Lots of tears today as I cleaned the storefront and handed over the keys. I’m doing my best to process the heartbreak I feel right now, and I struggle to put it into words. How can you possibly explain what it feels like to dismantle something you poured every ounce of your soul into? It sometimes hits me so hard that my hands shake. I first spoke this dream out loud in 2015. A decade of dreaming. 2 years of building. 5 days to tear it all down. I saved the Makers pillar for last. One by one, I peeled their photos off the concrete - the faces of the artists, the creatives, the dreamers who filled this space with meaning. They were my seed of inspiration, which made it feel like the perfect ending. Then, I popped in my headphones and played 3 of my most cherished songs as I read cards filled with words of kindness from so many of you. I let myself break down. To let the tears flood out of me. To just fucking sob. When the final song ended, I picked myself back up and I moved on with my head held high. Thank you all for giving me the strength to say goodbye to this chapter. You reminded me that Story & Teller was never a store. It was creating meaningful connections, savoring quality moments, appreciating the endless beauty in the world. I could never see this journey as a failure, knowing how many of you experienced just that during your visits. An absolute gift that I will carry with me forever.