f to the Y to the I - For Us, the Road Ahead Leads to Tucson

Kelly: Three in the afternoon. Empty house, boxes fill the car, and it’s snowing outside. Not a glint of any sunlight in the sky today. We sit in a dirty yellow roofed coffeehouse off 39th Street where the art is young and the music quality is inconsistent.

Yes, this is an afternoon free of the routine of work. I’ve dreamt about these afternoons, when we could lunch at Aixois at 55th and Brookside, then walk to the Nelson and tour the art free of any worries or responsibilities requiring MS Project or Excel. Or enjoy a morning at a friend’s studio in the West Bottoms before catching a new movie at the Tivoli.

Alas, that hasn’t been the trend the last few weeks. Instead, we have been hustling all our furniture away, boxing up the valuables, and saying sweet goodbyes to friends and family. Jobless by design, but driving to a new job in Tucson, Ariz., we leave in a few days to drive across the plains into the desert.
Lisa Marie: Moving a lifetime that is, basically being born and raised in Kansas City or the near surroundings. But I am a light packer, as I prefer to keep mobile. I’ve ventured about in travels, and often I so immerse myself in the people and the locale that I feel I have indeed lived there.

I’ve always known I would move about. I recently added the moving experience as a goal in my three-year plan. And then this cute San Diego-an, who is really more of a Tucsonan, moved to K.C. to sweep me right on up to meet that goal.
Kelly: She is a packer for sure, but that’s another story for another town.

Light and mobile, flexible and strong, my girl is helping me move through the cold, thick K.C. day by reminding me of how much I have loved living here. How I have loved living in seasons, which are so subtle in the West that they are often missed. I will miss the bare trees and gray skies, the extraordinary green of spring, the late croaking summer nights and the unbelievable fire of autumn leaves. Sounds cliché until you live and immerse yourself into the surroundings of KC ... and I have definitely immersed into the best and most lovely aspects of the city.
Lisa Marie: And a sexy thang had to remind me of why and how I’m leaving. I felt some resistance around this move. I had to process that stuff on the double, as this move is a’ movin’ fast. I’ve been self-employed and freelancing for the last five years. So I’ve worked hard on my way up in the art and film arena. I felt as though I was giving up my teaching and facilitating jobs, my studio residency downtown and a nomination for a Charlotte Street Foundation’s Visual Artist Award.

Ah, but a change in perspective and an attitude adjustment set a girl straight. Well, far from it, but you got my da-rift. One door must close sometimes for another to open. We must make space for new worlds to come into our lives. That is what I’m doing, opening up to the world. Letting go and letting in.
Kelly: Some wise Navajo told me once, “Everyone always returns to the desert and everyone leaves their old bags in the desert.” Thunderbird may have had a hand in that statement, but nevertheless, I’ll give up karma any chance I get. I lived there once and now returning. I must have a lot to shed.

But I also know I must be doing something right. I have met the love of my life here in the middle of the country. I’ve discovered yoga, green living (which includes veganism), and unbelievable sexiness in she, he, you and me.

We are off to a new adventure and will keep all of you abreast of our travels and doings. Writing for Camp and sharing the pleasure of our pleasures has been great fun. As we run into many beautiful, sexy boy and girl Camp readers throughout our K.C. journeys, we get inspired to dive into more.

Stay on the lookout for columns on road trips for us gays and exciting ventures in the ol’ West. You will also hear more about our upcoming film Gayby Boom.

If ever you want to visit Tucson and call out to one of your own, don’t hesitate!
Lisa Marie: Like a sexy, swirly Twister game, I got my arms ’n’ legs wrapped around K.C. Great talent and awesome folk allow for opportunities to connect the states and remember how small the world truly is. I look forward to a new journey and taking you along. Remember to check out www.lisamarieart.com for updated work and shows. If you’re in Tucson, hit a sista up, and whilst in K.C., live life to the fullest.

Lisa Marie Evans is a local filmmaker and artist, and Kelly Reed is a creative writer and art collector. Together they enjoy the sexy, finer things in life, such as travel, food, art, adventure and women. In their column, Lisa Marie and Kelly wish to share with the LGBT community what they find out about the ways to enjoy and appreciate life.