When we first set out on the tour, as excited as we were to be traveling, we were very aware of the reality that we were going to be on the road in a car, like, a lot. Yet, we were lucky to ease into road-trippin’ by driving through the east coast. Our journey to New Hampshire from Maine was a perfect example of that.
After spending a couple nights in a holding pattern in parking lots at a Cabela’s in Maine then a Walmart in New Hampshire, we finally packed up the car with drinks and snacks for the road and a hour or so drive later, we found ourselves already in Portsmouth – 68 miles later! We didn’t even get a chance to start eating our Peanut Butter m&m’s. Sad, I know.
At the Walmart parking lot, Noel had her lowest moment of the tour. While she’s a well-adjusted kitty now, at only two weeks into the tour, she was still a little apprehensive about being transferred to and from the trailer. When I was bringing her to the truck from the trailer, she wiggled her way out of my arms and made a run for under the trailer. Tyler fortunately grabbed her, scooped her up and began walking her toward the truck again. That was when, in a panic, one of her claws punctured his neck. Yep, you read that right. In one side, out the other. Later our friends Seth and Sally would go on to joke that we should have looped a hoop through for a nice neck piercing. It took time but Tyler eventually forgave her. I mean it’s not like she did it intentionally. Since then she’s adapted to different environments, and we hold her differently when transporting her to avoid any wounds.
Fortunately, the day before the project, things worked out. I came across Creative Mornings Portsmouth that photographer Raya Al-Hashmi and videographer Miles Woodworth are involved in. I decided to send the two of them emails and to save on time, I copied and pasted the same email.
Well, after scrolling through their Instagrams (@rayaonassignment & @seacoast_flash), I realized that they were actually a couple and could just imagine them sitting together reading the same email, showing each other, laughing, then deleting. I guess this is where my self-deprecating humor benefits me. I decided to email them together, totally admitting fault to sending them the same email before while also admitting that I scrolled deep into their Instagrams, but that it was all for good reason, that we were desperately looking for a photographer and videographer.
They graciously laughed it off, commenting that they noticed but didn’t blame me. They got it. Their understanding was a strong indication that they were ideal for the project. Tyler and I believe in things happening for a reason and this is an example of it. We hadn’t found a photographer and videographer and that’s because they needed to do it. A bonus was that they quickly connected us with 3S Artspace that allowed us to use their “attic” workroom for the project last minute.
It wasn’t much, but it was enough to work with! We sweated through the summer heat to rearrange the room the day before the project and hoped to God it wouldn’t be hot and humid the next couple days.
