Where Life Meets Art

Route 66 Day 5: Santa Monica — Where the Journey Becomes a Voyage Part 5 Summary — California Needles • Amboy • Amboy Crater • Roy’s Motel Café • Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch • San Bernardino Wigwam Motel • Santa Monica • End of Route 66 Santa Monica — Where the Journey Becomes a Voyage Crossing into California felt different — lighter, almost tender. Perhaps it was the relief of leaving the harsh Arizona desert behind, or maybe it was the quiet whisper inside me saying, "You're almost there." The end was in sight, and with it came a strange mix of gratitude, anticipation, and a soft ache that something beautiful was nearing its close. The road through Needles welcomed us with warm desert winds, reminding us that even the last stretch of Route 66 carried its own weight of history and resilience. We continued westward, letting the familiar hum of the car settle into our bones.         ...

Route 66 Day 4: Arizona — Desert Roads, Heat, and the Endless Horizons Part 4 Summary — Arizona Wigwam Motel • Winslow “Standing on the Corner” • Flagstaff • Williams • Seligman Roadkill Café • Kingman → Oatman Mountain Pass • Burros in Oatman Route 66 Part 4 — Arizona: Desert Roads, Heat, and the Longest Miles Arizona was a different world — a place where the sun felt heavier, the wind felt drier, and the road stretched so endlessly that it almost erased the idea of distance. Route 66 here was no longer the friendly, nostalgic road of Illinois or Missouri. It was rough, cracked, and blistered under the desert sky — a reminder that thousands once crossed these same miles with courage and necessity. The desert carried its own kind of beauty, but also a quiet, unforgiving harshness. Life felt fragile here; even the air shimmered with heat. I wondered how people once traveled this road with old cars, thin tire...

Route 66 Part 3: New Mexico & The Balloon Fiesta — A Sky Full of Light   📍 Part 3 — New Mexico & Balloon Fiesta Main Highlights: Night Glow, Fireworks, Morning Mass Ascension Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Mood: Emotional, grateful, unforgettable Theme: A sky filled with color, and a heart filled with wonder New Mexico & The Balloon Fiesta — A Sky Full of Light Route 66 Day 3 — Albuquerque, New Mexico Night Glow — when fire and color breathe into the darkness. We arrived in New Mexico without realizing that this place would hold one of the most breathtaking moments of our entire Route 66 journey. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta was something I had only seen in photographs — but being there felt like stepping into another world. We were unbelievably lucky. Our travel dates aligned perfectly with the Fiesta schedule — a coincidence that felt like a smal...

Route 66 Part 2: Missouri to Oklahoma | Through Fields and Dreams 📍 Part 2 — Missouri → Kansas → Oklahoma Main Highlights: Chain of Rocks Bridge, Devil’s Elbow, Galena’s Cars on the Route, Blue Whale of Catoosa States Passed: Missouri · Kansas · Oklahoma Distance: Approx. 350 miles (560 km) Travel Mood: Slow, nostalgic, reflective — discovering beauty in forgotten places Theme of the Day: The quiet poetry of old bridges, small towns, and lingering memories The bridge stood in silence, holding the weight of time and sunlight. Missouri — Where Bridges Carry Stories Morning light spilled across the old Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis — its steel trusses casting long, thoughtful shadows. As we walked, two worlds moved beside each other: the silent, abandoned bridge beneath our feet, and the modern highway buzzing with life just beyond. Rust and sunlight intertwined here — a reminder that...

Route 66 part 1: Chicago to Springfield | Illinois Road Trip 📍 Part 1 — Chicago to Springfield Starting Point: Chicago, Illinois (Route 66 “Begin” Sign) Main Highlights: Millennium Park, The Bean, Crown Fountain Route 66 Stops: Joliet · Pontiac · Springfield Must-Visit: Route 66 Hall of Fame Museum · Gemini Giant · Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum Distance: Approx. 200 miles (320 km) Travel Mood: Light-hearted, excited, free — the joy of finally beginning the long-held dream Theme of the Day: Leaving behind the weight of routine and stepping into quiet wonder Following the Echoes of Time — My Journey on Route 66 Route 66, often called The Mother Road , has long stood as a symbol of America’s restless spirit — a ribbon of highway that carried dreamers, wanderers, and hopeful hearts across the country. Stretching 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, it moves through eight states, connecting l...

Netflix Original Series · 2025 🌙 Genie, Make a Wish — A Visual Essay on Desire and Grace by Jaclyn Bae I. When Fantasy Becomes a Mirror The series Genie, Make a Wish begins with a familiar fantasy — a mythical being offering to grant desires. Yet beyond its simplicity, the story becomes a quiet mirror for our restless hearts. In a noisy world, even predictable magic can feel like a breath of air. “As we wish for more, do we grow freer — or simply more lonely?” II. The Weight of Wanting Every wish in the drama is rooted in lack — the longing to be loved, to be seen, to be saved. And when the wish is granted, the relief is brief. Desire renews itself like a tide, reminding us that we live not through fulfillment, but through longing. III. A Prayer without a Genie We make wishes every day. Some we name quietly at dawn, some we whisper into the dark. We call them prayers . To desire is to reveal our vulnerability —...

Fragments of Memory III Layers of Time and Fading Truth Fragments of Memory III explores how time softens truth and reshapes memory. Crafted from bleached, torn, and reconstructed denim, the work mirrors the quiet erosion of what we once knew — revealing instead the beauty of what remains, what fades, and what transforms. Denim, bleached and collaged fiber · 30 × 38 inches · © Jaclyn Bae Through layers of white pigment and altered denim, the piece reflects how memories shift — sometimes softened, sometimes distorted, yet always revealing a landscape shaped by time. The subtle white overlay symbolizes both the erosion of truth and the quiet grace of forgetting. These fragments form a visual diary — a quiet topography of layered stories, fading impressions, and the delicate balance between what we remember and what is gently lost. Expl...

© Jaclyn Bae · Fiber Art · Recycled Denim · 2025 Fragments of Memory II Fiber & Denim Art Series Fragments of Memory II continues Jaclyn Bae’s exploration of memory, time, and transformation through recycled denim. Each piece of fabric once carried someone’s warmth, movement, and unseen moments — remnants of everyday life. Through bleaching, disassembling, cutting, and re-stitching, the artist reconstructs fragments into new visual forms that reflect the layered nature of remembrance. The work meditates on how memories fade, overlap, and renew over time — much like threads that unravel and reconnect. What was once ordinary becomes a quiet landscape of reflection, where the past and present weave into a new fabric of meaning. About the Artist — Jaclyn Bae Jaclyn Bae is a Korean-born, Chicago-based fiber and mixed-media artist who repurposes denim, paper, and fabric to e...