The sound of snow creaking under the weight of a snowshoe in the Alaskan wilderness. Jake is a wise, gentle soul and my very special friend. 

 

For the last couple of years, I knew that this travel cat project had to end but I wasn't emotionally prepared. The seasons had come and gone, and the scenery had surely changed, like climbing a staircase little by little, but I was feeling stuck and less creative. Still, I couldn’t let go, I had been with them for so long. It felt like that ending this series was like saying goodbye to my dear friends. 

 

Around that same time, Jake started popping into my mind constantly. One day, he was there again, and I was on my way to work. Thinking of him, his poem appeared in my mind. 

 

“Once Departed, Unknown becomes clear.”

 

Once I remembered the line, I started crying like a dam had broken. Sobbing aloud in my car, I was filled with gratitude towards my dear travel cat friends and all the years that I had spent with them. After sending a big hug to them in my heart, I recognized that it was time to say goodbye. Jake kept accompanying me with his subtle smile. From that day, something changed. One thing ended in me and another began. 

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Jake was inspired by Michio Hoshino, a Japanese photographer that I admire, and named after my grandfather-in-law, Jake whom I also admire deeply.