We’ve been Yoko Onoed

By Daren Many

GOODLAND, Kan. — I remember like it was yesterday.

I had just moved into an unfamiliar house with unfamiliar roommates. I was living with a cat. I hated cats. I was struggling with the questions of life like, “What the hell am I doing in Twin Falls, Idaho?” and “Twin Falls Idaho? What the hell am I doing here?”

I didn’t know Troy and I didn’t know Danielle, my other roommate. Then Nolan walks into the living room like Kramer walking into Jerry’s apartment in “Seinfeld”. “Who the hell is this guy?” I wondered to myself. Life hasn’t been the same since, and it’s why I lived in Twin Falls for four years and not just 12 months.

Nolan has been there for me through it all. When I needed to go get a beer at midnight because my girlfriend dumped me on Valentine’s Day, Nolan walked to the bar with me. If my truck was in the shop he was the first to offer me one of his vehicles. If he was cooking his famous spaghetti he would call me to make sure I came over and got some. The guy can make you laugh in the darkest moments of life.

Till this day the hardest I have ever laughed was a camping trip I took with Nolan in the Sawtooth. I won’t repeat what he said here, but I laughed so hard I needed to hold onto a tree so I didn’t fall over. I thought I was going to rupture something. All of this and more is why I’m happy Nolan is going home.

Nolan was not the same guy I know on this trip. You could constantly see it in his eyes and his posture. He couldn’t enjoy himself. He missed Beth terribly.

As soon as Beth got to Denver he was himself again. That’s why I’m happy for him.

He needs to be back in Twin. It’s not that I don’t want Nolan to be on this trip. After he left the airport this morning I felt a huge loss. I don’t know if it was him leaving the trip or what his leaving signified. What I knew in my mid-20s is gone. I realized in a moment of clarity that things change and you can’t hold on to them forever.  The days when things were a little simpler are long gone.

It made me sad because I saw myself in the mirror for a second and wondered what I was doing. I just lost a girl that I loved. I saw Nolan walking away and started wishing it were me. I wished it were me with my girl.  We have all given Nolan a lot of crap about leaving lately, but maybe it’s because we want what he has.

Having said all that, I’m still happy to be on this trip. I’m still traveling with one of my best friends. I’m still going to watch BASEBALL for the rest of the summer instead of working. I’m still going to meet incredible people, see incredible things, and experience life to its fullest.

Nolan, I wish you the best of luck and although things have changed you will always be one of my best friends. That never changes.

(There’s more on this and our other adventures at BaseCrawl.com.)