Sharon Umbaugh

“What is it about suitcases, lying there empty? Before a trip, they are full of uneasy anticipation. After, they are almost regretful, longing to go back to those unfamiliar hotel rooms, those airport carousels. If items can be discontent, the one that is the most must be an empty suitcase. Or perhaps an undeveloped roll of film.”
― Krysta MacDonald, The Girl with the Empty Suitcase

“The memories are lodged in my throat, and a part of me wonders if you can choke on something that isn’t physically there. Can you choke on hurt?”
― Krysta MacDonald, The Girl with the Empty Suitcase

“Who decides those things? And why don’t I know about them? Is there some sort of meeting, or maybe an assembly, like the ones we used to have in elementary school, where all the little finite details of all the little things in life get decided? And why didn’t I get an invitation to that meeting?”
― Krysta MacDonald, The Girl with the Empty Suitcase