as a kid i remember hearing that our taste buds replace themselves entirely every seven years. i have to imagine that our personalities are not an exception to that concept. with that idea in mind, i decided that i would write more to cement this version of myself in time. no matter when i wrote these, or how long each poem took, i felt the ideas behind them strongly at the time of writing; even if that is subject to change in the future. this project started on the plane ride to a family trip that helped me realize just how much i was leaving behind at home. every poem was written in the year or so that followed.