Field Notes #1
Some observations from the last few weeks:
I’ve learned that scheduling interviews across time zones is a special kind of chaos.
I have a growing list of people I hope to meet in Iceland, Ireland, Hungary, Albania, Nairobi, Sweden, and elsewhere.
More plans have changed than gone according to schedule.
I’ve discovered that asking strangers to trust you with their stories is both humbling and slightly terrifying.
I’ve exchanged more photos of cats and dogs with strangers than I expected (and I love it).
I’ve had conversations about everything from horror movies to church choirs to Dungeons & Dragons.
The number of conversations I’ve had about horror movies has been surprisingly high.
It turns out “trans life” contains multitudes.
I’m increasingly convinced that one of the best questions you can ask someone is: “What does home mean to you?”
I’ve really to pack for the next adventure.
I’m excited and terrified and ready to collect more airline miles.
In solidarity,
Ash Lazarus Orr
P.S. A few people have asked how they can support the project.
The honest answer is that I’m building this one conversation at a time. Paid subscriptions and donations help cover travel, accommodations, photography, and the countless cups of coffee consumed while trying to coordinate interviews across time zones.
This month, reader support helped secure my hostel stay in Iceland, where I’ll be connecting with members of the local trans community later this summer.
If you’d like to help make future interviews and travel possible, consider becoming a paid subscriber or buying me a coffee.
And if contributing financially isn’t possible right now, sharing the newsletter with a friend means just as much.
Thank you for being here.