writing a newsletter
a note on why I’m even writing this supposed “newsletter”
I’ve moved a lot in the last five years. I graduated from the University of Redlands - Johnston Centre for Integrative Studies - in 2019, moved directly to San Francisco for what I believed was an incredible opportunity (haha), got upended by the pandemic (hahaha) and moved back home to my family in Waimea on Big Island, committed myself to Hawai’i and gave Honolulu a chance in 2021 (best decision of my life), and then committed myself to playwriting so moved to New York City for grad school in 2022.
Five weeks after graduating with my MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU Tisch, I moved to Singapore as a 2024-2025 Luce Scholar. So, in five years, I’ve moved back and forth for 17,394 miles. And, in those miles, I’ve met people, my people, who I wish I could surround myself with every day. My problem is that those people are everywhere, and everywhere only seems to get bigger. Especially as those people go other places. I wish I could spread myself so thin that I could laugh with all of them, but alas. Life.
So I’m writing this newsletter in hopes to:
1) stay in touch with you
2) make new connections with you
3) share my time in Singapore with you
Who is you? You are the ones I know, don’t know, know just a little, will one day know, will never know, and you are also me.
little sean
This boy didn’t know all the places he’d go - I hope to make him proud.
I’d now like to address you by place:
Redlands - I blame you for emboldening me enough to forge this path I’m now on.
San Francisco - You taught me a lot, most of which was hard to learn, if not too soon.
Waimea - I think of you every day and dream of a time in the future when I can give back to the place that raised me.
Honolulu - After I left you, I often wondered if it was the right choice. I mean it when I say I’ve never been happier than when I was with you. And I’m sorry I didn’t come back as soon as I said I would. It’ll happen one day, by some means. I promise… again.
NYC - I left you way too fast. I’m sad I didn’t have the chance to develop much of a relationship with you outside of grad school. You and I both know that I have no choice but to return. Don’t make me spell it out. Too painful, and far too soon.*
Singapore - We’ve been with each other for three months now, but still have much to learn. I hope we’re both full of surprises. There’s a handful of significant reasons why we’re together. Let’s make more.
All Other Places - I’m sorry I didn’t make the time to visit you. If I know anything about myself, it’s that I’ll swing by soon.
I often joke with my partner that we’ll buy (haha) a house in all of the places we want to live. Sometimes, I’m tempted to call myself a tricoastal playwright, thinking I can split my time equally between the places I love most. Maybe I can. Who knows…
big sean
moving once again - knowing where he’s going but not sure what’s ahead
photo courtesy of my sister in NYC
*if one more person tells me that New York misses me I might fade away into the next sunset