To the Emerald City

Surprise!

I moved to Seattle. 

I was offered a job at the Seattle Art Museum as their Manager of Public Engagement for the Olympic Sculpture Park. The role is a mix of all the things I love: art, environment, and engaging the public in creative ways. For some I have gotten to share my reasons for crossing the United States, but I feel like it is important for the future me to process it in writing for posterity. 

The Breaking Point

For the past couple years I was feeling the drain of Florida– the heat, the politics, dwindling arts funding, and increasing vulnerabilities the state is facing due to climate disasters. It was 2024 and my grandmother had just passed. We were close, I lived 5 minutes away and for the last 10 years of living in Miami, I had been visiting my grandparents every 2 weeks. Shortly after, Florida was dealing with another onslaught of a hurricane season. I was a bit excited that my hurricane work was selected to be part of an exhibition with Green Space Miami, but that also meant prepping the work, my studio on the waterfront, my apartment, and my grandfather’s home for the incoming storms. Hurricane Helene had already spooked the state and everyone was on high alert. Hurricane Milton was on the radar with a possible direct hit to South Florida. As we watched and prepared I had decided to bunker down with my grandfather at his place. A couple things you need to know about my Grandpa Larry. First, he was a pilot for his whole career. He has flown around the world many times and has logged countless hours in the clouds. Second, he is very neat and very particular about his home. Third, he doesn’t have the best memory and we had just lost my Grandma Gini. I don’t care to share the details but while Milton didn’t hit physically, the emotional impact of the storm was pretty direct. It had become apparent that I wasn’t going to live with him to help out or that South Floridians weren’t taking their climate vulnerabilities seriously and my work as Climate Crusader had come to an end. Rather than bailing water out of a sinking ship I decided it was time to leave. I started packing my apartment immediately and tying up my commitments to jobs in the city. 

Hurricane Installation ‘Oracle’ installed at Green Space Miami

Revisiting Jacksonville

I arrived at my parents home on the evening of December 31st, 2024. It was important to me that by the new year I had moved completely out of South Florida. I spent the next two months sleeping a lot and applying to jobs. It was nice to be back home for a little while and see old friends, places of employment, and the new social scenes of Jacksonville. I spent a good amount of time scouting jobs in Seattle. My mind was already made up about the city with its offerings of nature, water, dating, and museums. Several applications and a few job interviews later, the Seattle Art Museum made an offer and I said yes!

Sunrise on Jacksonville Beach

Across America 

I’m lucky to have friends all across the country of the United States of America. Leaving Jacksonville I travelled to Baton Rouge, Austin, Oklahoma City, Denver, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Mount Shasta, and Seattle. The days were long, but not as intense as I had thought they would be. With my frogs in the front seat of my Subaru we traveled amost 4,000 miles to ‘The Emerald City’ while mostly listening to the Wicked soundtrack.

Start of the Rose Period 

When I first arrived to Seattle it was still on the tail end of winter rainy weather. During the drizzle, people tend to dress very layered and stay to themselves. I’m still adjusting to the city and really haven’t seen much besides the downtown area. I do like being next to the sea at work and spend the days hoping to spot some seals or an orca. Spring is wild. I have never seen so many flowers in my life. Everything is in bloom! Summer has been surprising. It is so alive and full of events. The inhabitants of the city get drunk on the sun, savoring every drop before the weather shifts. 

My new life includes a great amount of decaffeinated tea, doing internal journaling work about love, and growing roses. I go by Zander and my new animal totem of the Pacific Northwest is the bear. Most of my time is at work of staying in, which has been healing to body. I like this place, but I know it’s not my forever home. I will do great things here and grow immensely in my career, finances, and love life. So mote it be. 

OSP Zander, Fairy of the Roses