Omaha, NE
9.18

WHERE ARE YOU?
Somewhere in West Omaha

WHAT'D YOU DO TODAY?
Last day in Omaha, Nebraski!

Woke up ridiculously hungry, so after packing up, we found a strange diner that seemed to be a weird mix between a Starbucks and Sharis and had a breakfast of cinnamon, which was great. We left to check out Beansmith Coffee Roasters (recommended by Jesse) where we worked, journaled, and prepped for our last interview in Omaha!

Amidst the caffeine + interview prep we got to sit and speak with Joe for a minute. He's been kind of huge mentor/supporter of this trip and project since the very beginning, and it was really exciting to speak with him as we make our way towards the final legs of this huge, crazy journey (FULL CIRCLE, MY FRIENDS) (Also a huge shout-out to Joe for connecting us with all the sweet Omaha folks).

We then drove down to Round and Round to interview JUSTIN KEMERLING: designer, activist and collaborator. Justin’s a prime example of someone who followed his interests + passions and was able to build a career, designing for some great organizations, while also actively creating works that advocate social good + justice. He’s interested in exploring more experimental design/works and I’m excited to see how he goes about doing that in the future! After poking around the Round and Round space for a little bit, we said our goodbyes.

Last day in Omaha and we still hadn't eaten a single taco, so we remedied that by going to Mula.

Full of food, we got into our car and drove to West Omaha. Ended the night in the tent after far too long.

HOW YAH FEELIN?
Now that the end is LOOMING LARGE, I’ve been trying to come to terms with the fact that yes, unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and this trip is rapidly coming to a close. But we’ve been talking a lot about After, and I think we’re all really excited about how this project and of course all the experiences, relationships, and memories will continue to live on as we edit, go through our footage, and produce videos during the coming school year. More than that, I’m ready to see how this project will expand, grow and manifest itself in other ways/more spiltmilk projects/a hundred of other ideas + paths.

sahm

WHERE ARE YOU?
OMAHA

WHAT'D YOU DO TODAY?
Woke up super hungry so packed up real quick, said goodbye to airbnb and went to eat breakfast (as you probably read: cinnamon).

Later we made our way to hip Omaha coffee shop called beansmith to get some work done AND meet up with JOE SPARANO!!

It was so so great seeing Joe and catching up. He’s been such a key person in this project and seeing him along the way was really special.

After an amazing time with Joe, it was interview time with his good friend: JUSTIN KEMERLING

Also an incredibly cool dude!! What a surprise!! Justin is the go to guy for anything political, social, posters, music. He’s made a space for himself at Round and Round (his studio) where he can put all his passions to use and actually make a change in a way that really speaks to the power of design. I'm stoked to see what comes out of his incredible mind next.

After Justin’s interview, we had some dinna. RAN INTO JOE. And left Omaha. Too soon :(

Wish we had more time in Omaha but we’ve got things to do, people to see…all that jazz

HOW YAH FEELIN?
Before deciding to do this project, mid career fair and internship stress, I asked Joe to get coffee with me to ask for some advice. I talked to him about this project and wanted his opinion on it…basically to hear if he thought this was insane and why would we ever do this. Luckily he responded super positively and pushed for the project to happen. Since that moment he’s been the go to guy and such an amazing support system. It was so beautiful seeing him in his Omaha element and sharing some thoughts we’ve accumulated along the way. Also he hooked us up with some truly wonderful humans in Omaha and I am eternally grateful for that.

By the end of the day, especially after talking to Joe, I realized I legitimately think that I am going to have separation anxiety from these ladies when we get back home. Thank god we’re living in the same house because even being separated by a wall is scary at the moment.

- Dana

WHERE ARE YOU?
Benson --> West Omaha, but generally still Omaha, NE

WHAT'D YOU DO TODAY?
Woke up, packed up, then breaky (which was mostly cinnamon). Then we hit up Beansmith for tea (?) where we met JOE. <3 We had a great conversation about this trip and where he's headed. It was interesting to reflect on the experience with someone else. It was very different, but it was really nice. With that said, two big take aways from our lovely meeting with Joe, 1. try to make space to meet with people like this for the sake of talking to people exclusively because this is lovely and 2. I need to make sure I give myself time to reflect at the end of this. It would be too easy to just jump back into school.

We had to bid Joe adieu to meet his old friend JUSTIN KEMERLING! Who greeted us with the cutest sign. <3 He was incredible to talk to. From his views on life in general to his work, especially all the extra effort he puts into being politically active, he's an inspiration. It was our longest interview yet and I'm happy it was with him. It seems like he's done such a good job of really creating a life that reflects who he is and what he wants. Sadly after a while, we had to part ways.

We grabbed dinner and RAN INTO JOE. What even is Omaha? I'm not sure I believe this is a city.

These gals are goons. We found a campsite and ended up in bed early. I missed the smell of this tent and the freedom of not having to hide the fact that my closet is in the trunk.

HOW YAH FEELIN?
Really really wonderful. I was a goofy goober in front of Justin today, which was a little weird, but I don't know, I think it went over well. Also I drew a cute donkey for his card and I'm pretty proud of it. Generally feeling really good about my personal growth on this trip and loving my friends and this project more than ever.

- sam