Vareesha Khan
20150428051118-Edit.jpg

The Intimacy Project

An interview series, where people are asked to explore a question that is both universal and personal. This project strives to create compassion and understanding, as we see ourselves in the stories of others. The questions are not shared in the entries, as the content they catalyze are the focus of The Intimacy Project. The photos included are selected by the interviewees as images that best represent who they are. If you are interested in adding your own story, please contact me.

"Back in middle-school and high school, I had the biggest crush on this guy from my hometown. He was the dark, mysterious cool-guy that every girl probably dreams of dating. He was the kind of person that only let a few people get to know him really well. Everyday after school, we’d talk on MSN Messenger (it was still relevant then) and sneak late-night conversations for hours on end. By the end of my freshman year, we ended up dating. He was about 3 years older than me, so I was overly excited to be dating this “cool” senior. For a while, everything was like a dream come true for the young 15-year-old me in love. He drove me around in his own sports-car, and took me on fancy dates around town. He was my first kiss. We still have our initials carved on a tree at a park somewhere back in my hometown. It was the epitome of a Taylor Swift love song.

We eventually broke up after many months of dating on and off. I remember being so heartbroken on our final breakup, because he just disappeared from the face of the Earth and I couldn’t contact him at all. Turns out, he spontaneously decided to go on a solo backpacking trip to South America. I knew he had a bunch of demons in his life, but I didn’t know that he was the kind of person to just drop everything and move on so quickly, as if everyone that he left behind didn’t matter to him at all. I remember crying for days, and always calling his phone to see if he returned.

I’m glad it didn’t work out with him, because I’ve dated some incredible people afterwards. Through my experiences with him, I got to understand myself better, what I wanted from a relationship, and how to handle relationships maturely. I still think he’s a bit of an ass for just taking off like that, but I also don’t hold a grudge against it. Looking back, I’m also glad our relationship didn’t last any longer, because I think the younger, naive me could have easily gotten lost in the fairy tale moments of the relationship, lost the sense of who I was, or sacrificed my own well being to help him with his demons."

Vareesha Khan