Jason and I both grew up in Bowling Green, KY. He was a Warren Central Dragon, and I a Bowling Green Purple, but don't hold it against him, ok? I'm sure our paths crossed many times over as we grew up frequenting all of the same BG staples: Great American Donut Shop, Greenwood Mall, Beech Bend, Fountain Square Park, Murray's, the Capitol, Western Kentucky University, Bread & Bagel (mmm pepperoni rolls with a side of angsty boy bands), and on and on. However, we never really looked up to notice each other until we both found ourselves at the best bar/local music scene in all the land, Tidball's, around the end of 2010. He had just finished up his music degree at EKU and moved back to town. I was attending WKU and sneaking my way in as often as possible to see iconic bands play on weekends and penny beer nights. I remember seeing Jason one night in a classic-Jason beanie surrounded by his bandmates (Karmadons, Heavy Chase, Felonious Funk?) smiling and cutting up. I was sporting a bleach-blonde bob at the time and probably running around in Forever 21's finest black leather jacket with my best friend, Anna. We don't remember the exact moment we said hello, but I guarantee we were both grooving to the music, happy, and carefree. We saw each other often after that as our circle of friends melded together at Yellowberri, Mellow Mushroom, Pirate House then Manor Parties (iykyk), live shows all over town and holidays spent roaming downtown after we'd all served our familial duties and were ready to sink into wherever the night took us. Although we never thought it would, the party did eventually come to an end. I packed up my stuff and headed up to Lousville, KY in March 2013 for a job opportunity and a chance to find myself. Jason and his best friends pulled out of town in a '98 Econoline in November of the same year, heading west to Fort Collins, CO with hopes of a similar fresh start. Fast-forward to July 2017. I was living in Crescent Hill, Louisville, raising Lena full-time (with unwavering support from many of you) and buzzing about on a Friday afternoon planning the perfect festival outfit and texting friends. I was to meet up with them later that day at the beautiful and sunny Forecastle Festival downtown. On the other side of town, Jason was reconnecting with an equally ecstatic group of "Kentucky Haus" Fort Collins friends to spend the weekend together at the festival. He had moved back to Bowling Green the previous year and a reunion was long overdue. Just to rightfully convey our palpable level of glee, you should know that LCD Soundsystem, Weezer, Cage the Elephant, PJ Harvey, Run the Jewels, Nathaniel Rateliff, Conor Oberst, Adia Victoria, Big Thief, and Spoon were just a few on the bill.... And for all the youths out there, Jack Harlow was one of the smallest acts on a side stage under the overpass where we collectively witnessed his budding career take off. About seven hours later, our Bowling Green friend groups collided once more in the only way fate would allow, under the stars with a flurry of laughing, hugging, singing, and dancing in the bass-filled field somewhere between the Mast Stage and Ocean Stage. We all felt right at home. Jason and I stayed close by each other's sides all night. The next day at the Spoon show, it was time for me to go and he popped a little kiss right on my shoulder. :) We traveled up and down I-65 as often as possible after that, until Jason made the move up to Louisville in 2018. It seemed fast and not fast at all. We knew each other, the old versions and the new. He was my and Lena's Jasy-shaped puzzle piece that didn't make us 100% whole, but fit perfectly to form a new, beautiful picture. Now, we continue to build our life together just over the bridge from our fateful Forecastle reunion by the river. Thank goodness for the kismet and music that bound us together in 2010 and for the same magic that reconnected us almost seven years later under the moon and stars.