Connection

Many of us have felt like outsiders in one way or another. To find your tribe, where you can be the truest, the most authentic version of yourself, is vital. As an immigrant, I understand that feeling of starting over, creating a new version of yourself. When you enter a new community, the place and its inhabitants can make or break that connection. Both protagonists in Shiny Bits are displaced, outsiders. Dorie and Clementine must search for not only their tribe, but perhaps more importantly, their truest selves. In my personal experience, this feeling of connection with Bolivar is because of the authentic character of its landscape, combined with the fact that I never met one person there who was not friendly, welcoming, and generous. Shiny bits in between is my love letter to this place and the people who live there.