#asburyembark

Winter in the Northeast always feels so long... In years past, I would shut myself in for days at a time, sometimes only leaving the house to get a beer in a dark bar—to feign being alive during the winter months. . Last year, I'd had it. I was so depressed. I felt like I was suffocating. . So much happened between the bloom of spring and the first frost this year... and I'm thankful to have prepared my heart a little better for winter this time around. . Part of that was knowing that I need fresh air and I needed a warm winter jacket to go on winter hikes and having friends who are willing to go on them with me. We need fresh air. We need sunshine. We need each other. . New York City as it appears at the tip of Sandy Hook National Seashore. Hiking with Sam on a windy winter day. Sandy Hook, NJ. January, 2019. . . . #alwaysgo #makeportraits #sandyhook #winter #asburyembark #skyline #nyc https://www.instagram.com/danifreakinfresh/p/BuFeHSjnMIF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=j7dl6gwol08o

Dave introduced himself as, “Frank’s friend.” Frank is the chunky basset hound rolling over on the floor of Convention Hall as passersby rub his belly and chuckle at his sweetness and stature. . “Frank makes people happy,” Dave says, so they come down the shore from Staten Island to hang out at Convention Hall on the weekends. He is social and Frank is spoiled with pets. . We ended up sitting there for hours—Dave, Pau, Will, and I—talking about world and U.S. politics, family, history, the working class, the ocean, changing populations of sea birds & other animals, and the state of our hearts. It was a tenderly intentional and spontaneous meeting. . I thrive and depend on the willingness of friends and strangers to open their hearts. Thank you to all the humans that opened their hearts and their homes to me in 2018. I am so full and that fullness is bringing me into the New Year energized with all of your love. . Frank & Dave having a good snuggle in Convention Hall. Asbury Park, NJ. April, 2018. . . . @theartofpau @will.the.smith @asburyparkboardwalk #asburypark #asburyembark #makeportraits #alwaysgo #nikonusa https://www.instagram.com/p/BsMfM0GnH-9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=177r2pjwu1phb

Kevin Hebb painting a mural in the tunnel of the train station. Wooden Walls Project. Asbury Park, NJ. July, 2018. . @kevinhebb @woodenwallsproject @parlorgallery #murals #WIP #keepasburyweird #asburypark #asburyembark #trainstation