I was not prepared for Buc-ee’s

A photo my partner Tony took of me on our roadtrip to Dollywood.

As someone who regularly photographs weddings events, and complete strangers in emotionally vulnerable moments, I like to think I am fairly adaptable.

I’ve photographed in thunderstorms.

I’ve photographed in dimly lit venues.

I’ve photographed with film cameras that are older than some of the people standing in front of them.

I’ve survived carrying a large format camera.

I was however, not prepared for Buc-ee’s.

For those unfamiliar, imagine if a gas station, department store, food court, souvenir shop, AND small nation state merged into a single building and somehow managed to cover every available surface with a beaver mascot.

I walked in off of 81 somewhere in Tennessee expecting a moderately clean restroom and some Sheetz/Wawa esque made to order kiosks. Instead, I found brisket stations (what?), home décor (double what?), clothing, wall to wall merchandise, and approximately 3,000 people that seemed to know exactly what was happening.

I did not know what was happening.

At some point Tony (partner and adventure-er in crime) snapped this photo of me looking completely overwhelmed and mid text:

“where are you?!?”.

The photo accurately captures the moment I realized Buc-ee’s is less of a gas station and more of an experience.

As a documentary photographer, I spend a lot of time observing people navigate unfamiliar situations, big emotions, and unexpected moments. Apparently, it was only fair that Tony documented me doing the same thing.

For the record, I survived.

I did not leave with snacks.