Since I started college in Missouri, I've split my time between my hometown of Middleton, Wisconsin, and Columbia, Missouri. The majority of my year is spent in Missouri, but once the summer and winter breaks come around, I make my way back home to visit family, my oldest friends, and the landscape that I grew up in. Each time I come home, I become more aware of things that I miss about it that I haven't even realized. During this year's Christmas season, I decided to photograph my experience at home. With only one year left of college, I'm not sure when or if I'll be able to spend an extended period of time at home with the people and places who helped mold me into the person I am today.
I spent the majority of my childhood with a constant view of this barn in the backyard. When I was about 10 years old, I discovered how to climb into it and started sitting out there all the time. As I got older, I used the space less and less, but I still love being able to look out at the barn while I'm at home.
December 24, 2021
Middleton, WI, USA
I'm so grateful to have made lifelong friends in high school. Many of them go to school at UW-Madison, and I like to spend as much time as possible with them when visiting Wisconsin. I woke up after a nap in my friend's apartment to the first snowfall since I'd gotten home.
December 28, 2021
Madison, WI, USA
Morning light filters through the curtains in my friend Kristen's apartment.
December 28, 2021
Madison, WI, USA
Fresh snow covers State Street. Downtown Madison has been one of my favorite spots to go since I was in high school, and it feels extra special with a crisp layer of snow.
December 28, 2021
Madison, WI, USA
Birds fly out from the barn rafters on Christmas Day.
December 24, 2021
Middleton, WI, USA
For as long as I can remember, the farm has been home to many stray cats. Some, like this black and white cat, have lived here for long enough to have several litters of kittens.
December 24, 2021
Middleton, WI, USA
The well that pumps all the water we use into our house. When steer arrive in the spring, the pipe is rearranged to carry water into the pen for them. During the summer, I fill my cup straight from the well.
December 24, 2021
Middleton, WI, USA
My birthday falls two days before Valentine's Day. After giving birth to me, my mother was determined to get her newborn a heart-shaped balloon for the holiday. Despite being sentenced to bedrest, she waited for her nurses to leave her room before making her way down several floors to the hospital gift shop, balancing precariously on her IV pole the whole way. Every year since, I've had a heart-shaped balloon waiting for me on the morning of my birthday. Once I started college, we began celebrating early.
January 11, 2022
Middleton, WI, USA
I was fortunate enough to enjoy the benefits of the homemade pasta kick some of my friends were on once I came back for the holidays. I love the time we spent during these meals, inevitably reminiscing before making our way back to untangling the time between the present and the last time we saw each other. It's moments like these when I feel most at home.
January 7, 2022
Middleton, WI, USA