Tamamura, Where My Heart Resides

My Heart Resides In Tamamura - Please Send Me There!

Ever since we went out for the first time a year ago on June 25th, my Suz and I have been very much in love. So much so, that our relationship continues to flourish, even long-distance; but everyday we miss each other dearly, and long to be close, to share each other's warmth, to fall asleep in each other's arms. It's difficult being apart, and so we planned that this summer, for our anniversary and birthdays, that the best gift we could give each other is simply being together.

Our hopes were struck a severe blow lately, though, when unexpected expenses suddenly reared their ugly head, and took away so much of the hope we had to see each other. And so now I am doing all that I can, but to some extent, at least, I must rely on the kindness of others.

I don't have much I can promise in return, aside from personal favors, stories and photos of the happy times we share when I finally see my love, but I can promise you this: Your donation will help two people who are very much in love to sustain that love and let it grow. Your donation will help to bless our long-distance love with the opportunity to have adventures together, and to snuggle together when our adventures are done. Your donation will let us leave the fetters of Gmail and Skype behind, so that we can share our love in the real world in real time. Your donation will help us give each other the best anniversary gift either of us could recieve: each other's presence.

Please, if you have ever been in love, you know firsthand how hard it can be to endure distance. We have been 6,154 miles apart for so very long, and our hearts long to be together once more. Please, please, please help us make it happen.

Thank you.


A Quick Note Regarding Donations: This was going to be an all-or-nothing fundraising - once I can buy my ticket to go, that's all that I will need, and this account will be closed thereafter.

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Sleeping Beauty, written and illustrated by Suz Smela!

sample page:


New Reward Level: Paper!

Not too long ago, my Suz wrote and illustrated an amazing, beautiful story as a black and white inked comic. It's a story of wonder and love and enchantment, but it's not the Sleeping Beauty story you may know. This story is the fairytale of us, and worlds of dreaming, and the strength we give each other.

And now, this lovely and heartwarming tale is available to you with a small donation. There's still a long way to go, but we're off to a great start thanks to those who have already contributed. Every little bit helps, and we want to show our thanks. With your contribution of just 10 dollars, we will be happy to send you a .pdf copy of this touching, delightful story, so that we might share some of the happiness of the world we have together with those who are helping us to reunite once again.

If you've already donated, the Paper Level reward can be retroactively included! Reward levels are also cumulative, and the comic will be included with higher reward levels as well.

We're very thankful to everyone who is helping to make this visit happen, and we want you all to share in the joy we have together.

Please, if you can, help us to overcome the staggering geographical distance we face. Please, if you can, help send me to Tamamura, where my heart resides <3


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How Suz and I Met, and How We Became A Couple

The first time Suz and I met was one evening at the Inferno, when I lingered at the bar after friends went off to dance. A moment later, I found myself talking with my friend Stephanie and a few friends of hers, one of whom was Suz. I immediately found myself interested in this new and beautiful person, and we chatted for a while about international copyright law. Though I found Suz very attractive, my self-doubt wrote off any possibility that my feelings were reciprocated. We exchanged numbers and parted ways.

A few weeks later, my band was opening for the Protomen at the High Noon, and Suz approached me before the show to compliment my makeup. We talked for a while about theatre and cosmetics and the effects that could be done for stage makeup, and I foolishly convinced myself that Suz was probably just making nice conversation, and it couldn't possibly be that our attraction was mutual. I enjoyed our conversation together, and hoped we would have the chance to meet again soon.

It was on the 23rd of June that my band played a show at the Frequency that we ended up headlining. After playing the show, I was fuzzy-headed and still full of adrenaline, when to my surprise and delight, Suz walked up to the stage and complimented me on the show. Suz was a smidge tipsy that night, and sat down at the front of the stage to talk with me about gender, and the conversation rapidly became a lively dialogue about archetypes and society and complex human issues, and it was delightful. It was during conversation that I also found out Suz would be leaving in a week for Japan. We exchanged numbers a second time, and I was delighted just to have had the conversation.

The next day we exchanged messages, and decided to get together for bubble-tea at Jade Mountain Cafe. I was elated to have the chance to spend time together, especially since I expected that, with Suz leaving only a week later, that we probably wouldn't have the chance to do so again.

it was never a thing I expected to happen. As I walked up the driveway of the address I was given, I saw Suz walking up the steps. Our eyes met, and we both felt a reassuring connection in that moment. There was something between us that was instantly disarming, a positivity in each other's reactions that immediately unwound all of the over-tightened springs and cogs of my mind.  

Over bubble tea and violet colored sweet-rolls, we became enrapt in conversation with one another. We lost ourselves in conversation, the subjects ranging far and wide. Our minds danced wildly together, and I found myself entranced not only by the beauty I beheld, but by the scintillating intellect that Suz possesses.

That night we played chess and shared makeup tips, and that evening we had our very first kiss. It was sweet, and romatnic, and swept me off my feet.

Over the next week we spent as much time together as we possibly could, and by the end of the week we had discoverd just how marvelously, incredibly congruent we were. It was marvelous and wonderful, and we didn't feel the need to put labels on what we had quite yet.

Over the month after Suz left for New York in preparation to leave for Japan, we called each other to talk constantly. Every night we connected, and every night we spoke for hours together. Even in the absence of each other's physical presence, we found each other exhilarating.

We were both reluctant to use the word 'love' at first - it's so loaded with implication, expectation and cultural presupposition, but after a while, it seemed like the only word that could really encompass how thrilled and giddy and happy we felt to be together.

It was soon after that Suz sent me a present, and we were connected on the phone as I opened it. The front side was a magnificent portrait Suz made of me as an Adventure Time princess, and it made me very happy; on the reverse was a portrait of Susan Strong, playing the ukelele and saying -

"Dear Sascha,
Being with you is an Adventure Time,
Even though we're in very Distant Lands,
If you would say "Yes!"
(& I hope you'll say yes)
The fun will never end,
so please...
Be Mine!
Would you do me the honor of being my girl?
<3 - Susie"

"Yes!" I said immediately into the phone, my heart aflutter and a huge smile on my face, "Yes, yes yes yes, a thousand times yes!" And we were both very happy.

(and yes, i'll post a picture of the portrait and the message soon, most likely tomorrow when I get get a pic of it in good light.)