Day 2: Everything that I’m thankful for

1,099 Words

Today doesn’t have to be a “putting fingers to the keyboard” day. It is Thanksgiving, I am home in Pennsylvania with my family, and I get to spend the next 4 days relaxing, eating wonderful food, and plotting the next steps in my life. Reflection and introspection has never been my strong suit, but on this Thanksgiving, I want to give it a try. There are so many things in my life that I am thankful for that I don’t think that 1,000 words will be enough. (Side note, I moved to Medium from Wordpress because of the elegant design — no need to think about themes — and the big picture feature at the top of each post).

I am a lucky guy. Most people say the same about theirselves, and most of the people I know are lucky people. We are lucky to have been born in the right place, to grow up in an economically stable environment, to have loving families and thoughtful teachers. We are lucky to have the opportunity to attend well-regarded universities and land interesting jobs. For me, that luck comes mostly in the form of wonderful, exceptional people that I’ve had the pleasure of calling my family and friends. While this list is nowhere near complete (no need to bore prospective readers with a long list of people they don’t know), these are definitely the highlights:

1. Mom and Dad — without a doubt the most influential forces in my life. They deserve awards just for putting up with my nonsense as a child / teenager / young adult, and I’m sure to this day there are things I do that drive them crazy. I’m thankful for both of them in being patient teachers of both academics and life lessons. For forcing me to take piano lessons when I was younger, for pushing me into mathematics and sciences, and for (begrudgingly) supporting my personal pursuits into theater, choir, and football. You took every bad report card worse than I did, but only because you worried for my future. I only hope to someday be half as good parents to my kids as you were to me (or just bring them over for you to babysit all the time).
2. Alex and Daniel — my best friends from elementary / middle / high school who’ve always been there for me. I’m thankful for having as friends two of the most intelligent and considerate people I know. Even if we go months without talking to each other, the minute that we’re in the same place we can go on as if no time has passed. You are both doing exceptional things with your lives, and I am glad to be a part of that.
3. The Hitchhiker Labs team — the wonderful, nutty guys that work with my on RemindMe, Neil and Joe. I couldn’t ask for a better pair of guys to build RemindMe with. Not only are you both talented engineers, you both are a blast to work with. RemindMe couldn’t be where it is today without you both, so for that, I am very thankful. Here’s to building more in the year to come and launching RemindMe to cities across the country!
4. Club Raj — Kabir, Suhail, and Manny. What can I say, except that this year has been tremendous in having your friendship and sharing great times.

Aside from people, the list of items I have to be thankful for are a bit less organized. Here they are, in no particular order:

• Great restaurants / Grant Achatz — If you know me at all, you know I am a self-identified foodie. Having great food in my life brings a unique happiness to me that is unlike anything else. For me, food isn’t simply a utility, a practical consideration one needs to live. Food is at the very essence of our culture and the cultures of places we visit. When you taste great cooking, you are tasting the product of a labor of love. There are such strong emotions that we tie to foods, and having great food with great company provides the memories that stay with you through life. I may not remember clearly November 2013, but I will always remember the dinner I had at Empellon’s Push Project IV where we had an incredible dinner cooked by Grant Achatz, Wylie Dufresne, Dave Beran and a host of other chefs. Of course it helps that Thomas Keller sat behind us and that we met him towards the end of the evening. No matter what, the memory of that experience easily trumps the cost of the meal. I’ll never stop looking for great meals.
• Meteor.js — I’m still learning Meteor, but even after a couple weeks I feel thankful that the team at Meteor took the time to make such a wonderful product and open it up to the world. For someone who can easily be categorized as a beginner programmer, having such an intelligent platform that makes deploying a prototype application so effortless is a godsend. While it means that I have to learn javascript and learn it well, it’s something I’m gladly willing to do to reap the benefits of Meteor.
• New York City — I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of living in New York. Sure it gets cold, and I curse your winters, but the past 7 years have been incredible. I would not have had the same opportunities career-wise had it not been for this city. Where else could a 20 year old go and be tasked with opening international offices for a company? Where else could I have gotten a sophomore-year legal internship working out of Britney Spears’ apartment, filing claims against Taylor Swift? (no hate T-Swizzle, it was the job). No matter how old I get or wherever else I go, New York City will always have a very special place in my heart.
• San Francisco — Just what I need after many years in New York. San Francisco, you are the hope and optimism that makes me so excited about the coming years in my life. I’m thankful for the incredibly kind and talented people, who still carry the youthful wonder that pushes them to bring great things to the world. Here’s to becoming one of them in the years to come.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)”