The Place Who Raised Me is a visual document of my upbringing. Being raised in Fairfield, Iowa, a small midwestern town where half the population practices Transcendental Meditation, didn't seem unusual until I left. This project has allowed me to clarify the stereotypes surrounding my hometown and to finally feel like I understand my own youth by acknowledging both the strange, and the wonderful.
There is a separation in the population of Fairfield. The half of the people living there that are non-meditators live a very “normal” midwestern life. The other half who practice meditation are part of a Vedic community that focuses on health and spirituality, often chasing enlightenment. The Hindu traditions and practices, Ayurvedic food, and study of Sanskrit all felt normal. Growing up, I never visited the rural areas of Fairfield and had very limited interaction with those who did not live in the T.M. community. I never ate at the local barbecue joint or shopped at the antique store. I unknowingly stuck to my bubble.
All through my life I've maintained a strong sense of identity stemming from this small town. After moving away, I realized there were parts of Fairfield that were more foreign to me than cities I had only visited once. My sense of belonging was tied to a town which I only half knew. In photographing this project, I went to areas I had never visited before and thought were so different from those with which I was familiar. Somewhat to my surprise, they ended up not being very different at all.