2018, Black Butte Ranch, OR, USA
Attending a friend's wedding
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The first time I met Matthew. Earlier that month Kara had shared that there was a guy she had been dating and wanted me to meet. Kara and I have been best friends since college so I made the trip up to meet this new guy in her life. Naturally I was excited to meet him but remained skeptical as most friends are when meeting someone for the first time who might be the new addition to our friendship. Before dinner Kara told me to go easy on him and not to scare him away. I told her I would try. When we got to dinner, Matthew was everything Kara had shared. He was smart and kind and honestly seemed to be just as nervous to meet me as I was to meet him but most importantly, seemed to already really care about Kara. We finished the night at the arcade where I got my butt beat by both Kara and Matthew and he wasn't at all, scared away.
I'll add one more story then post a picture of them from my wedding 5 years ago (June, 2018). Kara was a bridesmaid in my wedding and Matthew was her plus one. I had rented a house for the bridal party so Matthew was invited to stay however, my sister had planned my bachelorette party to be 2 nights before the wedding when the whole party was there. Matthew had plans with a friend but on the morning of my party, those plans fell through. Admittedly, I was a bit frustrated when Kara had told me this. Both Kara and Matthew assured me we would not know he was there. Later that day I passed Matthew walking upstairs with a cooler and I asked what the cooler was for. He told me it was his drinks for the night and I wouldn't see him until the morning. He did just that. We had our party and he hung out upstairs watching tv and hanging out. I look back on that now and as much as I appreciated how considerate he was, the thing I remember most is the next morning. I was one of the first people up and walked into the kitchen to find Matthew doing dishes. Dishes that us ladies had made the night before that no one had asked him to help with or even expected him to help with. I thanked him then for that and am so grateful for the years that we've shared as friends.
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It was always a pleasure diving deep into technical discussions during testing. I’ll miss our off-work activities and challenges, including Tough Mudder, long cycling rides around Mercer Island, and the triathlons we did together. Miss you buddy!
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Matthew and I were only classmates in high school, but even after all these years I can still remember his kindness and incredible snarky wit. Even though we hadn't kept in touch, hearing about his passing is a great shock that's difficult for me to accept; I can't imagine what his family and friends must be feeling. My heart goes out to everyone.
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2016, iFLY Indoor Skydiving - Seattle, Tukwila Parkway, Tukwila, WA, USA
Matthew feeling the art of flying
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Over the years, Matthew would randomly message me and we would talk about house hunting, wedding planning, and creative ways to save money. He always had an answer for everything :) I will miss those moments with Matthew.
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Mount Rainier, Washington, USA
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Arches National Park, Utah, USA
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Arches National Park, Utah, USA
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Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
Checking off another park
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