Photographed by Julie Glassberg -

First trip solo, 2006, meeting with David, Kevin, and his car Nono. I was supposed to stay at David's studio in Vallejo, on a futon for a couple of days.
We just met and after a few minutes he says: "sorry kid, I can't have you stay here, I have to go to Bonneville to the salt flats and film the races..."
Without any hesitation I ask: "Can I come???"
"Alright, let me ask my friend Kevin. He's a musician and he'll be driving."
A few days later, an old Dodge wagon pulls up in San Francisco's Tenderloin, where I was staying, to pick me up. A man with a cowboy hat, sunglasses and boots came out to help me with my stuff. The kid in me was exploding with joy.
I was entering a real life american movie.
This was the trip that changed my life.
My family and friends in France thought I was completely crazy and unconscious. After all, I was going on the road with 2 strangers, men, way older than me and we were gonna camp together or sleep in the same room. I guess I did give them material to worry. I definitely didn't have a smart phone back then and I wasn't making much effort to give news all the time either as I was completely absorbed by what was happening to me.
This trip ended up being one of the most meaningful trips of my life. David and Kevin knew about so many things.
We talked about art, photography, music, history, cinema...
I learned every second spent with them.
David didn't quite understand why I was so terrified to become a photographer at such a young age.
He made me understand and realize that if you don't try, you can't know if it's going to work out or not. And if you try and it doesn't work, you keep trying, and you keep trying, until you don't want to try anymore and maybe you find something else and that is fine! But you gotta try.
"If you don't try you don't know" kind of became my life motto after this trip.

A4, Open edition, Stamped
30 x 40, Open edition, Stamped