Best Summer Ever???

We all went to high school together and graduated the same year.  Sean was a year younger than us. We all wanted to get out of Ohio, and just to just relax before we started school.  It was the summer of 2000. My friends were on our way to Florida for the last summer Hurrah. It was me, Nic Stojak, Jason Heyder, Joe Bauer, Jim Price, Steve Jankowski, Sean Clifford. For some of us, that summer was the last time we all had time to hang out as a group. That was the summer, that we were either at Ohio State or at Columbus State. We all started school in September and it was around August that we went for a vacation.

We drove from Hilliard, Ohio in the evening time to go to St. Petersburg Florida in the morning. We rented a suite in St. Petes, for the 7 of us. We had a suite on the 4th floor overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. We all had fun, reminiscing about our past, talking about our present and talking about our future. None of us knowing what the future held for each of us. Heck, I didn't think I'd live in Taiwan...and that was a very last thing on my mind.


 
During that week, I learned new things about my friends.  I learned that Jim snores, which can be heard thru a closed door. Jason and Steve were snorers, they shared a room. Their snores could be heard from 2 closed doors. I learned that Jason and Steve, although good friends love to argue the heck out of each other. Jim, the peacemaker was always trying to calm Jason and Steve down. Nic...he's just a dedicated fun-aholic.  To this day, he still is the fun-aholic. Joe...although we didn't know back then, already had inklings of the chef that he's going to be.

Its 11 years later and though we're not so close as we were back in 2000, we still keep in touch thru Facebook, the occasional marriage and thru MSN. These are my friends. They came to my wedding instead of being at the start of the Ohio State vs Michigan game in 2008. Thanks guys!!!


Now, I am married with a naughty kid. Jason is married. Jim is also married. Joe is currently dating a very beautiful girl from pictures I saw on Facebook. Steve is all tatted up and doing his own thing. Nic, he's the one that hasn't grown up, but for all intents and purposes, he's doing something that he loves, playing sports and enjoying it.


Was it the best summer EVER? Probably, but it was one of the last times we all hung out as a group.