Six years have swiftly passed since you and VW first met, with you two spending most of that time—more than three years—spanning different continents, separated by a daunting 10+ hour time difference. Catching up with VW recently, you take a moment to look back on how much has changed since high school.
It’s a nostalgic, wistful feeling, acknowledging how much you’ve both grown. How you’ve both changed and been changed in ways you never could’ve seen coming.
Oh, how naive you were when you were 16.
You and VW may not be a producer/DJ duo with houses and recording studios next to each other’s at age 30, but the essence of those dreams—your optimism and playfulness—is something you hope to never lose, no matter where life takes you.
Life has thrown its fair share of curveballs at the both of you since high school. You will never forget the day VW texted you about a piece of soul-shattering, life-changing personal news. All those times you’ve felt trapped and overwhelmed due to circumstances out of your control, VW’s friendship was a constant, offering solace and encouragement.
You should be proud that none of the curveballs life has thrown at you have made either of you grow jaded and give up on trying new things. On exploring your interests. Whether it’s music production, boxing, marathon running, or guitar playing, your shared love for music and sports and, most importantly, a shared excitement for life underpins these hobbies.
…
As your most recent call comes to an end, night falls where VW is and the sun rises where you are.
You both pick up your guitars and try to extend the call just a little bit more, even though VW has work in a few hours, and it’s a Monday morning for you.
You listen to VW play Tadow on the electric guitar.
You play Let Her Go on the acoustic.
Parting with a promise of more conversations to come, you return to your separate corners of the world, carrying the warmth of your friendship with you and the quiet anticipation of growth yet to come.
Despite the physical distance, your lives remain connected, a shared journey of growth that continues to unfold. For it is in the midst of life’s growing pains that the beauty of friendship and personal evolution is revealed, guiding you through the uncertainty of what lies ahead.
…
To VW and all the friends who have walked with me on this journey, thank you.
Here’s to the journey ahead.