The last time I truly cried, bawling with tears flowing down my face, was on my very last day of high school. I don’t like that, because the typical comment after that is, “did I peak in high school?” I truly did love high school and am blessed to have had four incredible years surrounded by a community that cared. I adored my classmates, I genuinely appreciated the teachers, and was invested across a variety of activities. The last day of school I remember sitting on a concrete ledge to the left of my high school’s entrance, crying because the adventure I loved was over, and I didn’t know what was next. Luckily, I headed off to the local university where additional friendships were formed.
this is out of date, the last time I cried is now only two days ago, after Cal Raleigh hit his game-winning homerun to break the Seattle Mariners’ 21 year drought of the playoffs
//
I often find myself writing on planes and tonight, the opportunity sits ripe yet again. I’ll usually be leaving from or heading to events I’m excited for which evokes a jambalaya of emotion and thoughts. Most flights, I’m limited to offline access unless I want to chuck a few more dollars to capitalistic ‘Murica to fiddle around Instagram and reddit. Because I typically take red-eye flights, I find myself conflicted about paying for the internet knowing I wont get good usage out of it.
Well, as I crosstrek back to New York City on a redeye flight fresh off of an incredibly wholesome weekend, I’d be a fool not to take advantage of the time and space to reflect. A close high school friend who helped plan our 10yr Issaquah High School reunion snoozes to my left in 6A, I in 6C, while the seat between us fortunately sits unreserved. Ignoring my liver’s cry, I sip a can of wine while yet another play of Taylor’s All Too Well (10min version) streams through my headphones.
//
One of my favorite writers often ends his musings with “Life is so rich.” Such a simplistic sentence, yet it provokes so much of what I’ve started to define as success. I spent less than 72 jampacked hours in my hometown, spending every second savoring connections I’ve made. While I never am able to see everyone I hope to, my time visiting Seattle is almost always a refreshing shot of vigor into my life. Coffee to the soul, if you will.
All three of the events I traveled for were joyful celebrations. While my late twenties are sprinting by, I’ve become more and more aware of how blessed I am to live the life I am living every day and let the investments across relationships, connections, and love continue to pay dividends.
Issaquah High School, Class of 2012’s 10 year High School Reunion surpassed every single expectation I had. As far as I know, most people don’t go to their high school reunions for a variety of reasons. Yet on Saturday, about 100 people showed up; a mix of former classmates, spouses, kids, dogs took the time to traverse across the depths of hell the 520 bridge despite hours of traffic, to reach a brewery that some ambitious high school classmates rented out. I was shocked not only by how many people showed up, but also by the amount of sheer joy, pure laughter, fond memories, and reminiscence. Unlimited beer may have helped, but I can’t put into words how much seeing these old friends show up brought an inexplicable sense of happiness to my soul. There were memories I had forgotten about, and families that I hadn’t met yet. People came from around the state (and beyond) just to connect with classmates they hadn’t seen in years. I don’t think this is normal, and nor do I expect this out of most high schools, but one of the senses I got from my high school class is that there was a sense of community and unity amongst ourselves, uncommon to most. I vividly remember crying the last day of high school, sad that it was “over,” and yet I was able to celebrate and reconnect with people I hadn’t seen since that day. I am so genuinely happy, proud, and excited for everyone I saw there. Hearing stories of their endeavors and lives since has grounded me in abundant joy. I had to leave a little earlier than I liked, given that I had another plan that night, but will cherish the time I had with each of the people there.
On top of that, I had dinner with some friends on Monday evening who drove across the water (yet again) to eat Thai food in our high school hometown. Laughs were had, and I am forever thankful for the effort people in my high school friend group make in keeping in touch.
2. The Washington Huskies football team had a frustrating year in 2021, leading to a much anticipated coaching change this year. In college, football games are a social event as much as a viewing spectacle, and having moved to the Bay Area for four years and now New York City, I rarely get to experience my university’s team in person. Luckily, they were in town this weekend and I was generously gifted an extra ticket by a close couple I keep in touch with. The game unfortunately was at the same time at my high school reunion. After I had made a few rounds at the brewery, I ubered up to the stadium anticipating more reconnections, but this time with college friends.. I arrived at the half and spent a quarter with each of the two couples. On the northwest end of Husky Stadium, I shared laughs with a friend I play video games weekly with, and his wife who was my neighbor in college, plus their sibling and friends who I knew in college. After the 3rd ended, I headed up to the southeast corner of the stadium, where I reconnected with a couple who were in a Christian fellowship I occasionally attended on Tuesdays and Thursdays in college. I also played flag football with Danny, and we chuckled over routes we’d draw up in flag football while our football team demolished Stanford on the field was an absolute treat. I don’t get to see either of these couples in person nearly as much as I wish I could, but I savor the moments I spend with them.
After the game ended, I headed to Ballard where I was initiated into the Kangaroo and Kiwi culture with a short stop at Shingletown. Thank God these places weren’t around when I was in college, as if Earls and Wells Wednesdays weren’t enough. Before I knew it, it was 2am in Seattle (which is equivalent to 5am on the east coast… not sure how I stayed awake) and I needed to get home.
3. Wedding Szn is upon me as someone in my late-twenties, and I was extremely lucky to have had my high school reunion conveniently the same weekend I was invited to this wedding. Okay, I may have had some hands in the strategic planning for that. I don’t know if the groom of the wedding remembers, but the first time I met him I was upset with him for not running out a ball in our fraternity’s intramural softball game. Somehow, I was able to connect with him over baseball cards and F1, and I graciously attended his and his now-wife’s wedding celebration this weekend. The bride has a fantastically curated sense of creativity and it was well apparent at the wedding venue- each table was thoughtfully organized and named after things they had in common. For me, tens of my fraternity brothers and our sorority neighbors from which the bride was a part of, we sat at a table named after the street our houses were on. How cool is that? There were probably twenty guys from my fraternity at the wedding and while I was close with some and distant with others, I treasured getting to hear what each of them is up to. I am so, so proud of the people they have become, the careers they lead, and the relationships they continue to build. When I joined my fraternity in 2012-13, I never thought that it would lead to this level of connection and, literally, fraternization. On top of that, the wedding was beautiful. I can’t get over the unique touches in the planning that were so meticulously organized and well-executed. I’m happy for the couple (thought they’ve technically been married for a while because of COVID), and am confident that they are the best versions of themselves with each other.
I stayed this entire weekend with my parents at my childhood home. When I woke up this morning, my mom gave me a plate of apples to eat while I worked and took calls from home. She put a little bathtoy with a picture of me (as a baby) and my dad in my bathroom so I could see it. While it’s a little cheesy, I smiled when I saw it. I shared with them my thankfulness for the events I was allowed to experience above, all of which really are spawned out of a loving home that they created for me and my sister.
The leaves outside are beginning to turn to shades of burnt orange with streaks of lightning and hints of auburn. Fall in the most beautiful place in the world is around the corner yet again. I embark back to the concrete jungle, where I’ll head straight into the office, inserting myself back into the machinery that is Corporate America.
Perhaps I too may end this writing both quoting and truly embodying the words of Scott Galloway, Life is so rich.
I am so lucky and thankful to have the life I have with the connections I’ve made. While I’ve written these words on paper, I canot articulate the emotions that have positively overwhelmed me this weekend. I am grateful for so many people who I have had the fortune to cross paths with. It is well with my soul.
Joshua
Time spent writing this: 4x plays of ATW 10min version, 1x New Year’s Day, 2x Cornelia Street, 2x It Is Well (live) by Bethel.
