Just over one month ago, I sat in a French Style Cafe in Mombasa trying to filter caffeine through my blood so as to counter act my hang over and I felt so at home. I was washed over by the thought:
Every step has led me to this point
I am exactly where I am supposed to be
One week later my best friend here died
. Mark -- The best friend anyone could have, but especially a girl who just moved from the other side of the planet, joined a complicated company and living without her protective circle and ready to Adventure! He was gone. Just like that. Friday I talk to him at almost 6pm and Saturday by 2 or 3pm I get the call.
It is rare that you find a friend you can work with every day, go out for dinner and drinks during the week, travel on the weekends laughing all along the way.
I am so happy that I was to ever meet someone like Mark: Bigger than life, funnier than all get out, connoisseur of the finer things in life, an avid explorador, an outdoors man, an entrepreneur at heart, a tell-it-as-it-is realist, a perfectionist and all around helpful heart to anyone he met.
One of the best parts for me was that our relationship compared to any other men I have been friends with was so different. We could actually just
be friends and just
be coworkers. If anything,it was like having a an amazing older brother who i loved and loved to experience life with.
His death was sudden an tragic, and something I was not ready for, but of course, good bad or ugly, everything happens for a reason. Though I am still not 100% why he was taken away, I know that the Universe will unfold itself in explanation some day.
As a positive, I was able to be a shoulder to cry on and an Ambassadress to Nairobi for his Mom and Sister. Difficult is not even the word to describe how horrible each day was, but fortunately the nights were all ended just as Mark would have wanted, with great dinners, South African Chardonnay from 2008 only, and laughs until we cried. (there was even some air guitar peppered in there)
Also, I gained 2 beautiful members to my family, Megan and Lynne.
My and Mark's favorite cab drivers, Charles and Msembe were a salvation through the hard times as well. Charles keeps saying to "keep keeping on". And I know Mark would have liked that, since he would tell everyone missing him that we
mustn't let this stop us and have to keep moving forward (or something of the sort).
Lastly, what makes me so happy is that the first night I was with his family I was compelled to say after dinner "we must take some shots! Shots of Sambucca!!" That we did. and as Lynne took photos of Megan and myself acting ridiculous, a purple light kept appearing over my head! That was Mark 100% Even the table where we ate the night of his memorial, I happened to take a picture of at a dinner a few weeks later and purple glowed clear as day. I knew he would have loved that place!
So I miss him every single day. I am still a bit angry with him for leaving, but I know he is constructing the most fabulous vacation property on the most magical beach for all of us he loved, waiting with Chardonnay 2008 in hand and beautiful people everywhere!! And when I do think of what this perfectionist thought reaching the other side, it always puts a smile on my face because I am sure he looked back and simply said, "SHIT!"
:) works every time!
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| Mark haggling with the man selling us chickens to BBQ while camping in Sagana |
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| I love this picture of Mark shaking hands with a local little boy |
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| Mark and his sister Megan (stolen from your Facebook - Thanks Megan! my new sister!) |
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| Let the purple reign! Some 2008 Chardonnay for you Mark |
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A beautiful quote from my friend Austen Montero so fits Mark's impact:
Dine on Laughs and Love on Wine.
Let all the wonder and magic always be a part of you.
