A Tasty Treat For Me To Eat

I remember my favorite TREAT like it was yesterday. My entire family used to go to the Jersey Shore in the dead of summer. On one particular day, the temperature was so high, I felt like Asparagus tips being baked in the oven. This is back when I believed that Big Sun Screen was feeding us lies that you’d “Get Skin Cancer” or “Wrinkle.” The point is, it was a hot day and my asparagus body was dripping in olive oil and the sun was no doubt actively shaving months of my life off each second I baked in the sun. A little ring ding ding came chiming from atop the sand dunes - The popsicle cart man had arrived. I had heard tell of his wares but I had never slurped them down. Mom and Dad tossed me some coin and I darted across the beach, the hot sand blistering my feet. When I arrived, the variety was grand but a clear winner poked its head across the finish line – The spongebob popsicle. By the time I returned to our beach camp, the popsicle was already melting. I crammed spongebob’s dead bubblegum eyes into my face to begin. The gum was chewed, the flavor lost in 7 seconds, and swallowed. From there I utilized the pop in two ways: Eat for taste and shower for comfort. The sweltering July sun was melting Spongebob in real time and I was hot. So, face outstretched to the sun that “would never make my skin look old,” I let the slowly melting corpse of Spongebob Squarepants drip into my mouth and onto my face, exciting my taste buds and soothing my desiccated skin. It was the best treat I’ve ever had……until Mexico.

What a treat it was to experience this trip as we enter into a New Year. I don’t say this simply because it’ll make for Capri Sun level juicy stories for years to come, but rather for the revelational insight with which it smothered me. I made a conscious choice during this trip to pause during moments of beauty and ask God WHY I was feeling this way and HOW I could use that particular emotion to guide me through my life. Take the crock pot lid off of this emotional stew and add an ounce of “Gratitude” with equal parts “Intrigue as to how this current state may impact me down the road.” Close the pot and let it simmer overnight. Let those juices disperse. I’m going to write a cookbook. I was lucky enough to find these “aha moments” in a variety of different ways: Nature, music, silence and of course…..you all.

To this group of veritable titans – Thank you for helping me realize in a time of emotional upheaval and abject uncertainty that RELATIONSHIPS are the most important thing in this world. While I’m certain that the 7k Tab at Taboo, the velvety sand on the beach, the soothing breeze on our faces, the echoing mystery of the jungle, the popsicle sized laser beams pinballing off of palm trees, ethereal musical melodies, near death taxi experiences, hallucinogenic pork rinds, 7am rooftop showers, table top dance undulation, beach side ribeyes, rejuvenating dives under the waves, dancing on top of more things at Vagalum, being adopted by Tantra as sons and daughters (and of course standing on more things and dancing), sunrise music festivals, butter eggs, blocks of cheese, mini weenies and beach vendors selling fish net blouses ALL contributed to a memorable time….Again, I’m certain that these things contributed to one heckofatime…….but what really made an imprint was:

your laughter that soothed my soul.

your smiles that put me at ease.

It was seeing you all arrive at the airport at 3pm after I had been guzzling tequila soda’s since 9am (There is no reason to ever be that prepared….) that made me giddy.

It was watching some of my favorite people across the group meet each other and instantly connect.

It was sharing in the misery of a seemingly interminable 4 hour grocery run.

It was dripping sweat all over you in the jungle as we bopped around like jack rabbits that were simultaneously working a construction job using jack hammers as their primary tool.

It was laying in silence after shows, hearing the occasional “Ahhhhhh,” being exhaled in satisfactory bliss from one of my friends as we basked in the afterglow.

It was Tyson’s saucy language arts that sent me into fits of laughter. See below Glossary:

TERMS DEFINITION

“Fuck we wearin’ tonight, Fresh?” “Hey, what should we wear tonight, guys?”

“Valid” “Legitimate/cool/good reputation.”

“Sanctioned” “Mega elite/accepted by the Brooklyn youth that he teaches. The ultimate complement.”

As funny as Tyson is, it astounds me that he is also able to, on a dime, turn into one of the most sensitive and caring people I’ve ever known. His mentality is that of “let’s have fun, let’s also make sure we’re checking in on everyone’s mental health.” The man is someone I aspire to be.

It was watching Mikelle amass 90 miles of steps through the night and into the morning and somehow manage to get back and take an 11am call with nothing but optimism and a shit ton of MEEGEEEESSS (this is a term for milligrams of caffeine for readers that are utterly confused). Her ability to remain a rock throughout the week and incentivize the group to be active and workout in the morning was both beautiful and, like one of the layers in a seven layer dip, crucial for flavory goodness.

It was Ramsey’s unadulterated uniqueness and perennial ability to remain sanguine that kept the group enlightened. . There are some people that NEED to keep the party going in an unhealthy way - not Ramsey. Ramsey’s soul is so cleansed and pure that his engine operates around the clock on nothing but positivity and happiness – a character trait that was truly infectious and helped lift our group in desperate times of need. One can only expect this from a Noble. His constant referencing himself as “A little piggy” and consequently cooking mini weenies for the group is an ironic truth that is just now hitting me and will forever ring in the halls of hilarity. Was this by design, Ramsey? Are you the most brilliant man on earth? As Mikelle put it, “Ramsey says and does everything with complete certainty….always.” True Noble Status. True King behavior. True Gentlemen. True friend.

It was Neema’s utility player essence that astounded me. There are some people that can simply do it all. Neema could surprise with a joke or a lending hand or a well timed hug at any time. Truly a well rounded character. What I love most about Neema is you know your getting the authentic side of him. He is secure with who he is and he really helps the other person let their guard down and be who THEY are. We welcome you Neema.

It was Nick K’s unwavering “Come Together, Right Now, Over Me,” mentality that dripped into every crevice of our seven layer dip. The man embodies a “Lo que sea, sea,” attitude which translates to “whatever happens, happens.” No matter the cards dealt to him, he will find a way to adopt a gracious, humble attitude…..always knowing what the group needed. Be it: surprise joints, bottles of water, unbelievably hilarious retorts, surprising the group by eating a steak with his bare hands amid lavish eccentricity (fuck you instagram models, we’ll use our grubby mits for this slice of beef), and most importantly – the proposition to cap the week off at Tantra, where we began. While being the more mild of our days, it actually may have been my favorite. There was something about exiting that special haven with grace and happiness opposed to begrudgement that made it feel like a veritable victory march off of our stomping grounds. The wine flowed, the sun baked, the ocean soothed, our favorite staff welcomed us back with unbelievably loving arms and they sent us home with not just partying in our veins but an admiration for the people of Mexico and their profound kindness. I will bring this hospitality with me and weave it into my relationships and the beach club that I will own one day ;)

It was my best friend Nick Mash's lightning bolt esque style of life that kept things interesting. Nick is the human personification of A Man's Man. He has one of the most inspiring work ethics I've seen which means.......he matches the vigor to PLAY when he takes the scrunchy out after work and let's his hair down. When I am tired, he hands me a copper rod and pushes me into an open meadow during a torrential storm. When life gets boring, he excites me with his against the grain novelty. The man is someone that inherently knows how to excite and entertain. But the reason I cherish his friendship the most is because he deeply cares for people and invests in not just entertainment, but their longevity and well being as a human......even if that means twisting arms to go to Michael Bibi at 3 am after we had been drinking since 11 am. You are filthy sinner for that abhorrent behest and you WILL die first :) Thank you you, Nick, for helping me through this chapter. Your friendship is invaluable.

To the Brasileñas, Ana and Fabi

It was only fitting that we met you on our first day and you saw us off on our last. While our more party fueled nights were deep in the jungle behaving like primates, the most memorable day, for me, was getting to connect with you at Tantra. Your genuine spirits were pervasive and lifted us up and medicated us on our final day. The connection was so palpable and I feel honored to have you as future travel buddies. We will see you in Greece :)

Kelsey:

The spirit of the ocean personified! What stood out to me about you was your sense of groundedness. I looked at you and thought, “this person is a thrill seeker, someone who cares for other people and someone with whom I’d like to dance on a giant wooden structure in the coming days.” I’m glad that happened at Vagalum. Your groundedness was so apparent. You didn’t just “show up to get drinks,” like most of the vacuous clout chasers we encountered on that trip. You came to make connections and have conversations. Our whole group adored you.

Ramsey and Jordan. Our new Colorado friends!!! Ramsey, I saw you walking by me at the concert and something told me, “I need to slap this man on his beef shoulder.” It was the best slapcision (that’s slap and decision combined) of my entire life. You and Jordan (who’s romance is palpable by the way) became a great addition to our crew. Jordan, you are the definition of excitement. It spilled over into our group and we’re thankful for it. Ramsey, you are a goofball and you remind me of the monkey I have tattooed on my chest. I was so pleasantly stunned that you all came and joined our after party at the Airbnb. There will be many more memories to come in Colorado :)

And finally, it was God’s presence tucked away behind all of these beautiful things that reminded me of my purpose on this Earth. Thank you God for showing me beauty. Thank you for being behind all of it and revealing your hidden presence in the gift of friendship, laughter, music, dancing, the stars, the sun, the moon, the waves, the jungle and of course...Mexican Pork Rinds Thank you, God

Kyle Brown