Prologue

The nature of desire is strange. Sometimes it’s the memory of someone who isn’t around us anymore. Other times, it’s a craving for change, a wake-up—for the unexpected, scintillating, electric. Or maybe it’s just the hope of feeling stirred again. I observe the subtle distance we keep between ourselves and unknowns on the street, polite smiles, a second of warmth in their eyes, a guard coyly staying up. I’m drawn to the act of stepping through, making space for the kind of radical realness with someone new that we rarely allow. There’s something beautiful in that shift—when tension softens, when you recognize a spark, a subtle flutter of belly butterflies, egos unfurled. When you see that someone is in stitches over a no -filter comment of yours, or finding a mutual soft spot for the same less-travelled location or obscure comedy, record or author.

As a wise person once said, desire is our very essence. Connection of new, unexpected and transformative forms is one of my deepest desires — self-exploration and cultivation really drive a lot of things I seek. I

If you’re willing, we can dive in.