Doc Hop

Those who know me well know that my time in Augusta has been a solitary one. While I’ve come across pockets of queerness in the area, as a whole I have found the community conservative and uninviting. I haven’t made many friends here, but drag introduced me to two of the best a person could ask for.

I met Jamii and Cole Saylor standing in line at a Trixie and Katya meet and greet in March of 2023, and we’ve been sharing incredible experiences together ever since. Together we’ve seen some absolutely fabulous drag performances, including the amazingly talented Jinkx Monsoon and the wildly kooky Jimbo. (Only winners for us!) We’ve shared countless dinners and drinks at some of the best bars and restaurants across North Carolina and Georgia. We’ve played Uno in hotel rooms while drinking champagne. We’ve even chucked some wood (thrown some axes) in Aiken — an activity that is incredibly satisfying once you get the hang of it. (It took me a LONG time to get the hang of it, but Jamii and Cole had been a few times before and were kicking my butt!)

All of my best memories from my time in Augusta have been with Jamii and Cole, and it’s very much an understatement to say that I am going to miss them dearly once I leave. If I have gained nothing else from these past three years in Georgia, I will leave armed with the experience to succeed at CSULB and two incredibly loving, kind, and passionate lifelong friends.

And I just know we are going to have TIME when they come out to visit me in Los Angeles!! I cannot wait until we all check out the drag in California!

“How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live ’em. How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give ’em.”

— Shel Silverstein, writer and poet