SUMMER: 2008

I am wearing this hat today for the first time since this very backpacking trip.  I thought I lost it in the mountains that week, but found it in my closet about 5 years later.  I put it on this morning, and all the sudden, it was the summer of 2008 again!  All these songs I was into at the time kept popping into my head!  It was like something from a cheesy fairytale movie full of nostalgia!  All morning, I've been listening to bands I got into at that time of my life.  I was 17.  I just finished my junior year of high school.  I followed Rolling Stone and the alternative rock chart, in the music world.  My favorite

song was "Time to Pretend" by MGMT.  I was working part time at Ridley's.  Life was a joke.
When it comes to the cliche definition of summer, I feel like I never really had one in my youth. 2008 was the summer where I stayed out too late and got grounded.  AKA, it was awesome.  I, of course, was 17, so I was awesome, too. 
I remember my brother Kieth was engaged, and that was weird.  Todd was on his mission.  I had an excellent trip back to my homeland, CA, with my family.  I was doing The Laramie Project with the RAT Performers, which was one heck of a show.  I met a lot of new friends from that.  I remember after each rehearsal, a few of us would ride 

our bikes from the high school to the county fair.  One night in particular, Mr Brown and Patrick Rexroat created the classic "Mutton Busters" story that Brown still tells his students.  I remember me, Tom, Michael, Jeff and Luke all asked people for quarters so we could play a game to win a poster of a hot chick.  It totally worked, and we came across this Creepy Black Carnie Guy who was serious about his posters.  Meanwhile, Joey Avila lost millions of dollars to Bingo.
Another highlight was a 3-day backpacking trip to Alice Lake with Jeff Horgan, Wade Sugden and Wyatt Shewmaker.  It was my first time in the Sawtooths, and little did I know that I would be spending my next summer there.
I didn't have a crush on anyone that summer... I may have had a cliche summer, but it wasn't that cliche.
I remember watching The Dark Knight with a bunch of guys, and Michael Rexroat and Ross Irwin came up with the series of "Man, f*** you, Batman" stories.  Why do I still remember those?  I'll never know.
I could go off on a list of names of people I met that summer, but that's not the point.  The point is: Being young and stupid with a lot of free time is awesome.  And I think there is a magical time machine in that "England" hat.  And my summer ended like all good stories:                                       

EVERYONE GOT MARRIED!!!

 "This is our decision/To live fast and die young/We got the vision/Now lets have some fun"