pressing pause

Photo Essay by Wesley Verhoeve

We left Rome behind, watching the city fade as we drove north, looking for a chance to hit pause and just be.

This was my first real vacation in over 15 years. I’d traveled plenty—Japan, Argentina, Berlin—but always with a purpose, mostly work, sometimes family. This time, there was no agenda except to rest, recharge, and spend time with my better half. Maybe even finish a book. It was time to listen to that voice inside that had been begging for a break.

Tuscany welcomed us with dusty roads, rolling hills, and vineyards that seemed to stretch forever. We arrived at a friend’s family vineyard, where life followed the seasons, not the clock. Our days were simple: barefoot in the grass, clinking glasses, and laughing late into the night.

At a countryside B&B, time felt like it had stopped. We read by the pool, the sun relentless until it drove us into the water. In those quiet moments, I reconnected with myself, and enjoyed long, peaceful hours with N. Swimming, a midday nap, finding delight in old buildings and new flavors—just soaking up the beauty around us.

Wading into warm water felt magical, the sea holding us gently. We dug our toes into the sand, ate local tomatoes bursting with flavor, and watched sunsets over the Mediterranean that were almost too vivid to be real. Sustenance isn’t just about food; it’s about rest. To keep going, we need to pause and enjoy these simple pleasures.

The more I relaxed, the more I wanted to pick up my camera—not out of duty, but from a renewed desire to capture what I was feeling. I took photos just for me, small reminders of this special time when I let myself pause and enjoy the stillness.

This trip wasn’t just good for my work—it was good for me. I came back grateful for the chance to pause, collect, and sustain.

As we drove back to Rome, the car was filled with memories and a lightness I hadn’t felt in years. Oh and I did finish that novel.

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G5A imprint presents its second print edition. This physical magazine is a selection of the work published, digitally, in Volumes 05 to 09. This Edition 2 of the magazine features selected pieces from our digital edition alongside some pieces exclusively for print.

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editor's note

Volume 10

contact | shadow | fringe

I’ve been reflecting on the theme for our tenth volume, a lovely milestone that coincides serendipitously with the warehouse’s tenth year, and how it feels apt for the moment we find ourselves in currently. The theme straddles a threshold. The movement from this side to the far side. It isn’t inherently accompanied by an emotion. And yet, I feel it suggests a sense of hopefulness. 

This isn’t in a vacuum but is influenced by two events that concern themselves with a tremendous threshold: our atmosphere and the expanse beyond it. I am referring to the successful flyby mission around the moon by the Artemis II and the release of the film “Project Hail Mary” (adapted from Andy Weir’s novel of the same name). These two events, coinciding in this manner, serve less as random happenstance and more as a reminder, as Carl Sagan said, “The Cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff.” A reminder that everything out there, is also everything in here. It serves as a reminder for hope that as we resume our exploration of the darkest depths of the universe, we must take that strength to step forward from our own personal shadows.

Shadows can be freeing. There is comfort in creating, expressing, and working without scrutiny or pressure or expectation. It has potential for great freedom, movement, and discovery. However, when the driving force isn’t exploration then it can be crippling and lead to paralysis. In those moments, “coincidental” events like these can be arresting and provide a sense of hope that the next step is all that matters. One step at a time soon becomes many past an imposing threshold. As we gather momentum, pressure is bound to build. It is here, with changed circumstances, that the intention must persevere. Learning the rules, allows the impact of breaking them to feel that much sweeter, but that isn’t necessary. Acting from pure instinct allows for an innate expression to present itself. It is balancing this, instinct versus experience, that proves vital to take experience into one’s stride with child-like instinct and intention.

Our focus, at imprint and G5A, on independent stories allows this freedom. It is something we work to preserve so that the experience of ten volumes and ten years, respectively, does not weigh us down but lifts us up through the shadows and into the expanse. This is not easy but it is simple. When you default to curiosity and wonder, it isn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’.

We’re excited for Volume 10 and everything it will hold.