Mike and I met 7 years ago when he was applying for a home loan at the company I worked for. He continually brought in paperwork and loathed any emails from me requesting additional documentation. I quickly picked up on his interesting personality and enjoyed conversing with him. Eventually I was able to tell him to "get me the f-ing paperwork" or there's "no home loan for you!" We had lunch together and talked about life in general and we began learning that we had some common interests- Travel being one- and cooking was a close second.
Over the years we had grown to support each other in various endeavors and we became advocates for one another, attempting to support each in unique ways. I would advise him not to do something, he would do it anyway and then realize I was right. He did the same for me. We planned a trip to Sweden and Iceland together, a delightful (yet brutally freezing cold) adventure that he arranged specifically for our similar interests. Ice hotel, Dog sledding, Treehouse Hotel. I was thrilled that the next adventure we would experience would be somewhere just a tad warmer. Who travels to the Arctic Circle in January with improperly insulated boots and layers? Well, Mike did. Morocco was going to be next on the list.
I was happy Mike allowed me to contribute to the (seemingly never ending) construction projects he had going on his property in the mountains- it will be a great honor to Mike once Roca Grande has been completed. I will miss Mike’s sincere and tender heart (although may have been hidden from time to time) - I will miss his relentless, yet gentle banter that kept us grounded and real to get through our days! I am truly grateful to have been a close friend and confidant. I will continue to cherish all of these memories and many more as to honor his life – he had so much more livin’ to do!