better timing. I just graduated from Utah State University with a BFA in Graphic Design and Printmaking. I’ve been tossing and turning at night wondering what am I going to do with those degrees. Become a graphic artist or a fine artist? Well, all the stress and nausea of having two emphasis finally felt worth it. Today I met Letterpress. The best of both worlds. Letterpress lets me play with typography and layouts while still letting me ink up, get dirty, and lift the paper up with anticipation of what the final result is after each pull. Why couldn’t Letterpress come into my life sooner? I guess I shouldn’t complain, I’m very fortunate Letterpress came into my life at all. I think it’s the start of a beautiful long lasting friendship.

I will never forget our first pull. I chose the letter “P” from the woodblock family to ink up for the first time. I was very gentle, I didn’t want to overdo it. I felt really nervous but excited at the same time – a good sign, right? We’re planning on meeting every Wednesday at 4pm at the U of U Library. We might sneak in some more studio time, but I don’t want to rush this new relationship too fast. You can’t overwhelm something this good.

I hope Letterpress likes me as much as I like Letterpress.