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| I don't have any other picture. |
Technically, day 3 started when I got
back to Nikki and Andrew's with a 12-pack of 312. As per anytime I
drink with Nikki and Andrew, I pulled up my laptop to chat with old
friends, kicked back and talked to Nikki and Andrew about random
crap, and put Netflix on to watch something. That something happened
to be Adventure Time. Yeah,
we're growing up right?
Sidenote:
I ended up Facebook chatting with an old friend of mine about
transience and how much it sucks. More on that another time.
Well,
I ended up watching a few more shows and just went to bed.
Did I ever mention how much I love
Chicago? I met up with my friend Marie and had my favorite
burger in the world: Butcher and the Burger's house blend patty mixed
with curry-coconut spice in a butter-topped bun with lettuce, onion,
tomato, wasabi mayo, and blue cheese. We took the brown line to
downtown because I could never get enough of the Chicago skyline. We
walked past the Art Institute, through Millennium Park, across the
Chicago River, and settled at Argo tea. As I sat sipping my Matcha
bubble tea, Marie and I talked about our futures and our stories of
laughter. Chicago is the kind of city that you just find yourself
walking around in and feeling its energy. It's surprising the kinds
of friendships you build without realizing it.
That evening I ended up going back to
the suburbs. I caught up with my mom, had dinner, argued with the
internet for an hour, then went over to Cat's house. Cat has probably
been my most trusted friend over the past 10+ years. If you want dirt
on me, go ask her because she knows it all. We ended up meeting some
of our other middle school friends (Sarah and Adam) and chatting
through the night over memories and people from the past. It's
interesting how you forget the amount of people that walk in and out
of your life.
Sunday was more chaos. As with any
gathering that my mom plans, a small barbecue became a party of 18.
It was nice to be enveloped by family again. From aunts, uncles,
cousins, nieces and nephews (yeah, they're my cousins once removed,
but nieces and nephews are quicker to type), I felt at home. Of
course home is chaos because I was grilling 18 steaks, nursing a beer
while I chat with my cousins, trying to get baby Amelia to
acknowledge me for once, playing soccer with Joe, and trying to enjoy
the weather. Family's grand isn't it? It's always a good reminder of where you're from.
Same with the previous night, after
spending time with my biological family, I went ahead and met up with
my other family. Joe was probably my first friend when I moved to the
United States. So of course we had a lot of shared stories. We
reminisced about that one stupid AP Physics problem, that time we got
a C on a project but ended up at the state science fair, the night
his dad accidentally drank one of his contacts, the time we stole
clay from a church, and the random stories of our friends doing
stupid shit when we were young. Then we talked about the stories we
didn't share together. The stories of drunken mishaps in college or
the stressful stories of work. We eventually talked about our hopes
for our future and where we think we might be going. Oh, Cat was
there the entire time. It's funny how friendships can be so easy to
pick back up.
As with every “last night” I have
in the suburbs, it ended with a case of beer and the same group of
friends on Vlad's deck. We always end up drinking at Vlad's. I think
Vlad is our go-to guy when we all just want to relax. He's just THAT
guy that every group of friends need. Will told us the true story of
the morning after one of our parties. Let's just say Will stands as
our lovable friend that does the most ridiculous things and who owes
his sister a lifetime of favors as an apology. Then there's Marcky
Marc with his jokes and his “voice.” Whether it be with song or
with nerdy Geekdom over GoT or just a funny story, Marc always makes
us laugh. I've known these guys since freshman year of high school
and things haven't changed much even if we have. That's good. These
are three of the guys that I know will always have my back or at
least a good story to tell and a cold beer to offer.
So what are all these stories about?
The hustle and bustle of my beloved city, the laughter and the
camaraderie of friends, and the chaos and the sharing of family reminded of one thing: there's a home in the noise. I get too caught
up sometimes in thinking of the big picture. I get obsessed with
leaving a legacy or falling in love with someone that I forget that I
already have a legacy and that my life is filled with love. My legacy
is sharing a beer with Marc, Vlad, Nikki, Will, and Andrew, walking
the streets of Chicago with Marie, reminiscing about the past with
Cat, Joe, Sarah, and Adam, and sharing a meal with my family. All
these fleeting moments are like flickering fireflies of love in the
vastness of my life. Maybe that's the value of noise. They are
flickers of life that force us to look deeper and smile.
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