Labor Day Weekend is upon us and for many it is a time to light up the grill, fill the ice chest and have friends over. The other half will drive somewhere and enjoy the company of friends and loved ones. For my best friend/roommate Robert and I, driving to San Diego for Labor Day Weekend has become a tradition. Even though it’s a tradition that is still in its infancy, it is one that we have come to look forward to and enjoy despite the traffic ordeal that we must endure.
My friend Jason Calloway celebrates his son’s birthday, Jayden, every Labor Day Weekend. Jae, as we all refer to him, is a close friend that Robert and I met during the two years that we lived in San Diego. Jae lived with Little Chris and Larry in the apartment complex that Robert, his girlfriend at the time and I lived at as I attended San Diego State. We lived across each other’s apartment for a few months without saying more than “hello” or “what’s up?” as we walked past each other. It wasn’t until February 2006, during the Super Bowl, that our households would get together for an afternoon of too much eating and drinking.
During half time all of the food that I had prepared was sitting on our table waiting for the coworkers that would never show up. As I stepped outside into our balcony-type area, I noticed Larry sitting in his balcony-type area having a cigarette. We made eye contact before he asked “you guys watching the game?” To which I smiled and said “Yeah. We have tons of food but nobody came over.” Larry’s eyes widened as he replied, “Well, we have a bunch of beer.” I told him to come over and soon Chris, Larry, Robert, Jae and I forgot that there was a game on television. Two more of Larry’s friends would show up, Tom and Big Chris, extending the afternoon well past 2 a.m.
Falling asleep that morning none of us imagined that for the next year and a half there would not be one moment outside of work or school during which any combination of Larry, Jae, Little Chris, Big Chris, Robert and I would be together. We ate, argued, drank and laughed together. We played pranks on each other and stood next to each other during the difficult times. We met more friends such as Pauline, Anthony and Nate and they soon too became accomplices to the endless shenanigans that we found a way to get into. It got to the point where Robert and I wouldn’t even ask each other what we were doing during the weekend: we simply walked over to Jae’s place; or they came over to our place.
When it was time to come back to Los Angeles in 2007, it was a bittersweet feeling. We were happy to come home but we were leaving behind our new family. The great thing about our San Diego family is that time and distance has made us fonder. We have never lost touch despite some gaps in communication. However, every year during Labor Day Weekend when we get together for Little Jayden’s birthday party, we are able to reconnect and pick up where we last left off…minus the drinking.
Attending San Diego State was amazing and Balboa Park is beautiful; driving to Tijuana was fun and only in S.D. will you find the best California burritos. Still, when people ask me what the best part of San Diego is, or what I miss the most, without a doubt it’s my San Diego family.