I have come to realize that I must be one of the luckiest people on this planet. As I scroll through my photo album looking for pictures to post on this blog, I have far too many pictures to sum up an entire story. These thoughts bring me to one of my favorite times of the year: Pond Mile.

What started originally as a small gathering with our bridal party to plan our wedding and get measurements for tuxes slowly merged into a yearly palooza. Kim is fortunate enough to have nearly 300 acres of goregous land an hour south of Buffalo, NY. It is here that we spend some of our most memorable times with friends. Like any gathering, it's not a party until the right people arrive. Each year we are never short of excellence.

Kim does have some cousins who live nearby the property. For the most part, however, our friends are driving for hours, crossing state boarders, or flying across the country just to hang out and camp for a few days. Late night dancing, typical outdoor rec games, and an estranged one mile foot race are just a few of the highlights. When Sunday rolls around, and people begin to leave, it's always depressing.

It's really a shame that I can't spend weeks out there with everyone. The thought of being able to spend weeks there with friends is dream like. If I was ever to be materialistic, it would be for more lawn games or rafts to add to Pond Mile. There have been times on the trip that I wondered what I would do if I had endless money. Each summer, I know exactly what I'd do: pay my friend's employer's money to get them to have lengthy vacations so we could hang out and do absolutely whatever we wanted with no concept of time. I love dreaming...

For me, this is my opportunity to try my best to thank my friends and family for everything they always do for me. I cannot begin to explain and list the amount of times I have been helped, bailed out, and taken care of. I am fortunate enough to have access to a bunch of forest land, and I feel that the best way to utilize it is to invite a bunch of people for a good time. If you cannot tell yet, this is a vitally important weekend for me. There are seldom things I wouldn't give up just to ensure this land never changes in my lifetime.

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