Love the image of time as a croissant, those fragile layers of memories folding on each other. It reminds me a lot of the beautiful way you described time in TEV and how, in every new moment Eli and Georgia had with each other, inevitably, memories were there too.
I had a mini-version of a nostalgia bomb last night at dinner, sitting next to where the old Blockbuster video used to be. Thinking about that terrible ex. Remembering that dive bar that seemed so cool as a 16-year-old. There's something about visiting places that used to mean a lot to us that causes ripples in the present. Thanks for sharing this :)
oh yes, the croissant layers were totally there with Georgia and Eli! I love putting a visual to it like that, and I love what you said about how visiting places cause ripples in the present. It's so true! Our memories are always right next to us.
I was so obsessed with the idea of home as a kid because I understood it in the way you find home in a person (my parents, at the time) but I didn't really understand the way you find home in a singular place. It was really lovely to realize that I've always had that after all!
Yes, absolutely! One of my homes is Sunset Cliffs in San Diego, where I lived in high school. And every time I have returned to New Mexico, I marvel at the enormous sky and remember how it felt to arrive there the first time. Everywhere I’ve lived, I’ve missed the places from before it, only to leave there eventually too and romanticize how it was compared to wherever I’ve gone next. I’m forever in a state of yearning for some home I’ve left. Or maybe I’m yearning for a past me. But I like thinking of them (places, selves) as somewhere I can return to instead of something I’ve lost.
Not me crying reading this 😭😭 I’m preparing for (yet another) out of state move this summer and it hit me in my feels. I’ve lived on the West Coast (+ Hawaii) my entire life & am now moving to Virginia. Thank you for getting me in my feels today.
Moves always put me into a tailspin! They're so scary and also transformative, in often the best ways. But you'll always be able to come back to yourself on the west coast 💕
The East Coast is great, too! I lived in Hawaii for 3 years and multiple times lived in Virginia, and loved it! I’m now in Maryland. Best of luck with your move!
Minutes before the alert for this new post popped up, I had *just* read your blurb for Wild & Wrangled and thought what a delightful surprise it was to hear your voice and your uniquely YOU way of articulating the world so beautifully. I left W&W on page 23 to come read this, and I’m so glad I did. Your words always make me feel at home. (And I pictured Adam’s house when you wrote that you felt like you walked in and dropped your bag!) Thank you for this gift you keep on giving us. You’re a pure light in these murky times.
oh gosh, I love the visual of Adam's house—Georgia and Eli's St. George 🥹 Thank you so much for your intensely kind words. I love sharing my thoughts with all of you and getting them in return!
i swear when you write, it speaks right to what i’ve been thinking about. going home. finding home. being home. as someone who moved quite a bit growing up, the only place i can consistently call home is my small little island in the middle of the pacific, that i haven’t visited in so long. but ugh! my heart feels full.
I swear the idea of home has been my thematic obsession for as long as I can remember. I think it just stays with us when we didn't get to stay anywhere for too long. But your home is always there waiting patiently for you. I hope you get to go back soon 💕
I love that layered image of time & our past selves. You have such a sense of place in your writing, no wonder those are *your* places. They come through so vividly it feels like being transported. I love the childhood photos (the broad daylight soaked images in film) side by side with today's photos. I always see those juxtapositions in my mind - then and now. Me and them (my kids). The passage of time, caught on film and put on display.
Beautiful TEW cover, too! I wasn't an international collector but you sure make that tempting with this!
oh gosh, that's the greatest compliment you could give me, because I always worry I *don't* have a sense of place. I'm sure that correlates directly back to having accumulated so many living spaces over the course of time. Love how you describe then and now—caught on film and put on display 🥹 Noelle and Paul would marvel over it too!
I am terrible about logging into Substack so just seeing this. (I'll get better! I like it here!) YWAV and the photography and then Georgia's sense of home in TEV are both so perfectly executed on the page. It's hard to remember they aren't real living people - you make them & their places - so so real 💗
Wow what a wonderful description of time !! I agree wholeheartedly, time in itself is something I think about a lot. And not in a scared of it running out way but more in a 'I can't believe so much time has passed since this moment but it feels as if I shift over slightly in my chair I could fall right back into that specific moment from nearly a decade ago' way so this hit me hard. :)
NOELLE AND THEO ART????? GAGGED ME. And the Spanish cover for The Ex Vow? You bless me everytime you send a substack, Jessica. These are what's keeping me going
Love the image of time as a croissant, those fragile layers of memories folding on each other. It reminds me a lot of the beautiful way you described time in TEV and how, in every new moment Eli and Georgia had with each other, inevitably, memories were there too.
I had a mini-version of a nostalgia bomb last night at dinner, sitting next to where the old Blockbuster video used to be. Thinking about that terrible ex. Remembering that dive bar that seemed so cool as a 16-year-old. There's something about visiting places that used to mean a lot to us that causes ripples in the present. Thanks for sharing this :)
oh yes, the croissant layers were totally there with Georgia and Eli! I love putting a visual to it like that, and I love what you said about how visiting places cause ripples in the present. It's so true! Our memories are always right next to us.
Oh WOW THAT COVER 🔥🔥🔥
As a fellow nomad child, this speaks to me so much. I love that you have this place to return to as every version of you.
I was so obsessed with the idea of home as a kid because I understood it in the way you find home in a person (my parents, at the time) but I didn't really understand the way you find home in a singular place. It was really lovely to realize that I've always had that after all!
Yes, absolutely! One of my homes is Sunset Cliffs in San Diego, where I lived in high school. And every time I have returned to New Mexico, I marvel at the enormous sky and remember how it felt to arrive there the first time. Everywhere I’ve lived, I’ve missed the places from before it, only to leave there eventually too and romanticize how it was compared to wherever I’ve gone next. I’m forever in a state of yearning for some home I’ve left. Or maybe I’m yearning for a past me. But I like thinking of them (places, selves) as somewhere I can return to instead of something I’ve lost.
Not me crying reading this 😭😭 I’m preparing for (yet another) out of state move this summer and it hit me in my feels. I’ve lived on the West Coast (+ Hawaii) my entire life & am now moving to Virginia. Thank you for getting me in my feels today.
Moves always put me into a tailspin! They're so scary and also transformative, in often the best ways. But you'll always be able to come back to yourself on the west coast 💕
The East Coast is great, too! I lived in Hawaii for 3 years and multiple times lived in Virginia, and loved it! I’m now in Maryland. Best of luck with your move!
Thank you!! 🥺
Minutes before the alert for this new post popped up, I had *just* read your blurb for Wild & Wrangled and thought what a delightful surprise it was to hear your voice and your uniquely YOU way of articulating the world so beautifully. I left W&W on page 23 to come read this, and I’m so glad I did. Your words always make me feel at home. (And I pictured Adam’s house when you wrote that you felt like you walked in and dropped your bag!) Thank you for this gift you keep on giving us. You’re a pure light in these murky times.
oh gosh, I love the visual of Adam's house—Georgia and Eli's St. George 🥹 Thank you so much for your intensely kind words. I love sharing my thoughts with all of you and getting them in return!
oh JJ as always, your words just soothe my soul 🥹 (and make me cry!)
I get it tenfold back from you guys!
haven’t even read this one yet but i already feel homesick for your next letter
don't make me cry
Thanks for sharing, this was exactly what I needed, and as always I’m so happy to hear from you 🥹🥹
I'm so happy we were on the same wavelength 💕
Hope YOU are taking care of yourself too! Thanks for sharing these special moments. 🤍
I'm doing my best!!
i swear when you write, it speaks right to what i’ve been thinking about. going home. finding home. being home. as someone who moved quite a bit growing up, the only place i can consistently call home is my small little island in the middle of the pacific, that i haven’t visited in so long. but ugh! my heart feels full.
I swear the idea of home has been my thematic obsession for as long as I can remember. I think it just stays with us when we didn't get to stay anywhere for too long. But your home is always there waiting patiently for you. I hope you get to go back soon 💕
Gosh every newsletter you write is such a goddamn gift. Going to be thinking about all the croissant layers all day.
the greatest praise coming from you! thank you friend 💕
San Diego claims you as ours. Just saying.
This makes me unspeakable happy!
this is beautiful, and also i'm obsessed with the croissant metaphor!
I'm glad it made some sort of sense! Sometimes I think about it and I'm like WHAT are you saying Jessica 😂 but it really is how I see it!
I love that layered image of time & our past selves. You have such a sense of place in your writing, no wonder those are *your* places. They come through so vividly it feels like being transported. I love the childhood photos (the broad daylight soaked images in film) side by side with today's photos. I always see those juxtapositions in my mind - then and now. Me and them (my kids). The passage of time, caught on film and put on display.
Beautiful TEW cover, too! I wasn't an international collector but you sure make that tempting with this!
oh gosh, that's the greatest compliment you could give me, because I always worry I *don't* have a sense of place. I'm sure that correlates directly back to having accumulated so many living spaces over the course of time. Love how you describe then and now—caught on film and put on display 🥹 Noelle and Paul would marvel over it too!
I am terrible about logging into Substack so just seeing this. (I'll get better! I like it here!) YWAV and the photography and then Georgia's sense of home in TEV are both so perfectly executed on the page. It's hard to remember they aren't real living people - you make them & their places - so so real 💗
This is the most beautiful memory 💕 the only thing I have smiled at today!
happy to have been your first smile, my friend! i hope today is better!
🩵🩵🩵you!
Wow what a wonderful description of time !! I agree wholeheartedly, time in itself is something I think about a lot. And not in a scared of it running out way but more in a 'I can't believe so much time has passed since this moment but it feels as if I shift over slightly in my chair I could fall right back into that specific moment from nearly a decade ago' way so this hit me hard. :)
gosh I love the way you put that. we're so much closer to every version of ourselves than we realize!
NOELLE AND THEO ART????? GAGGED ME. And the Spanish cover for The Ex Vow? You bless me everytime you send a substack, Jessica. These are what's keeping me going
aren't they SO hot?! And thank you so much—this is keeping me going too!