Camping with Friends 2021

This past weekend, I traveled back to Michigan to go camping with some old college friends at Newaygo State Park. It seemed like a really long drive and I had just gotten back from Denver four days prior, but every bit of planning, effort, and cost turned out to be well worth it. This group of friends is so special to me for so many reasons. These are people I lived with in the dorms at Northern Michigan University when I was just out of high school and living outside of my small hometown and away from my parents for the first time. In so many ways, my group of NMU friends became a new family that always had my back and never made me feel like I had to be anyone other than myself. They laugh at the same stupid stories they’ve heard me tell a million times, make fun of the way my hair is turning gray, and open up about the triumph and tragedies in their own lives. Some of them are married, a few have kids, all are doing really cool things in life. It was a weekend full of being around people who add an indescribable amount of value to my life. It restored my soul and filled my heart with gratitude for the journey my life has taken.

I was sitting there Saturday morning watching Alicia make pancakes for her kids and I just said, “Alicia, you’re one of my favorite people.” It was kind of out of nowhere, but I just wanted her to know. I meant it wholeheartedly. This group has enriched my life in ways they’ll never know. I love them all.

Igor, Mark, Hammer, and Big John,

August 14, 2021