Close to Home

"Close to Home" is my ongoing project exploring the decision of whether or not to continue living in your hometown. Set in the small towns in the Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada, the project is inspired by my upbringing in Kimberley, a one-stoplight town in the Kootenays. Growing up in Kimberley, my family moved once, 11 houses down 106th Ave. The faces in my first-day-of-kindergarten photo were the same best friends I graduated with. I never even had a house key. On my recent visit back home, I hadn’t seen my father in six months, most of my text messages were to people on the other side of the continent, and my parents don’t even live together anymore. These changes have prompted a reflection on why I chose not to stay in a place I still admire. With "Close to Home," I am seeking to gain a stronger understanding of the emotional pushes and pulls in Kootenay's small towns and how they shape the future of the communities.