Palm Springs!

Hey, guys! What a night it’s been. I’m about to get in to my Palm Springs leg of our recent trip, and shortly, you’ll hear about my mythic rare Magic: The Gathering card pull that had me so excited. I built a deck around it […red and black]. It’s taken on many changes over the last three days, but tonight, in it’s final incarnation, it went head to head against @tarotbyfergus and @vermillionfox. It won’t about 8 out 11 games, so I’m on a “new deck high”. 

In my last post, “Los Angeles”, I talked about my travels with @vermillionfox and @guthrie throughout the west coast. I cut things off right as we were leaving Romancing The Bean in Burbank, about to get on the highway for Palm Springs. Our good friends Berrit and @danielkiessler were anticipating us just a few hours away. This was surely to be the most relaxing part of the 10 day trip, and I couldn’t wait! 

We hit traffic, leaving LA just slightly too late after sticking around to watch the Falcon Heavy test flight […no regrets]. I decided that rather than just sit in gridlocked traffic, we’d get off the interstate and take a detour to Rad Coffee in Upland, this punk rock coffee shop I stumbled across last year during one of my trips. @guthrie enjoyed a hot chocolate, I bought a few stickers and a mug to donate to @caffetto. We got back on the road and arrived just after sundown in Palm Springs. 

I missed Berrit and @danielkiessler so much! I met Berrit in 2016 when she participated in my annual NOIR I LA Old Hollywood boudoir event. @vermillionfox and I loved her so much, we stayed in touch. Her husband @danielkiessler is an incredible photorealistic artist and we bonded over social media until they hosted me at their beautiful home twice last year. I fell in love with their three greyhounds and the desert, even in the middle of August at Palm Springs most unbearable. 

Our time was spent relaxing; something I haven’t managed to do in over a decade. The pace of my life, especially over the last six years, has been an exercise in burnout inducing hustle just to stay afloat. Be it money, opportunities or conditioning, I almost never turn down work. This trip, especially the time in Palm Springs, was the only time in recent memory I recall talking myself in to just…..not. Enjoying the time, the desert, the home and the company. We ate at my favorites restaurants in Palm Springs. It was blissful. 

Myself, @vermillionfox and @guthrie even found time to track down the only comic book and card store in the immediately Palm Springs area. Even Berrit and @danielkiessler were surprised when I told them it existed. I bought a few packs of Magic: The Gathering “Rivals of Ixalan” boosters and later drew a foil Angrath, the Flame-Chained! Couldn’t wait to steal and sacrifice @tarotbyfergus’ dumb-ass creatures. 

Even with an unexpected third day in Palm Springs, it seemed like we were leaving as fast as we arrived. Our last day, me, Berrit, @danielkiessler, their three greyhounds, @vermillionfox and @guthrie walked in to the desert for family photos of our friends at the base of the mountains. We celebrated our time together with one last lunch […the best Mexican food of my life], said our goodbyes and began our long drive to Las Vegas, our final destination for the journey. More on that tomorrow. 

Thanks for reading! I post regularly. For more photography, art, travel and the stories behind the work, follow me here @kommienezuspadt!