Ali and I became friends in 2017 when he moved to Seattle to pursue his Ph.D. He was one of the smartest yet humblest persons I'd ever met. His physical and mental health were his priorities that's why he was always planning trips and hikes. I was so lucky to be his friend, he gave me so much joy on our adventures. 

Ali my dude, I am so sorry we couldn't find a bear in Yellowstone. I made us go there twice but we failed. We tried so hard but they were so scared of us they kept running away. 

"the north remembers"

Farewell my brother

Words can't express my feelings right now. Ali was one of my closest friends and perhaps the kindest person that I knew. It hurts me dearly that I need to use past-tense verbs to refer to him. But I'm sure he will always be in my heart.

Just some keywords that I'll remember him by: Persepolis, Delfino's, Agha Niko, Khare, Akhavan, Fish burrito without cabbage please, Alex, Black Bears in Yellowstone, Burke-Gilman Trail, Mathew's Beach, Gym, Afternoon teas at the CSE department, "In bara felanast", Artin.

دلم برات خیلی تنگ میشه خره.

Dear Ali, I have a sweet memory of you always saying "khaste nabashi" whenever you saw me! Even in the mornings! I used to say it's morning Ali, I'm not tired at all! But you always kept saying that! I wish we could go back to those time! I hope people will remember you as a genuinely nice and friendly person!

Rest in absolute peace! Me will miss you!

I’m genuinely sorry for losing my dear friend Ali. We have known each other since high school, and our 11-year friendship was filled with cherished memories, from late-night study sessions in college to exciting trips and shared laughter.

Let me share a bittersweet memory from our 2020 trip to New Mexico with Ali. We were following our map on the Aztec roads when it led us onto a narrow, muddy path. After driving just half a mile, our car got stuck in the mud, and no other vehicles came by for two hours. Even the towing service couldn't reach us. In such a tough situation, Ali stayed calm, cracked jokes to keep our spirits up, and gave us hope that we'd get out of there. We managed to free the car inch by inch by going in reverse and finally made it back to the main road after several hours. Ali was always there for his friends, no matter what.

RIP Ali. I’m already missing you.