In 2001, I used to follow Thomas before I met him to chemistry class. I have terrible sense of direction so I would wake up early, loiter outside my dorm building, and when he left for class, I’d trail behind him. Like a creeper. Today, I call him when my GPS fails and he always guides me to where I’m trying to be.
In 2001, I found a girl who mentioned living in a dorm at the University of Texas when I was browsing Diaryland blogs. Her roommate also had a blog and I remember liking her perspective on life more than the original blog. Her roommate was Kim.
Thomas and I toured Austin in 2005 through happy hours. The first time I rode a jet ski was with him. He was the first person with whom I experienced progressive meals.
Kim and I have Marfa and Paris and Brussels and Istanbul. And we carry the other’s stories of hopes and broken hearts as if they’re our own memories. I often feel if I could just find a man who is half the person Kim is and could love me back, I’d be set for life.
Somehow along the way, I introduced Thomas and Kim and now we have years of memories together. It’s not often we’re in the same city but every Thanksgiving, we have an email thread that basically start off with someone saying, “What kind of magical day should we have?” I think what I love about the three of us together is that we all have big appetites for food and life. We’re never too cool or too mature to try something silly. Like folding dozens of of origami cranes or blowing up balloons to fill up a telephone booth. We’re kind. We’re open. We invite others along. We simply just say yes.
I hope you say yes to the good things in your life. I hope saying yes leads you to your Thomas and Kim.