Dear World,
The question of where I am from, or perhaps where I belong feels heavier.
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The day the World Health Organization declared a pandemic, my partner was en route to another island. Travelling individually and together is one of the most stable things in our lives. We are both European, but have spent the last 8 years in the Philippines, working in marine conservation, often in remote places and with incredible communities. This is home.
During my life, I’ve watched the world grow smaller and smaller. I consider myself a global citizen and I am privileged to feel part of a community that is not restricted by nationality, race, profession, wealth. In many ways, in this moment I’ve never felt so connected to you as I do now. This pandemic has united us, like never before. It’s an unprecedented global experience. But I also feel deeply alone. Geographically isolated from my family in Europe, emotionally disconnected from those that put capitalism before humanity, and anxious by the rise in xenophobia. Suddenly doors are shutting. Global and domestic transportation has seized. The question of where I am from, or perhaps where I belong feels heavier. A weight that others, unfairly, know much better than I.
In this global moment of loneliness, I am most grateful for being together. Together, alone. I often wonder what it would be like, if, on that first day of the pandemic, he would not have rung to say, "Babe I didn’t take the ferry, I’m coming home to you.”
Sincerely,
The question of where I am from, or perhaps where I belong feels heavier.
︎
The day the World Health Organization declared a pandemic, my partner was en route to another island. Travelling individually and together is one of the most stable things in our lives. We are both European, but have spent the last 8 years in the Philippines, working in marine conservation, often in remote places and with incredible communities. This is home.
During my life, I’ve watched the world grow smaller and smaller. I consider myself a global citizen and I am privileged to feel part of a community that is not restricted by nationality, race, profession, wealth. In many ways, in this moment I’ve never felt so connected to you as I do now. This pandemic has united us, like never before. It’s an unprecedented global experience. But I also feel deeply alone. Geographically isolated from my family in Europe, emotionally disconnected from those that put capitalism before humanity, and anxious by the rise in xenophobia. Suddenly doors are shutting. Global and domestic transportation has seized. The question of where I am from, or perhaps where I belong feels heavier. A weight that others, unfairly, know much better than I.
In this global moment of loneliness, I am most grateful for being together. Together, alone. I often wonder what it would be like, if, on that first day of the pandemic, he would not have rung to say, "Babe I didn’t take the ferry, I’m coming home to you.”
Sincerely,
Together Alone
Support this photographer: Sally Snow ︎ @sallyj.snow
About the photographer: Sally is a Zoologist and Filmmaker. She is an Executive Director for the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines the largest non- government organization dedicated to the conservation of marine megafauna and the marine environment in the Philippines. A passionate science communicator, she has worked in diverse roles from associate producer, undercover filmmaker, self-shooting presenter and fixer for blue-chip series. She believes photography and film are powerful tools for behavioural change and focuses on delivering stories that connect both people and the environment.
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