Stories

These stories explore places slowly—through photography, immersion, and attention to what gives them meaning.

Emily Anne Toliver Emily Anne Toliver

Becoming Jane

Who am I becoming? I find myself asking this on the cusp of entering 2026, standing at the threshold of a new chapter. I wrote the first lines of this piece late at night, aware of time…

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Emily Anne Toliver Emily Anne Toliver

The Long Goodbye

I write this from a place that feels like home, but not my home—sitting on the lanai of our condo in Kaʻanapali, Maui, overlooking the ocean. The Hawaiian air is warm and heavy with humidity.

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Emily Anne Toliver Emily Anne Toliver

Permission

Life in Arequipa, Peru feels simple. In the city’s historic center—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—white colonial buildings glow against the Andean light, their iron balconies twisting…

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Emily Anne Toliver Emily Anne Toliver

Perfectly Imperfect

Perfection. I’ve chased it my whole life—at work, in relationships, even in the way I communicate. But this journey is teaching me to let go. To see how perfection, instead of fueling confidence…

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Emily Anne Toliver Emily Anne Toliver

Slow It Down

Last night and this morning, I found myself in an internal struggle—an argument with myself. Yesterday, with sunshine finally breaking through the clouds, I packed it all in.

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Emily Anne Toliver Emily Anne Toliver

I Hurt Myself Today

Cue the Nine Inch Nails’ song “Hurt.” While walking through the beautiful woodlands of Glencoe, I breathed in the crisp, clean air, enjoyed the rare warmth of the sun (finally no rain!!!), and savored…

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Emily Anne Toliver Emily Anne Toliver

What Scares You, Frees You

Today I took a day trip from Oban to the Isle of Mull—and then onward to the tiny Isle of Iona. None of it went according to plan—and that turned out to be just right.

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