Hi Squad,
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to pursue chaos, incarnate with you. Every now and then an
extraordinarily fun weekend rears its head and vomits a fish tank full of fun onto my head and shoulders. As a man with an insatiable (some would say unhealthy) appetite for fun, I feel like I have lots of really fun times. But there are some experiences that are different. They’re not just fun, but rather, provocative in a sense. Provocative in the sense that it stirs up my soul with a
wooden spoon or some other such stirring apparatus. Not provocative like the time I saw a scantily clad hot mamma on the back of a James Bond video game cover when I was 11...I digress....so this Soul Churning provocation is invaluable to me. I don’t always even know that it’s happening during the experience -- it’s usually afterwards where I realize how much the experience meant to me. This trip was one of those :)
So when these experiences envelop me and warm me and spew me out as a happier, more
authentic and curious person, I feel deeply indebted to the people that were a part of these
“Grander Than Life” feelings. For so long, after experiences like these, I didn’t really know how to
express this happiness towards these people. Do I kiss them? Do I offer to watch their dog?!
What should I do?! Do I give them some sort of special cactus that doesn’t require a ton of
watering so they can travel and not have to worry about asking a neighbor to water their
plants????? None of those feel like great options. That’s what this letter is about.
How bonkers lucky am I that I got to meet you delightfully strange mountain people? You silly
fucks deserve to know why and how you impacted me for the better. Even if these words don’t
make sense or quite amount, I need to at least make an attempt to address why you all are dope.
You nut cases flooded me with memories and interactions and feelings that I’ll not only cherish
forever, but also take with me into the world. From there I hope to spread that bodacious
goodness like wildfire.
So here are some things that I’m thankful for and, frankly, still buzzing on that I want to
immortalize:
The views
Fresh, yummy, straight out of the oven snow. That shit was PURRTTY, dude. I like it when I feel
YANKED out of “normal life” and tossed into a landscape that I’m relatively unfamiliar with – it
fosters growth. And there's nothing like a blanket of celestial crystals pouring down from the
heavens and covering that “normal life” with a little filter curated by mother nature herself. The
moon also had a particularly alluring quality to it that weekend. The altitude is only a few
thousand feet higher than what I’m accustomed to but, hot damn I felt like I was standing next to
that moon inside of a bouncy house. Chef’s kiss to that positively gorgeous half moon.
The Music
Even though we got trapped in a sea of puffy jackets and rolled in a bit late, I actually had fun in
the line. A further testament to the fact that you fuckers are even fun to be around.....in a
line...which is like, the worst place you can possibly be. Once we burst into the venue it was
game over. There was a palpable energy blowing in the wind -- truly intoxicating. The lights and
the moon and the tunes and the mountain fairies all worked hard to create a potion of utter bliss.
I recall a moment where everything came together. Some of my favorite musicians, beckoning
my heart with their sonorous sounds, surrounded by people smiling and hugging and kissing...I
looked up to the sky and fixed my gaze on the lights cutting through a sea of smoke and clouds.
I thought, “man I actually feel like I’m dancing inside of a beautiful stratus cloud – what a dance
floor.” It was magical. It was perplexing. It was thought provoking. I felt closer to God and was
veritably thankful.
You Darling Ducklings
I know I’ve beat a dead horse....or duckling? On this matter, I want to hammer one more thing.
The way you all treat strangers is a spectacle to behold. Nick and I are insane people and you
made us feel very welcomed and ... .elated ... .even though Sarah made me go to the grocery
store for 90 people while I was working on 4 minutes of sleep......I digress ... .I have been on
the road for six months now, traveling. I’ve been trying to conquer fears and get uncomfortable
and learn new things and ultimately just.....trying to do as much as I can in this precious life.
When I’m happy, I wonder why and try to replicate more of those things. When I’m sad, I welcome it and explore it as a normal emotion. I am working on treating the emotional spectrum
like this. Lately what’s been at the top of my mind is the idea of “Purpose.” What am I meant to
do in this life? How can I breathe life into others’ lives? Where does the Ego come into play in all
of this? It’s been a confounding thought that rattles my brain almost interminably....it’s truly
challenging to live with. You all and this trip helped bring simplicity to a very complex concept.
When I come home from a journey, sometimes a song or lyric will follow me home in my pocket
and work its way into my mind for weeks on end. This year the song was “Make it Happen.”
Total jam. May or may not have shed a single tear when I got back listening to it over and over
again....it was multiple tears, I am what I am. The lyrics that have been pulsing around in my
mind are “Love can make it happen, love can change your life.” It wasn’t just he lyrics that
lingered. I FELT this sentiment in conversation and nature and emotions throughout the
weekend. I still do feel it. Without going full blown hippy on your asses, how simple is that
tenant? Maybe overanalyzing “purpose” and “meaning” is counterproductive. Maybe the reason
I felt so good from this trip was because it was a weekend brimming with loving people making
loving things happen....love can change your life. Maybe this is the purpose of life? Maybe
when love is at the center of all the things you do, everything else falls in line. So thanks for
bringing that concept to life, you rapscallions.
Sincerely,
You're Friend Kyle
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