Continuing from my previous entry, it was great to catch up with everyone while I was in Washington. A few noteworthy connections are worth diving into a little deeper—namely Andrew, Andrew’s girlfriend Alicia, and Reagan.

Andrew and I met while we were both playing lead roles during basic training at the Naval Academy. He’s a goofy guy in the best way—someone who knows how to create a fun atmosphere wherever he goes. That summer was no different. Like Birdman, he’s another Naval Academy athlete who completely breaks the rugby-player stereotype. He’s emotionally in touch, deeply loyal, and genuinely cares about the people he keeps close.

The great thing about people like Andrew is that they attract other good people—and they know how to keep them around. If you ever want to meet quality humans, just find yourself an Andrew first and let him do the hard work for you.

Which brings us to Alicia. It’s no surprise Andrew ended up with someone like her. Alicia is a total spitfire with a heart of gold. Before moving to Washington to be with Andrew, she spent a lot of time living in Alaska. And lucky for me, not only is she awesome, but like Andrew, she’s a magnet for good people. We had long talks about the fishing community up there, which lit a bit of a creative fire in me. If the funding ever comes together, I’d love to document and capture that lifestyle one day. I’ll write more about the connections she helped me make in Southeast Alaska later, but for now, I’ll just say they were incredible.

I also got to catch up with Reagan. He had more on his plate than most—just back from deployment and already prepping for another. Reagan always wanted to fly jets, but the Navy had other plans and placed him in the slightly less acrobatic P-8A. We only had about an hour and a half over a late lunch, but it was grounding. We both found comfort in realizing that life hadn’t unfolded quite the way we thought it would—but that we weren’t alone in that.

Birdman has a similar story, which may be why the three of us have stayed close despite only crossing paths a few times over the years. There’s something binding about shared detours.

There were quite a few other special interactions during this stretch—old friends and complete strangers alike. I’ll always remember Birdman saying, “I feel like I haven’t wowed you yet,” in reference to the places we’d visited together. What he didn’t realize was that I rarely get wowed by the landscapes or scenery alone. It’s the people that leave the biggest impression.

And that week, I was wowed plenty.

I was sad to leave this chapter behind. Birdman and the crew had been more than welcoming to where they currently call home, and it had been one of the most meaningful parts of the trip so far.