32 Years Later
The Greater Things
Ten years ago, I named this blog after its namesake post—22 Years Later. I was 22 years old and for the first time in my life I was traveling out of the country and I wanted to document the trip. I wanted to look back and reflect on a summer abroad in Italy and remember such an epic trip. That was a pivotal moment in my life—you see I didn’t know it then, but it was—let me tell you how.
Just a few days ago, I was talking to one of my best and oldest friends—Jaia Lacey. Jaia and I go back to 2007 to our time at OCU. Jaia and I were on the phone talking about the more current events and in the course of that conversation, we started talking about our beginnings as friends. We started talking about the little family we’d built at OCU. Brett, Jaia, Laisa, Big B, and Emily. We were inseparable. As friends, we stayed connected so tightly that we didn’t even build other relationships until much later. You see our little family did everything together. We were together most days and nights and we balanced each other so well that the friendships nourished themselves.
And then I went to Italy. Over the course of that time—approximately 6 weeks I came home and found that something in our relationship had fractured. I was still jet lagged and trying to reassemble the pieces of our lives but then one thing led to another and I found myself hitching a ride to South Carolina where I would stay for the rest of the summer.
As you can imagine when I came back, nothing was the same. The fracture had become a rift and before I knew it, we were all drifting in different directions. Our family would never recover, and our friendships would never be the same again. We all stayed in touch over the next few years—in and out of each other’s lives—but more as strangers than friends. Emily and I were close for some time and then we eventually moved on with our lives effectively putting “the family” to rest.
As Jaia and I talked about the lives we lived and the ones we have now—we have no regrets. She is the proud mom of a baby girl and she’s building a family all her own. Emily is thriving too. She lives in Lancaster; works in Columbus and she’s finally living life on her terms. I don’t know what Brett or Laisa or Big B are up to these days, but I’m sure they’re doing well. They are all supremely talented and I’m positive they are making moves in life no matter how unconventional.
As for me—that trip that summer sparked something in the deepest recesses of my heart. It brought to life a thirst for travel that has yet to be quenched. I have traveled across the world and I have met some amazing people along the way. I never imagined doing life without Jaia or Brett or Laisa or Big B. I thought that through some form or another we would remain connected forever and even though that isn’t what God had planned, the life I’ve built is incredible, nonetheless. World traveler, published author, TED speaker, doctor, educator, influencer—I love my life. After 32 years I have accomplished so much, and I have no plans to slow down now.
Before we hung up the phone, Jaia asked me what I wanted to accomplish in this next year of life. I don’t believe in sharing my goals out loud, so I won’t write it here, but I told her what I wanted to accomplish. I asked her the same thing and she told me. Then we made a pact and then, at midnight, as one day turned into the next, she wished me a happy birthday. She wished me love and happiness. She wished me greater things. And with today’s political climate and societal tensions—we could all use a little bit of the greater things.